Field Hockey loses first conference game

The No. 4 UConn field hockey team lost its first Big East game since 2010 this weekend when they traveled to Syracuse and fell to the No. 3 Orange 3-2.

Both the Huskies and the Orange came into the final regular season game with a 5-0 conference record. As a result, the contest was a de facto Big East championship game, with the winner getting a trophy and the No.1 seed for the conference tournament.

Chloe Hunnable netted both goals for UConn but her efforts were not enough, as they could not keep the potent Syracuse attack off the board.

The Orange struck first in the game when Liz McInerney beat UConn goalkeeper Sarah Mansfield on a rebound attempt.

Hunnable leveled the score just over four minutes into the second half, as she stole a pass and ripped a shot from just inside the right side of the circle that beat Syracuse goalie Leann Stiver to the right post.

After the Orange tacked on two more goals to take a 3-1 lead, the Huskies fought back to cut the lead to one off of a penalty corner. It would prove to be too little, too late as they could not find an equalizer in the 4:48 remaining after the second goal.

With the loss, the Huskies have now lost two straight games for the first time since November of 2008. They enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, setting up a semifinal matchup against third-seeded Louisville on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Cardinals are hosting this year’s tournament, which will be held at Trager Stadium.

The other semifinal will feature Syracuse against fourth-seeded Providence College. The winners of the two games will face off on Sunday in the title game.