ITHACA, N.Y.— In a game of opportunity, #12 Syracuse simply had more Wednesday afternoon as the Cornell field hockey team dropped a 1-0 decision to the Orange.

"Syracuse is very well-coached team and I've got a lot of respect for their program," said head coach Andy Smith. "We didn't show up today. We got ourselves in that situation and just chose not to play."

The Big Red worked to maintain possession of the ball early, but Syracuse would keep the majority of play in Big Red territory throughout the 60-minute tilt. The Orange rattled off five shots in the first quarter while Cornell failed to get an attempt off the Syracuse defense.

The second quarter was more evenly contested, but proved to be the only Cornell would get a shot off in as Caroline Ramsey took the Big Red's lone on-target attempt of the day. The Big Red's second shot came just moments later as Natalie Stone filled in the otherwise barren box score column once more.

The third quarter was all Syracuse as the team took nine shots with Charlotte de Vries' on a penalty corner at the 38:58 mark being the game-winner. Syracuse kept pressing into the fourth quarter with three more shot attempts and its defense continued to halt any chance Cornell had at an attempt on net.

In total, Cornell took just one penalty corner all game compared to Syracuse's 11, and the Orange tallied 19 shots to edge Cornell's two.

In net, Aerin Park saved a career-high six shots and Caroline Ramsey came up big with three defensive saves for the Big Red. Brooke Borzymowski recorded one save for Syracuse.

"We knew going in it was going to be a tough game," said captain Avery Smith. "Especially coming off Michigan, we knew they'd also be pressing just as hard."

The Big Red open Ivy League play Sunday as the team makes its first road trip of the season to visit Dartmouth.