Field Hockey Falls To Syracuse, 3-1

Sept. 7, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

The 10th-ranked Michigan State field hockey team fell to 18th-ranked Syracuse on Sunday for its first loss of the season. The score was tied at halftime before the Orange scored two goals late in the second half for the win. MSU is now 3-1 on the season, while Syracuse is 3-0.

Redshirt freshman Angie Lucik (Emmaus, Pa.) recorded the first goal of her career at 25:49, with an assist from Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands). Lucik gathered the ball after a save by Syracuse's goalkeeper off a penalty corner.

The Orange responded less than two minutes later with a goal from Lindsey Conrad to tie the score.

Syracuse tallied the game-winning goal at 59:29 from Lindsey Conrad. She got the go-ahead tally off a rebound that goalkeeper Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.) initially saved. Nicole Nelson put the Orange up two goals off a centering pass from Conrad that Nelson tipped high with just under five minutes to go in the contest.

"The team didn't respond the way I would've liked them to after a close game with Stanford on Wednesday," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "They need to work on their on-field communication as it is crucial to their success. Syracuse was the toughest team we've faced so far this season, and hopefully the team will correct their mistakes before the next game."

Unger made two saves, while Heather Hess had nine saves in goal for Syracuse. Michigan State held an 18-7 shot advantage, and had seven penalty corners in the game, including five in the second half.

The Spartans travel to New England for matchups with Boston University and New Hampshire next weekend. Michigan State will face the 14th-ranked Terriers on Saturday at 1 p.m., before traveling north on Sunday for a game at noon.