Missing Link: Syracuse Field Hockey Must Adjust To Loss Of Goalkeeper Sarah Sinck
By Tara Arya
CitrusTV’s Field Hockey Beat Reporter
SYRACUSE, N.Y. –The last several months have presented copious amounts of adversity for Syracuse Field Hockey. Unsure if their season would even happen until recently, the team felt ready to move forward and get on the field. The Orange, ready to build on their success from last season, return 16 of their 22 players and had every reason to be confident in their season.
Or so they thought. Scrolling through this year’s roster, it’s easy to miss at a glance, but sophomore Sarah Sinck’s name is nowhere to be found. A deeper look into Sinck’s LinkedIn page shows she’s opted out of playing for the team and returned to the Netherlands to play professionally. It isn’t clear when that decision was made, but what does this mean for the team moving forward?
Sinck’s freshman season was top-notch, bringing excitement for her inevitable growth in her second year. The Netherlands-native led the Atlantic Coast Conference in saves last year and played in all 18 games. She shared the net with now-junior Syd Taylor early in the season, later earning the starting spot and never looking back. The two worked in tandem switching roles in net for the first four games of the year with Taylor being a vital part in Sinck’s transition to the American game.
As a Freshman, Sinck recorded four shutouts and received praise from her teammates for her footwork and intuition in the goal. She showed poise as a freshman goalkeeper, notably in an upset against top-ranked UConn where she recorded 11 saves and reaching a career high under bright lights.
In Sinck’s absence, someone needs to step up and it’ll most likely be Junior Syd Taylor. Again, Taylor shared time goalkeeping early in the season with Sinck, but outside of those four games she spent little to no time on the field.
Taylor showed her maturity last year when she had to share playing time with Sinck and ultimately took the backup position. She’s shown her ability to be a leader on and off the field, but will now have to take on a bigger role on the team.
Similar to last year, Taylor will have some competition for the starting goalie spot. Freshman Emily Streib will take advantage of the opportunity to fill in the void of Sinck. Streib comes with championship pedigree as a player on teams that won the Outdoor State Championships for three straight seasons from 2017 to 2019. She also played with Sophomore Marie Sommer back home, providing some continuity.
The Orange might start their season similar to last year with both goalies sharing time in net. Taylor will be a big help in Streib’s progression into Syracuse’s game plan and the two come with different strengths to their games.
At 5’4”, Taylor relies on her athleticism within the net. Using her speed and flexibility to make saves as well as her strong communication to her teammates. For Streib, her game mimics that of many European players. She plays her position aggressively and with highly technical skills.
Coach Ange Bradley will likely utilize the two for their different strengths, sharing the net throughout the season or with one ultimately earning the starting spot. She won’t have much time to experiment with the shortened season, so it will be interesting to see how the two pair playing a crucial role in the absence of Sinck.
The women begin their season this Friday at J.S. Coyne Stadium with their first game in a doubleheader against Duke at 5:30p.m. Fans are not allowed in-person and can stream the game on ACCX.
taarya@syr.edu | @TaraArya98
