Syracuse offense erupts for 24 shots in 3-2 comeback win vs. Penn State
Pati Strunk lines up a shot in Syracuse's 3-2 win over Penn State. SU's offense produced 24 shots to overpower the Nittany Lions. Christian Calabrese | Assistant Photo Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar got more than she bargained for Sunday.
The Orange have had a flair for the dramatic this season. Heading into their contest against No. 20 Penn State, five of their six previous contests had come within a score. SU’s players were self-aware.
“They said they like to make it exciting,” Farquhar said of her team.
But Syracuse ratcheted that excitement up to new heights on Sunday. The Orange found themselves locked in a come-from-behind thriller against the Nittany Lions, ultimately walking away with a 3-2 win after a last-minute Lana Hamilton goal. By the time her team had secured the victory, Farquhar felt nothing except relief.
“I don’t know if we need to make it that exciting,” Farquhar said postgame. “I feel like I aged quite a bit there on the sideline.”
No. 6 SU’s (8-2, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) offense led the charge in its win against No. 20 Penn State (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) on Sunday. The Orange dominated the offensive quarter, outshooting the Nittany Lions 24-10. But goals from Morgan McMenamin and Joji Purdy put Syracuse down 2-1 with five minutes to play. Their offensive efforts came to fruition in the final minute, when SU defender Bo van Kempen converted a penalty corner and SU forward Lana Hamilton scored on the subsequent play.
From the outset, the Orange piled on the pressure. As soon as forward Liz Stange took the center pass, van Kempen heaved the ball up the field, trying to generate attacking opportunities.
SU’s high press gave Penn State nearly no time on the ball — forcing turnover after turnover.
Once the ball was won, midfield runs and fluid off-the-ball movement created space for the Orange to exploit. It led to chance after chance, including a penalty stroke that Nittany Lions goaltender Aby Deverka saved.
“We had confidence in our game plan,” forward Hattie Madden said. “We had one. We executed the game plan. And we succeeded with it.”
Yet despite the dominance, Syracuse struggled to find the back of the net.
They got close, though. Four minutes into the second half, a penalty corner gave the Orange their best look of the game.
van Kempen faked her shot, fooling the Penn State defense into overcommitting to the left side. The trickery opened a considerable gap in the net for Sammie Goin, Danique Schuurman and Pati Strunk to capitalize on. But a heavy touch before Strunk’s shot gave the Nittany Lions the ball.
Just nine minutes later, midfielder Lieke Leeggangers’ stickhandling put her in prime shooting position in the center of the arc. Her shot, however, went over the bar. Forward Aubrey Turner had a similar chance; she dribbled through three Penn State defenders before placing her shot inches wide of the left post.
By the end of the third period, SU recorded fourteen shots to Penn State’s three. The Nittany Lions still led by one.
“We told ourselves that we could control the game if we wanted to,” Madden said. “We had the ball, we just couldn’t get it on frame.”
On the next shot, it was Madden who equalized the game.
In the past, the Orange have struggled to close out games. They lost to Wake Forest in extra time and Virginia in the closing minutes. When Purdy scored to give Penn State a 2-1 lead with six minutes left, it seemed the trend would continue.
But it didn’t. Instead, SU players still ran after every ball, made space where they could and got shots off — just like they did in the first half. Except now, they came on target.
van Kempen’s penalty corner goal — her 17th score of the season — equalized the game with 80 seconds to go, giving the Orange a lifeline.
Just 50 seconds later, the Orange passed the ball around the shooting arc, maintaining possession and looking for gaps in the Nittany Lions’ defense.
Strunk spotted one and ripped a shot into the center of the arc. Penn State defender Anouk Knuvers couldn’t fully get her stick on the ball, and her clearance deflected in front of forward Lana Hamilton, who spiked the ball into the net.
The winner was a rare field goal for SU, one they’ve been practicing behind closed doors.
“We’ve been focusing on field goals more, because we have an incredible corner unit,” Madden said. “We want to convert more field goals, and it’s coming. We had 24 shots; we need to start putting them in.
It’s not the first time the Orange have scored within 30 seconds of the center pass. But for Lynn Farquhar, it’s the team’s connection that has allowed them to trust and execute her strategy, even when shots go wide and time runs low.
“Missed chances are a part of sport,” Farquhar said. “That’s why we love it. I give them a lot of credit for believing in each other; the camaraderie is incredible.”
