ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Emma Russell has twice fallen to the ground crying at the end of an NCAA national championship game. Tears of frustrations streamed down her face after losing in the 2014 national championship to Connecticut 364 days ago. On Sunday, she couldn’t help but cry in accomplishing a national championship.

The senior captain, who set records all season, including Sunday, closed out her career with the only thing she said she wanted out of her four years: A national championship.

“I don’t think you can end (a career) any better way. It’s been a long …” Russell said before being overcome by emotion. SU head coach Ange Bradley put a hand on Russell’s back, on the white championship T-shirt.

It was a championship long in the making for a player who will go out as possibly the greatest field hockey player in Syracuse history. When Russell assisted Emma Lamison on SU’s (21-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) final goal in its 4-2 win over North Carolina (21-1, 6-0) in the national championship Sunday, she set Syracuse’s all-time record for career points with 140. She broke the record held by Martina Loncarica, who was at the game Sunday.

Russell said she had “no idea” she was close to the record. When a reporter asked her about it at the postgame press conference, her eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth.

Before Russell came to Syracuse and scored an SU-record 58 goals, she honed her shot at her granddad’s house near Enniskerry, Ireland. He put down a “carpety thing,” she said, set up a small goal.

“I just love to shoot, to be honest,” Russell said on Sept. 20. “Quick skills and shooting. I could do that all day.”

Russell and her younger sister played together in games against their two older sisters . Curbs served as goals and the road, a pitch.

As SU relinquished its two-goal lead to UNC on Sunday in the national championship, Russell leaned on different teammates than the ones from those driveway games.

“I’ve never believed in a team this much,” she said. “(UNC) came back, but I still knew we could win … We’ve gone one, two goals down and there’s never been a doubt in my mind that we can win every game.”

Aside from the 2-1 overtime loss to UNC in the ACC title game, the Orange did win every game.

And now, after winning the grandest prize, Russell’s career is over.

As she leaves with the other seniors, goalkeeper Jess Jecko and midfielder Alyssa Manley, Bradley is left wondering what to do next.

“It means I better retire,” she said, laughing. “Or get on the road to recruit. This senior class is so special to me. We’ve had many successes and some of our biggest successes have come off of our biggest failures.”

And as the team flies back to Syracuse Monday morning, the players bring the first women’s national championship in school history. It’s something that the team talked about every day, Russell said.

As Russell talked about all her team has accomplished, her voice wavered and she tried not to let the tears come. But when they inevitably did, Jecko picked up for Russell.

“Why are you crying?” Jecko said when she finished talking, leaning over to look at Russell.

Russell looked at Jecko, wiped her eyes with her sleeve and tried to laugh. “Because I’m happy.”

Russell looked around, surveying the room.

“I’m never taking this shirt off,” she said. “Even the hat. Never taking it off.”

Published on November 22, 2015 at 6:54 pm

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