Syracuse wins 3rd straight game, defeats Stanford 3-0
Leonardo Eriman | Staff Photographer
Syracuse earned its third ACC win, defeating Stanford 3-0. SU’s 13 shots on goal were the most the Cardinal have faced this season.
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Syracuse was uncharacteristically kept off the scoresheet against Stanford through 15 minutes. The Orange had scored in the first quarter in their previous games against Louisville and Princeton, yet they hadn’t converted a chance early against Stanford.
That didn’t last long, though. SU earned its second penalty corner three minutes into the second quarter, with Willemijn Boogert lining up for the insertion.
She promptly found Bo van Kempen, who passed it off to Lieke Leeggangers in front of the net. Leeggangers corralled the ball and tipped a shot past Cardinal goalie Daisy Ford to open the scoring for Syracuse with her second goal of the season.
“You guys have seen (van Kempen)’s performance on our circle, she’s outstanding,” Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar said postgame. “So (van Kempen) and Taja (Gans) combo and Lieke being able to finish … just good team hockey.”
No. 14 Syracuse (9-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated Stanford (5-6, 0-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) 3-0 in the first conference matchup between the two teams. It was SU’s fifth shutout win of the season, extending its winning streak to three consecutive games. The Orange forced Stanford to face a season-high 13 shots on goal en route to their win.
Despite being shut out, Stanford outshot Syracuse early on, generating four shots in the first quarter compared to SU’s two. Kate Nemec won a penalty corner early in the quarter for the Cardinal, leading to two blocked shots. But after the rebound resulted in a second consecutive penalty corner for Stanford, Aiden Drabick regained possession for Syracuse, starting a fastbreak opportunity in the opposite direction.
Outside of that early sequence, Stanford couldn’t do much on offense. The second and third quarters resulted in zero shot attempts from the Cardinal, and they didn’t force SU goaltender Louise Pert to make a save until the fourth quarter. It was a rather easy day for Pert, who was replaced by Vera Hekkenberg late in the fourth.
“Big shoutout to the defense, they did a really good job,” Boogert said postgame. “They talked a lot to us up front, where they want us to be positioned in the field so they can set themselves up for success. So I think that’s just a great team effort, a lot of communication.”
Eight minutes after Leeggangers’ opening goal, Gans disrupted Stanford’s passing lane, intercepting the ball and dribbling into Cardinal territory. She played a perfect pass to Boogert, who set up at the top of the circle for the shot. Boogert composed herself and fired the shot past Ford, doubling Syracuse’s lead with her fourth goal of the year.
“I just got a perfect ball from Taja exactly where I wanted it,” Boogert said postgame. “I knew the forwards were on the post, so wherever it goes there’s someone who is going to get a touch on it.”
Syracuse had seven shots on goal at halftime, its most since it notched eight on Sept. 22 versus Longwood. It was undoubtedly SU’s most complete offensive performance in conference play, and it continued its momentum into the second half.
The Orange often turned defensive efforts into offensive opportunities, best exemplified by Boogert’s performance in the fourth quarter.
As Stanford attempted to initiate some offense of its own late in the game, Boogert read its defense. She intercepted a pass in front of the Cardinal’s penalty box and controlled her dribble as she moved toward the goal. Then, she slotted the shot past Ford for her second goal of the game and her fifth on the season. It effectively sealed Syracuse’s third conference win.
“The press is set up so well, we set each other up for success to create chances like that,” Boogert said postgame. “So, I think overall as a team we do a good job at (converting defense into offense).”
Stanford created more substantive opportunities for itself in the fourth quarter, with Anna Ghuliani registering its first shot on goal following a penalty corner. Once Pert was taken out, the Cardinal got two more shots on goal late in the game. But Hekkenberg saved those shots with little issue, and the shutout win was preserved.
“Executing is key … When we do that, you can see we’re at a different level,” Farquhar said postgame. “So, that’s something that we’d like to continue doing, and we feel that’s a component of who we are.”
Published on October 11, 2024 at 10:02 pm
