Syracuse field hockey loses home opener to Ohio State
SU field hockey loses home opener to Ohio State
Missing its leading scorer, the Orange lose their first game of the season.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After two successful road games to open the 2024-2025 season, the Syracuse University (SU) Women’s Field Hockey team returned to J.S. Coyne Field on Sunday, Sept. 8, for their home opener against the Ohio State University Buckeyes (OSU). Despite a solid start to their season, the Orange faced a tough challenge, resulting in a 5-0 loss to No. 14 Ohio State. The loss marks Syracuse’s first home opener defeat since 2004.
The last time the Orange faced the Buckeyes was in 2014 when Syracuse secured a 4-3 victory in overtime. However, Ohio State ranked 14th nationally, came out on top this time, defeating No. 10 Syracuse with a dominant performance.
Ohio State took control of the match early, testing Syracuse’s defense. Within the first two minutes, the Buckeyes drew two penalty corners. Katie Fichtner scored the game’s first goal off Ohio State’s second penalty corner. Syracuse struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, as the Buckeyes consistently pressed on offense.
Syracuse recorded their first shot on goal in the second quarter and created seven more opportunities throughout the game. However, they were unable to capitalize on those chances. Meanwhile, Ohio State capitalized on their momentum, with goals from Brenna Bough and Makenna Webster, giving the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Syracuse pushed on offense, generating more chances within the circle. Ohio State continued to dominate, adding two more goals in the third quarter. Bough scored her second goal of the day, while Hallie Brost netted her first of the season, sealing a 5-0 victory for the Buckeyes.
Syracuse, despite their resilience, struggled to find their footing in their home opener.
“It took us a whole half to figure out what we needed to do, and that’s just too much time,” Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar said.
Notably absent from the lineup was Syracuse’s leading scorer, Bo Van Kempen. Farquhar explained during the postgame press conference that Van Kempen was absent for personal reasons, describing her as “a huge component of our team.” The Orange had to adjust and rotate positions in Van Kempen’s absence.
“Our goal as a team was to step up and take care of the team,” Farquhar said, “and we did not do that as well as we would have liked.”
Looking ahead, Syracuse will host Northeastern on Friday, Sept. 13, at J.S. Coyne Field in another non-conference matchup. Farquhar emphasized the need for the team to focus on their own development as they move forward.
“The main focus is going to be on us,” Farquhar said, highlighting the importance of making necessary adjustments and coming back stronger for Friday’s game.
is a contributor for The NewsHouse.