Bo van Kempen scores 6 goals to power Syracuse to 15-0 win over Lock Haven
Bo van Kempen became the first player in Syracuse program history to score more than four goals in a single game, finishing with six. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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With Syracuse leading Lock Haven 4-0 midway through the second period, Bo van Kempen stepped up to take the penalty for the Orange. After a short run-up, she calmly slotted it into the back of the goal for her fourth goal of the game, giving Syracuse a 5-0 lead.
It was that kind of day for van Kempen, who scored her fifth goal before halftime to put the Orange up 8-0 heading into the break.
Her sixth goal of the day, an absolute laser off the insert from Pati Strunk, deflected off Lock Haven goalie Kelsey Felix’s glove to give the Orange a 10-0 lead. Adding to her final stat line, van Kempen also provided the assist for Syracuse’s 11th goal of the game, giving freshman Karsin Beatty her first career goal.
“We do hat tricks for three,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said postgame. “We’re not used to six, so well done (by van Kempen).”
Fueled by van Kempen’s record-breaking six-goal performance, No. 11 Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) coasted to a 15-0 win over Lock Haven (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) Friday, overwhelming the Bald Eagles on defense with their potent attack. The Orange outshot Lock Haven 39-1, with 26 shots on goal compared to zero for the Bald Eagles.
It was the first time in program history a player scored five goals, let alone six in a single game. Before van Kempen’s dominant offensive showing, a Syracuse player had scored four goals in a single game seven different times.
The graduate student also broke the previous record for points in a single game, surpassing Kelsey Millman’s mark of 10 set on Oct. 14, 2011, against Georgetown.
She was lethal off corners, converting all five shot attempts off set pieces in addition to her penalty shot. It was by far the highest-scoring game of van Kempen’s career at Syracuse, as the defender’s previous record for goals in a game was two, and the third time in the defender’s career that she’s attempted six-plus shots in a game.
Heading into Friday’s season opener, questions surfaced surrounding how the Orange would replace the offensive production from Willemijn Boogert, who ranked second on the team last year in points behind van Kempen with 23.
The Orange must replicate their offensive production against tougher opponents, but if the 15-0 win is any indication, Syracuse will have plenty of offensive options to step up in Boogert’s absence.
“We like challenges, so we’ll take the challenges day by day, and then that will build that confidence,” Farquhar said.
Syracuse’s new confidence in its offense nearly led to a record-setting day for the program as well, as the Orange fell just short of tying its record for goals in a game. Syracuse scored 16 goals in a 16-0 win over Georgetown on Oct. 10, 2008.
In that game, the Orange scored 11 goals in a single half. While not quite at the same level, Syracuse was just as dominant offensively, scoring seven goals in the second period alone.
“We’re just in the moment, trying to figure things out, trying to have people step up and play different positions, so the focus is really on us and the little things,” Farquhar said. “At the end, we get to take a look at who scores and all the fun stuff there.”
