No. 11 Syracuse trounces Lock Haven 15-0 in near record-breaking opener
Despite losing three of its top four scorers from last campaign, Syracuse exploded to a 15-0 win in its season opener against Lock Haven. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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Syracuse and Lock Haven rarely square off against each other. Entering Friday, the two schools had faced off just five times since 1981.
But when the Orange trotted down to Pennsylvania for their season opener 364 days ago, they erupted from the get-go and wreaked havoc on the Bald Eagles. Seasoned veterans Bo van Kempen and Willemijn Boogert notched three of SU’s five first-half goals, and the Orange outshot Lock Haven 19-0 en route to a commanding 9-0 victory.
This time around, however, Syracuse’s roster looked vastly different. Three of SU’s four leading scorers in Boogert, Berber Bakermans and Vivian Rowan moved on from the program this offseason, while 17 newcomers came in.
Would those drastic roster changes cause early hiccups for the Orange, or could they produce an encore of their 2024 opener?
SU chose the latter in commanding fashion. It was more than utter domination. It was nearly historic.
On Friday afternoon, No. 11 Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) trounced Lock Haven (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) a near record-breaking 15-0, in large part due to a program-record six goals from van Kempen and hat trick from Hattie Madden. SU’s defense also stymied Lock Haven’s attack, allowing just one penalty corner and very few quality opportunities.
“We had our returners step up and own how we wanted to start,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said. “And then our newcomers came in and played well.”
SU’s attack was in full force less than five seconds into the contest. A half-field heave ended up wide left of the goal but led to a penalty corner for the Orange.
van Kempen cashed in. It was an absolute strike. Off an insert from Pati Strunk and feed from Liz Strange, van Kempen fired the ball into the right corner of the goal to give SU a 1-0 lead 20 seconds in.
The Orange generated plenty of chances in the first quarter but had trouble converting. Madden stormed down the field and got another shot on goal, but it ultimately sailed high and out of play.
A few possessions later, she had yet another solid look, but she lost her stick in the process. The Bald Eagles had their first opportunity of the evening on a fast break on the ensuing possession, but SU’s defense held steady, as it would for the rest of the game.
Despite a rocky start defensively, Lock Haven briefly began to block shots and suffocate an SU attack that started off extremely high-tempo. The Bald Eagles defense was bending, but it wasn’t breaking.
That wasn’t sustainable. The first quarter was the only competent stretch of defense Lock Haven had all evening.
Due to a penalty, the Orange had another penalty corner less than one minute into the second quarter. After finishing with the fourth-most corners in the ACC (109) last year, SU had 10 on the night.
Scanning the field, Strunk knocked it to Stange, who fed it to van Kempen. She rifled a laser into the net to make it 2-0, fooling Bald Eagles goalie Kelsey Felix.
Two minutes later, a strike from Aubrey Turner off a feed ended up in the hands of Felix. That same possession, Madden laced one right into the bread basket off a dish from Turner to extend SU’s lead to three.
Twenty minutes in, the Bald Eagles looked lifeless. They weren’t moving the ball downfield, were creating self-inflicted wounds and couldn’t contain a fast-paced SU offense.
And Syracuse was just getting warmed up.
Near the 21st minute, it was more of the same. Strunk. Lana Hamilton. van Kempen. Corner goal.
Following van Kempen’s fourth goal of the game, it was Madden’s turn to join the fun. She notched two consecutive goals from the right corner as SU’s lead ballooned to 7-0.
The second goal felt extra special for Madden. Not only did it signify a hat trick, but it was assisted by her sister, Bo. After scoring two goals in all of 2024, she surpassed that total 24 minutes into 2025.
“That was cool (the assist by Bo), mom and dad will be happy; they’re watching from home,” Hattie said.
Fittingly, the first half ended how it began. van Kempen knocked one in behind Felix on a corner to make it 8-0, setting SU’s single-game scoring record with five goals. History in just one half.
“We do hat tricks for three, we’re not used to six,” Farquhar said with a smile and laugh. “So well done.”
Lock Haven threatened on its final possession of the half but couldn’t get a shot up. The Bald Eagles created few scoring chances, making Jesse Eiselin’s and Tane King’s jobs in net simple.
After a goal from Danique Schuurman and van Kempen’s sixth of the night, SU was in firm command with a 10-0 lead.
The scoring barrage allowed Farquhar to experiment with several different rotations.
So, by nature of the game, whoever came into the contest immediately contributed. Freshman Karsin Beatty notched her first career goal off a feed from van Kempen. Even when she wasn’t scoring, van Kempen was making her presence felt in the passing game and on defense.
And while Syracuse’s defensive prowess may go unnoticed due to its 15 goals, it didn’t allow a shot until the 50th minute. Even then, Molly Lynch’s shot off a corner airmailed behind the goal, a microcosm of Lock Haven’s offensive struggles.
From there, the Orange preserved their shutout. van Kempen’s six-goal day and Syracuse’s 15-score output was just the start to the season Syracuse needed.
“Just building off this (15-goal game),” Madden said in relation to her goal for Sunday’s tilt with Fairfield. “It’ll be hard to top 15 goals, but we’ll try.”
