Delaware - Syracuse Boxscore

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After posting a one-goal advantage in the early going, the University of Delaware field hockey team could not quite hold on to its lead as No. 7 Syracuse avoided an upset bid with a 5-1 victory over the Blue Hens during the final day of the Terrapin Invitational on Sunday.

A day after the Orange (6-0) pulled one of the biggest surprises of the season by defeating No. 1 Maryland, 2-1, on Saturday, Syracuse avoided its own upset by using a second-half surge to overcome Delaware’s early lead.

Tori Karsten (at right) scored the Hens’ only goal of the game, while Nikki Rhoades posted 10 saves in the cage and held the Orange scoreless throughout the first half.

The high-powered Syracuse offense came out strong, firing seven shots before Delaware (0-5) posted its first. Despite the onslaught, the Blue Hen defense held tough. Led by Rhoades, who posted five saves during that stretch, the squad silenced the Orange attack.

Although Delaware was unable to post a shot in the early part of the contest, the Hens proved to be very economical in the latter half of the opening period. Following a scramble in front of the Syracuse cage, Karsten took a pass from Amy Brewer and quickly deposited the team’s second shot into the back of the goal with less than four minutes left before halftime.

Trailing by one, the Orange quickly came back with two more shots on goal in the span of four seconds, but Rhoades batted them both away.

After halftime, Syracuse immediately knotted the game at one. Just over three minutes into the second half, Shelby Schraden corralled a pass from Anne Van Der Post and snuck a shot past Rhoades to put the Orange on the board.

Thirteen minutes later, Schraden struck again. The sophomore forward fired a shot on goal, and although Rhoades got a glove on it, the ball trickled into the net to give the Orange a 2-1 lead with less than 20 minutes left in the contest.

Shortly thereafter, Syracuse iced the match with three quick goals. In the 57th minute, after the team earned a penalty corner, Van Der Post successfully took a feed from Maggie Befort and Martina Loncarica and scored the squad’s third goal of the game.

Just over one minute later, Syracuse’s Lindsey Conrad broke away from the Delaware defense and scored her sixth goal of the season. The Orange immediately stretched its lead to four at 5-1 after Befort took a pass from Shannon Taylor on a penalty corner and scored with 10 minutes left in the contest.

Although the Hens held an early lead, the team was out-shot by a 22-5 margin, while the Orange also held an 11-2 advantage in penalty corners.

The Blue Hens will return to action on Friday when the team travels to Temple to take on the Owls at 3 p.m.