Central wins against Big East Syracuse
The field hockey team had an advantage over Syracuse before its game even started Sunday.
And it wasn’t an advantage CMU expected.
The Orange had their sticks misplaced during their trip from New York, forcing them to play the entire game with CMU’s back-up sticks.
The sticks weren’t enough for the Orange, as Central edged out a 2-1 win at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
“I’d like to think it’s a non-factor,” said Syracuse coach Kathleen Parker. “We talked to them about the mental aspect. To some degree a stick is a stick.”
Coach Cristy Freese said Syracuse faced some adversity by not having its own sticks. The win was the first time CMU has beaten the Orange in three previous meetings.
“It’s a nice win,” Freese said. “Syracuse is a very good team.”
Both Syracuse (Big East) and Central (Mid-American Conference) were picked to finish third in their respective conferences this season.
Sophomore forward Moyra Betuzzi scored into the lower left corner of the goal at 21:22 to give CMU the early 1-0 lead. Senior forward Alicia Balanesi got the assist.
“Everyone was like ‘this is a huge game,’” Betuzzi said. “It’s definitely a confidence booster for the whole team.”
Early in the second half, sophomore midfielder Samantha Sandham added another goal on a rebound off a shot by sophomore forward Kelly Jordan.
The Orange avoided a shutout with their lone goal at the 55-minute mark when senior back Michelle Sola scored.
Senior goalie Danielle Frank had five saves.
CMU hosts a pair of games Saturday and Sunday against Saint Louis at the Field Hockey Complex.
