Harvard, UMass advance, will clash in Elite 8 field hockey showdown

STORRS, Conn. – A goal seven minutes into overtime ended the Syracuse University field hockey season as the 11th-ranked Orange fell 1-0 in extra time against No. 10 Harvard during NCAA Tournament action Friday afternoon at the George J. Sherman Family Athletic Complex.

Harvard (16-3) got the game-winning goal in the 67th minute, the game’s only tally, from Lara Beekhuis on an unassisted opportunity.

Syracuse (13-7) battled throughout the 67-minute contest in a back-and-forth contest. Louise Pert made two saves with Bo van Kempen making a defensive save. The Orange picked up three corners, including a chance in overtime.

Pert’s counterpart, Tessa Shahbo, made four saves for Harvard, including three in overtime.

Harvard advances to play UMass in the Elite 8 on Sunday at 1 p.m.

In an earlier game, No. 14 Massachusetts (16-5, 7-0 A-10) turned up the pressure, mounting a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over UConn (17-4, 6-1) in the first round. With the win, the Minutewomen advance to their seventh elite eight and first since 2013.

The Minutewomen fell behind early in the first quarter of play, but were able to turn up the defensive pressure, finding two goals in the final 12 minutes of regulation to claim the NCAA Tournament victory. Massachusetts dominated the action for a majority of the second half, relying on a man-to-man press defense while claiming a 7-0 advantage in shots over the final 30 minutes.

Graduate student Paula Lorenzini moved into the strike line position in the fourth quarter, scoring the equalizer for the Minutewomen off a well-placed assist from Alexa Collins. The Mendoza, Argentina native recorded a game-high three shots.

Senior Hannah de Gast continued to be a crucial player late in games, netting the game-winning goal off Massachusetts fourth and final penalty corner. The goal marked her sixth of the season and second game-winning score.

UConn was led by Juul who Sauer, who scored one goal on two shots.