SYRACUSE -- The eighth-ranked Syracuse University field hockey team (17-3) will make its fifth appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament when it faces No. 9 Boston College in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, November 14 at 2 p.m. in Princeton, N.J. Tickets for the game will be sold at the field beginning approximately 10:30 a.m.

The winner of the Orange-Eagle game will play the winner of Princeton-Stanford (Saturday, November 14 at 11:30) on Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m.

This season marks the first time the Orange has played in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. SU advanced to last season’s Final Four. After going 2-1 in last season’s championship, SU is 4-4 (.500) all-time in NCAA Championship play. Syracuse had made the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2001, 1995 and 1993. Syracuse defeated Massachusetts and Princeton, 3-2, before losing to Wake Forest 3-2 in overtime in the NCAA Tournament Semifinal. The Orange went 1-1 in 2001, defeating California, 2-1, in the first round, before losing to Maryland, 6-0, in the second round. SU lost at Princeton, 3-0, in the first round in 1995. The Orange advanced to the second round in 1993, defeating Penn, 3-0, in the first round, before losing at Penn State, 4-0.

Boston College (13-6) defeated Syracuse, 1-0, earlier this season in Boston. No. 4 Princeton also defeated the Orange, 3-2, in overtime in Syracuse earlier this season. SU holds a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series with Stanford, but has not played the Cardinal since 2005.

Syracuse defeated the Providence Friars 2-1 in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship on Nov. 7, before losing to No. 2 seed Connecticut. It was SU’s eighth trip to the Championship final, second-most in BIG EAST history. The Orange previously earned the No. 8 ranking in the Sept. 8 poll, to which they responded with a BIG EAST-high 12-game win streak.

BIG EAST First Team member Lindsey Conrad ranks fourth on SU’s all-time goals scored list with 36 and sixth on SU’s all-time points list with 89. Her 38 points this season rank tied for seventh on SU’s single-season chart. The junior forward was named the BIG EAST Offensive and ECAC Offensive Player of the Week once during the season. She has tallied a team-best 38 points off a team-high 15 goals and eight assists.

Sophomore back Martina Loncarica is Syracuse’s all-time assists leader with 45. Her 83 career points rank ninth and her 13 assists this season rank tied for sixth on SU’s single-season chart. The sophomore was named the BIG EAST Honor Roll once this season and was Syracuse’s lone unanimous selection to the first team. Loncarica has recorded 18 points off two goals and a team-high 14 assists and was an unanimous BIG EAST First Team selection.

Freshman goalkeeper Leann Stiver has been the mainstay in cage, recorded a goals-against-average of 1.02 and a .727 saves percentage.

Courtesy: SU Athletics