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The Daily OrangeFH | HEARTBREAK: Syracuse's record-setting season ends with overtime loss to Wake Forest in Final Four
By Eddie Paik
Posted: 11/22/08, 2:11 PM EST Section: Sports
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On the frost-covered ground, Shannon Taylor laid still with her hands over her face, trying to smother the pain. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. But before she unveiled her eyes her teammates had collected around her. They lifted her up and walked her to the sideline. And there, standing but facing down, Taylor had to confront bitter reality.
The senior captain was called to accept the No. 3 Syracuse field hockey team's NCAA semifinalist trophy after a 3-2 overtime loss to No. 2 Wake Forest (21-3) in the Final Four. With her eyes trained on Trager Stadium's icy turf, she walked out under Friday night lights to face the gaze of 1,094 stares who might have thought the outcome would have been different.
The Orange had won statistically, but faulty pass and the inability to stop the an ensuing Wake Forest counterattack after 79 minutes of pressing play, left Syracuse sharing hugs to hide the heartbreak.
"We really tried to focus on ourselves and what we could fix with ourselves," said Taylor, after the game trying but unable to hold back her tears. "I think this is the best we've played as a team, and everyone left everything that they had on that field tonight."
Taylor received applause. She walked off with a loss to end her collegiate career. She said she had no regrets.
"My kids did everything that was asked of them," SU second-year head coach Ange Bradley said. "We followed a gameplan, our pressing plan, and we put our opponent under a tremendous amount of pressure. We put them on the run. … The one thing that didn't work for us was the outcome."
It was a shocking end to an unexpected season. The team that lost in the first round of the Big East tournament under a new head coach last year claimed this year's Big East title. The Orange broke school records, and made history this year with its first appearance in the Final Four.
Syracuse was supposed to be a team under development. It was dominated by a starting lineup of freshmen and sophomores, with just two starting seniors. But the Orange (22-1) ended the season as the highest goal scoring team in the nation, led by Taylor (nation's points leader; 72) who sat on SU's bench last year, and earned the No. 3 seed to the NCAA tournament.
The senior captain was called to accept the No. 3 Syracuse field hockey team's NCAA semifinalist trophy after a 3-2 overtime loss to No. 2 Wake Forest (21-3) in the Final Four. With her eyes trained on Trager Stadium's icy turf, she walked out under Friday night lights to face the gaze of 1,094 stares who might have thought the outcome would have been different.
The Orange had won statistically, but faulty pass and the inability to stop the an ensuing Wake Forest counterattack after 79 minutes of pressing play, left Syracuse sharing hugs to hide the heartbreak.
"We really tried to focus on ourselves and what we could fix with ourselves," said Taylor, after the game trying but unable to hold back her tears. "I think this is the best we've played as a team, and everyone left everything that they had on that field tonight."
Taylor received applause. She walked off with a loss to end her collegiate career. She said she had no regrets.
"My kids did everything that was asked of them," SU second-year head coach Ange Bradley said. "We followed a gameplan, our pressing plan, and we put our opponent under a tremendous amount of pressure. We put them on the run. … The one thing that didn't work for us was the outcome."
It was a shocking end to an unexpected season. The team that lost in the first round of the Big East tournament under a new head coach last year claimed this year's Big East title. The Orange broke school records, and made history this year with its first appearance in the Final Four.
Syracuse was supposed to be a team under development. It was dominated by a starting lineup of freshmen and sophomores, with just two starting seniors. But the Orange (22-1) ended the season as the highest goal scoring team in the nation, led by Taylor (nation's points leader; 72) who sat on SU's bench last year, and earned the No. 3 seed to the NCAA tournament.
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Fan
posted 11/22/08 @ 5:41 PM EST
You girls made us proud!
As much as it hurts right now you have to remember what you achieved this season!
You can look back on a great year and next year you are going to show the ACC that it's not all about them!
GO 'CUSE!!!
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