NCAA Tournament quarterfinal preview: No. 3-seed Maryland field hockey vs. Syracuse

No. 3-seed Maryland field hockey will take on Syracuse in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament with a chance to go to the Final Four. The game is set for 1 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Maryland.

The Terps (19-3) are coming off an exhilarating 2-1 double-overtime victory over Liberty on Nov. 11. Maryland graduate defender Riley Donnelly scored the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke, and the Terps stormed the field in jubilation.

Syracuse (16-5) defeated Princeton by a score of 5-2 in the nightcap in College Park. After trading goals in the opening few minutes of the contest, Syracuse scored four unanswered to move to the next round.

Maryland holds a 7-2 record over Syracuse in the all-time series between the schools. Last season, the Terps defeated Syracuse, 2-1, to advance to the Final Four.

The Terps will be seeking their second consecutive appearance in the Final Four, while Syracuse will look to pull off the upset on the road.

Now let’s look at the Syracuse Orange.

Syracuse Orange (16-5, 3-3)

Syracuse is led by head coach Ange Bradley, who is in her 13th season guiding the program. In her 13 seasons, she has accumulated a 208–62 record.

Bradley has been a model of success for Syracuse, highlighted by the program’s first-ever national championship win in 2015. She also received ACC Coach of the Year honors for her success that season. She has led the program to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the Final Four.

Syracuse plays in one of the toughest conferences in the country and has been doing more than just holding its own. Bradley and company had the best record in ACC play, which speaks volumes of her ability to lead a formidable field hockey program.

With Bradley leading the way, Syracuse remains a threat to win it all with its phenomenal athletes, and elite coaching.

Players to know

Quirine Comans, graduate forward, No. 7 — Comans is third in the ACC with 16 goals on the season. The athletic forward is an aggressive player who looks to pressure upon the cage from the opening to the final whistle. She has recorded 42 shots while also chipping in nine assists to Syracuse’s offensive attack. She has a knack for maneuvering her way through defenders to fire shots at the cage. Maryland will look to its defense to attempt to stifle Comans.

Charlotte de Vries, senior forward, No. 10 — De Vries is second on the team with 14 goals in her senior campaign. Her 63 shots are second in the ACC. In its 5-2 victory over Princeton on Nov. 11, she recorded a pair of goals to help lift Syracuse to the next round. De Vries is efficient at using angles to find favorable shots at the cage. The former All-ACC First Team member is a key piece over a Syracuse team looking to win it all for the first time since 2015.

Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, junior back, No. 21 — Van den Nieuwenhof scored in the previous win over Princeton on a penalty corner. She added five assists and is second on the team with 48 shots. The Netherlands native has 26 shots on goal and recorded a goal in her team’s first-round victory over Boston College in the ACC Tournament. It is paramount for Maryland to identify her as an offensive threat so Syracuse isn’t able to take over the game with its scoring prowess.

Strength

Defense. Syracuse is leading the ACC with nine shutouts this season. The Orange’s schedule is inundated with offensive powerhouses, which makes their conference-leading statistic even more impressive. They only relinquish 1.6 goals per game and are one of the most complete defensive teams in the country. Sophomore goalkeeper Brooke Borzymowski has recorded 67 saves the season, proving she’s more than capable of providing security to Syracuse’s last line of defense.

Weakness

Playing on the road. Like Maryland, Syracuse held a perfect record at home, winning all nine of its games in Syracuse. On opposing teams’ turfs, the Orange went just 3-4 this fall. With a true road game in College Park, Syracuse will have to reverse its previous woes.

Three things to watch

1. Can Maryland cap off another perfect season at home? The Terps are a perfect 10-0 in College Park. In its final home game, Maryland will look to secure a victory to advance to its second consecutive Final Four. Maryland has dominated visiting teams with a wide scoring margin of 47-9 this season. Maryland’s home field has been a house of horrors for opponents all season, and the Terps will look for it to remain that way with a lot on the line.

2. Will the Terps’ defense continue to halt opposing offenses? With contributions from its interchangeable goalkeeping duo and star junior Rayne Wright, Maryland’s defense has been outstanding the entire season. After relinquishing a goal in the third quarter, the Terps kept Liberty out of the cage for the remainder of the contest. It will be worth monitoring how Maryland’s defense performs against Syracuse.

3. For a team built on depth, which member of Maryland’s roster will contribute on offense? There’s not many teams in the country with the depth of the Terps. They have four players with at least 10 goals this season and receive offensive contributions from their entire roster, which leaves opponents guessing which player will affect the game. Senior forward Margot Lawn and defender Riley Donnelly scored in the Terps’ 2-1 double-overtime victory.