Orange Fall to Cavaliers in Semifinal Shootout

Thursday, November 6

Louisville, Ky.

1:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

(12-6)

#4 Virginia

(16-1)

Syracuse

Virginia

11/6/2025 6:08:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

'Cuse Awaits NCAA Selection Show

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was another instant classic between Syracuse University field hockey and the University of Virginia. After taking a lead in the second quarter, the No. 10 Orange fell in the ACC Tournament Semifinals against the Cavaliers. Virginia outlasted the Orange 4-1 in the shootout for a 3-2 final score in the game at Trager Stadium.

Syracuse (12-6) got both goals from Bo van Kempen, her 20th and 21st of the season, as the Orange rallied from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the second quarter. Henni Nation, Pati Strunk, and Lana Hamilton each contributed assists. Jessie Eiselin made four saves in 80 minutes for the Orange. She was spelled in the shootout by freshman Tane King before stepping back in for a penalty stroke during the deciding moments of the shootout.

Virginia (16-1) got goals from Catalina Quinteros, Suze Leemans, and Mia Abello, who converted the decisive penalty stroke during the shootout. Emma Watchilla and Lauren Kenah notched assists for the Cavaliers. Nilou Lempers made nine saves to help Virginia advance to the ACC Championship final.

How it Happened

The Cavaliers struck first in the 11th minute when Quinteros scored her fourth goal of the season with an assist from Watchilla, giving Virginia an early 1-0 advantage.
Syracuse responded with two goals in a dominant second quarter. Van Kempen equalized in the 26th minute on a penalty corner, collecting assists from Nation and Hamilton to knot the score at 1-1.
Four minutes later, van Kempen struck again on another corner opportunity, this time with helpers from Strunk and Hamilton, putting the Orange ahead 2-1 heading into halftime.
The Cavaliers tied the match in the 48th minute when Leemans scored her fifth goal of the year on a penalty corner, with Kenah providing the assist. The goal sent the game to the third quarter deadlocked at 2-2.
Neither team could break through in regulation, despite Syracuse outshooting Virginia 17-10 overall. The Orange earned six penalty corners compared to just two for the Cavaliers, but both teams remained scoreless through the fourth quarter and two overtime periods.
In the shootout, Virginia converted four of five attempts while Syracuse managed just one make. King, who entered for the shootout, faced all four successful attempts from the Cavaliers. Leemans, Madison Orsi, Riley Savage, and Abello all converted for Virginia, while Hamilton provided Syracuse's lone successful stroke. Van Kempen and Sammie Goin both saw their attempts stopped by Lempers.
On Virginia's fourth shootout attempt, Abello was awarded a penalty stroke that served as the deciding goal, sealing Virginia's 3-2 victory and a berth in the ACC Championship game.

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange await their fate as the NCAA Selection Show is slated for 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 9.
Selection Sunday is scheduled to air on NCAA.com.
Syracuse entered Friday's game with the ninth-best RPI (0.61703) with a 3-3 record against top-10 RPI teams. The Orange went 8-0 in nonconference play this year while carrying the eighth-best nonconference RPI score in Division I.