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In Syracuse’s 15-0 triumph over Lock Haven on Friday, its defense was an afterthought. While allowing zero goals is headline-worthy 90% of the time, SU’s offensive masterclass and Bo van Kempen’s six goals stole the show against the Bald Eagles.

Regression for the offense was inevitable after its near-historic outing against Lock Haven. But for a defense that was rarely tested, it had a golden opportunity to lock down a more formidable opponent in Fairfield on Sunday afternoon.

It did just that.

No. 11 Syracuse (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) downed Fairfield (0-2, 0-0 Northeast) 5-2, spearheaded by its suffocating defense and plentiful scoring opportunities. The Orange’s defensive front swarmed the Stags all afternoon, leading to several fastbreaks for SU, which outshot Fairfield 19-4.

“We’re looking at team hockey and every day we want to improve a little bit,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said postgame. “There were some good defensive step-ups today.”

Early in the first quarter, Syracuse was trailing in possession for the first time this season. With crisp ball movement, Fairfield marched methodically downfield and was in prime position to score first.

However, SU’s aggressiveness prevented that from becoming a reality, leading to a deflection and a Stags turnover. Fairfield squandered its solid opportunity, and the Orange’s attack quickly raced the other way.

Less than three minutes later, Syracuse cashed in. Off a dish from Hattie Madden, Liz Stange knocked a shot past Fairfield goalie Payton Rahn for her first SU score. It was one of many times where the Orange’s awareness and ball tracking on defense led to a goal.

With Syracuse up 2-0 after van Kempen’s seventh goal of the young campaign, the Stags began threatening up the field. But before Fairfield could generate a quality scoring look in transition, midfielder Aiden Drabick knocked it loose, and Syracuse rushed back the other way.

SU couldn’t add a third goal before the quarter’s end, but it was constantly applying pressure to Fairfield’s offense, which eventually yielded more offensive production.

For the second straight game, Farquhar opted to rotate SU’s goalies. Jessie Eiselin began the day in net, but freshman Tane King took over the reins to start the second quarter.

The change hardly mattered.

Konni Hoffman steered upfield on a Fairfield breakaway, but a sea of Orange jerseys crowded her. Following a stop by Aubrey Turner, Lieke Leeggangers swerved near the crease and fired a shot that ricocheted off a Stags defender and into the net to make it 3-0.

In the 28th minute, Fairfield’s Alex Senior’s shot stood no chance to blow past Syracuse’s defense, as the attempt was deflected and tipped right back to SU. Despite a few solid chances in the first quarter, the Stags struggled to push the ball upfield and sustain possessions as the first half wound down.

After 30 minutes, Syracuse was in the driver’s seat. It didn’t allow a first-half shot for the second consecutive contest and led 4-0.

For the first time since its NCAA Tournament loss to Harvard last November, Syracuse’s defense was tested to begin the third. With Eiselin back in net, multiple SU obstruction calls allowed for Fairfield’s best chance yet.

Alice Pifferi’s insert initially looked like it could lead to Fairfield’s first goal, but a wall of Syracuse defenders was there to knock the puck away. However, the Stags got another opportunity to get on the board due to a stick obstruction call.

It took the Stags several attempts, but 34 minutes into the game, Kaelyn Fogelson struck a shot into the net and out of Eiselin’s reach. It was SU’s first surrendered goal in 94 minutes.

Following van Kempen’s ninth goal of the young season, another obstruction led to a longer possession for the Stags. Fairfield took advantage of the penalty, as Pilar Mengotti laced one into the goal to cut the Stags’ deficit to three.

With 4:18 left in the third quarter, the game was far from over. SU was holding firm, but the Stags signaled they weren’t a pushover.

Would Syracuse stop the bleeding or continue to let Fairfield inch closer?

It kept its foot on the gas pedal and held its three-goal advantage. Anytime Fairfield came downfield in the fourth quarter, the Orange’s defense was in position to take the puck and heave it into Stags territory.

“We had to all come together and focus on moving on,” Pati Strunk said after the defense allowed two third-quarter goals. “I think coming together worked pretty well.”

Despite the brief third-quarter scare, Syracuse’s defensive unit picked up where it left off on Friday. It suffocated the Stags all afternoon. It pressured them whenever they inched close to a goal.

Its next test will be against Rutgers and Ohio State, where it must do the same if it’s going to keep winning.

“It’s always nice to compete against the Big Ten, so hopefully we come home strong with a win,” Strunk said.

Published on August 31, 2025 at 5:26 pm
sabrod@syr.edu