No. 12 ’Cuse Storms Past No. 8 UConn in Storrs

Sunday, October 27

Storrs, Conn.

Noon

Syracuse University

(12-4)

UConn

(14-3)

SYRACUSE

UConn

No. 12 ’Cuse Storms Past No. 8 UConn in Storrs

10/27/2024 2:33:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

STORRS, Conn. – Rallying back with three unanswered goals, the 12th-ranked Syracuse field hockey team picked up its fifth top-20 win of the year Sunday afternoon as the Orange took down No. 8 UConn 3-1 at Nancy Stevens Field.

Syracuse (12-4) had three different goal getters as Lieke Leeggangers, Bo van Kempen and Aiden Drabick all found the back of the net with Willemijn Boogert and Bo Madden picking up assists. Louise Pert made three saves in net for Syracuse, both coming in the second half.

BIG EAST standings leader UConn (14-3) scored first, taking a 1-0 lead late in the third quarter as Milaw Clause and Sophie Perschk connected on a penalty corner in the 41st minute. McKenna Natalie stopped five Syracuse shots in her 58 minutes of action. She was pulled late in the fourth but returned after Drabick scored to put the game out of reach.

How it Happened

Syracuse applied the pressure early, scoring a would-be goal in the first 30 seconds of the game, but after a UConn referral, the goal was called back and the game remained 0-0 through the first half.
The Orange out-shot the Huskies 3-0 in the opening quarter, but in the second stanza, it was mostly UConn possession as the Huskies took a pair of shots while Syracuse was held without an attempt.
Syracuse fought off back-to-back UConn corners late in the second quarter for a 0-0 game at the break.
The host Huskies took advantage of a penalty corner in the third period for Clause and Perschk to connect for the 1-0 lead in the 41st minute.
In the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter, Boogert broke up a UConn transition chance, jarring the ball free before sending a pass up to Leeggangers. The latter protected the ball with a one-handed dribble before sending in a backhander that trickled past Natalie for the tying goal in the 47th minute.
In the 52nd minute, Leeggangers zipped in a penalty corner before the Huskies committed a foul deemed worthy of a penalty stroke. Van Kempen stepped to the spot and put home what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 51:48 mark.
After UConn pulled its goalkeeper, van Kempen sent an aerial pass down to Bo Madden, who knocked the ball down and dribbled into the circle, finding Drabick alone at the top. Drabick batted home her second of the year on the wide open UConn goal to seal the 3-1 win.

Behind the Numbers

Syracuse collected its fifth top 20 win of the year, adding to victories over No. 16 Penn State, No. 16 Louisville, No. 14 Penn State, and No. 18 California. It was Syracuse's first top-10 win of the season.
The Orange out-shot UConn 10-6 overall, putting eight chances on goal. The Huskies managed two efforts on cage. Seven of Syracuse's 10 attempts came in the final 30 minutes.
Syracuse's formidable penalty corner unit was limited in opportunities, getting just three and all in the second half. UConn earned five but the Orange defensive unit stopped four of those attempts.
Van Kempen picked up her ninth game-winning goal of the season in 12 victories this year, the most by a Syracuse player since 2002. She is now 2-for-2 on penalty strokes.
The Orange racked their 12th, 13th, and 14th goals of the year in the fourth quarter, accounting for over a third of the Syracuse goal total coming in the last 15 minutes of regulation.

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange return home to J.S. Coyne Stadium for one final regular season showdown, taking on Boston College.
First push is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1 on ACC Network Extra.
Following the ACC showdown between top 15 foes, Syracuse will honor its senior and graduate student class with a ceremony at Coyne Stadium.