No. 14 ’Cuse Weathers Storm Against Lafayette

Sunday, September 15

Syracuse, N.Y.

1 p.m.

Syracuse University

(4-1)

Lafayette

(4-2)

Lafayette

Syracuse

9/15/2024 4:14:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 14 Syracuse University field hockey weathered a late surge from visiting Lafayette College, getting the game-winning goal with 35 seconds left in the game for a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon at J.S. Coyne Stadium.

After last season's meeting was canceled due to heavy rain and lightning in the Lehigh Valley, Syracuse (4-1) withstood a 7-2 penalty corner differential in the fourth quarter. The Orange got the deciding goal from Bo van Kempen on just the fifth penalty corner of the game for Syracuse. Taja Gans and Annabelle Vossenaar picked up the winning assists. Vera Hekkenberg made six saves in the second half while Louise Pert made one crucial stop on a corner in the first quarter.

Lafayette, which reached the Patriot League Championship game last year, got eight saves from Raffi Fragomeni, five of which came in the first half. Lineke Spaans got the Leopards (4-2) on the board in the 57th minute with a penalty corner. Stella Malinowski and Katie Gibb had the stick stop and insert, respectively.

How it Happened

Midway through the first quarter, Olivia Bell was shoved in the back in front of the Lafayette goal, setting up the Bo Madden penalty stroke. The sophomore stepped to the penalty spot and drilled the go-ahead goal in the ninth minute, an advantage which held through the next two full quarters and deep into the final frame.
Across a three-minute span in the fourth, Lafayette had five penalty corners, four which were blocked down by either Hekkenberg or a defender. The Leopards broke through in the 57th minute on Spaans' tying goal.
Lafayette had one last chance to take a lead in the 58th minute but a drive by Spaans when high over the bar.
With 45 seconds to play, Syracuse's Nina van Asselen earned a corner that was injected by Taja Gans. Van Kempen took one shot that was turned aside by Fragomeni and the rebound fell back to Gans, who took a second swipe only to be denied but resulted in a corner. The same castle of Gans, Vossenaar and van Kempen set up again as van Kempen drag flicked home the game-winning goal for the 2-1 win. Lafayette pulled its goalie for the extra attacker, but could not get back to offense.

Behind the Numbers

A reverse of Friday's game, which saw the Orange out-shoot Northeastern 22-4, Sunday had the visiting Leopards out-shooting Syracuse 16-11, though the Orange put 10 of their 11 chances on goal. Lafayette tripled up on the Orange on the corners, taking 16 against the Orange five, including a dozen in the second half.
Hekkenberg made a career-best six saves in her first career win for the Orange.
Syracuse won its fourth-straight game against Lafayette, including a one-goal game for a second straight meeting. The Orange won 3-2 in overtime at Coyne Stadium in 2019 when the teams last played.

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange begin a lengthy road trip with back-to-back trips to North Carolina.
Opening next weekend, Syracuse challenges reigning national champion No. 2 North Carolina Friday night at 5 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Syracuse rounds out next weekend with a Sunday morning showdown at Longwood University, kicking off at 11:30 a.m. in Farmville, Virginia.