On Sept. 15, the Bison field hockey team suffered a tough loss against No. 23 Syracuse. Despite securing one goal during the game, Syracuse capitalized on more opportunities than the Orange and Blue, bringing the final score to 3-1.

Bison goalkeeper Olivia Harris ’20 presented a particularly powerful performance, facing Syracuse’s 23 shots, 12 of which were on goal. She matched her season-high record with a total of nine saves, keeping the Orange and Blue within comeback range during the first and fourth quarters.

Brittany Willwerth ’20 scored the Bison’s lone goal off a penalty corner in the first quarter, providing the team with the lead for 21 minutes of the game. However, they were unable to hold Syracuse off for the rest of the match after the Orange converted on a penalty corner right at the close of the first half to tie the score.

Leah Fogelsanger ’21 and Willwerth led the team in shots, each taking two over the course of the game.

“Despite the tough loss this weekend against Syracuse, we held our own against a top-ranked team and kept fighting until the last minute,” Fogelsanger said. 

The Orange and Blue took six total shots on the day, with three alone coming in the fourth quarter. Kaelyn Long ’21 and Mackenzie Kile ’23 each contributed one, in addition to Willwerth’s and Fogelsanger’s.

“We had a tough loss today,” Long said. “We came out with a lot of energy scoring first against Syracuse early in the game. We continued to be feisty but ultimately just got outshot offensively.”

The Bison will travel to Boston University this upcoming weekend, opening up Patriot League play as they face the Terriers at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21. The Orange and Blue will be put to the test, as Boston is the defending Patriot League champion. The team will then travel to Yale to face Sacred Heart on Sept. 22.

“We are looking forward to league play this upcoming weekend. We feel that we’ve made enormous improvement and are heading into a tough battle against Boston more prepared,” said Fogelsanger.