5 different goal scorers fuel No. 5 Syracuse to 5-1 win over Colgate
Syracuse had five different goal scorers and seven players with a point in its 5-1 win over Colgate Friday. Zoe Xixis | Contributing Photographer
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With Syracuse leading 3-0 late in the third period, Sammie Goin dribbled into Colgate’s penalty circle.
Raiders goalkeeper Claire van Kempen denied her shot, but the ball spilled in front of the net. As a scrum of Syracuse and Colgate players dove for the ball, SU’s Ally Snyder managed to get her stick on it and tap it into the back of the net.
It was that type of day for the Orange. SU wasn’t perfect on offense, but it still dominated the Colgate defense.
No. 5 Syracuse (9-2, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) overwhelmed Colgate (3-7, 0-2 Patriot) in a 5-1 win with 32 shots Friday night. After a slow first period, the Orange heated up in the second half, outshooting the Raiders 21-3 while holding them shotless in the fourth period.
“We need to keep swinging,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said. “It’s building up the play. It’s not only earning the corner, but it’s being able to take the shot.”
Syracuse had plenty of momentum in the first period but couldn’t find a way to capitalize on it.
Minutes into the game, Aubrey Turner hit a ball that rolled across the front of Colgate’s goal but just missed. Syracuse followed with its first penalty corner, but Bo van Kempen’s shot off the insert from Pati Strunk went right into the chest of the Raiders’ goalkeeper.
Goin was there for the rebound, but Claire made a diving save to keep the Orange from scoring. With four minutes left in the first period, Hattie Madden attacked down the left flank, but her shot went wide.
Early in the second period, it was more of the same, as Madden’s backhand shot missed high over the top of the bar. After threatening to score all game, Syracuse finally broke through after earning another penalty corner. On the insert, Strunk found Goin, who set up Danique Schuurman for SU’s opening goal and a 1-0 lead.
Madden nearly followed Schuurman’s goal with one of her own seconds later, but the Raiders goalkeeper came out of the net to deny her effort from the left flank. With Syracuse’s offense building momentum, Goin took a pass from Strunk and dribbled through the left side of the Raiders’ defense.
She fired a low shot over the outstretched leg of Claire, who could only watch as Goin doubled Syracuse’s lead. It was the third time all season Goin played 20-plus minutes, and the freshman earned her first career goal and assist for the Orange.
“She’s been working hard, and she stepped up,” Farquhar said. “We had a lot of seniors contribute, and our freshmen, which I think speaks highly of what our seniors have been able to do and the work the freshmen have done to catch up and keep the tempo high.”
Syracuse kept the ball in Colgate’s half after Goin’s goal but couldn’t add to its lead before halftime. The Orange picked up where they left off in the first half with an early penalty corner, but the Raiders immediately countered for their first penalty corner of the game.
Syracuse blocked the ensuing shot attempt from Colgate’s Grace Schmelzinger, leading to another penalty corner for the Orange on the reverse counter. Schuurman had a point-blank chance in front of the Raiders’ goal, but Claire made a full extension to deny what would’ve been Schuurman’s second goal of the game.
Keeping the pressure on, the Orange earned two back-to-back penalty corners, and Colgate’s defense finally caved as Bo scored her 18th goal of the season to give Syracuse a 3-0 lead. It was the third straight game with a goal for the graduate student, who remains near the top of the national leaderboard in goals scored and goals per game.
“A lot of our success comes in our backfield being able to read the pressure and move the ball,” Farquhar said. “Patience is a virtue, staying there. The more our backs do that, the stronger we are, whether it’s a high-pressing team or a team that settles in.”
That patience paid off as Syracuse continued to make life miserable for Colgate’s defense, leading to Snyder’s goal after keeping the ball in the Raiders’ half. The freshman’s fourth goal of the season and first since scoring two against Lafayette on Sep. 14 gave the Orange a 4-0 lead.
Colgate quickly cut into the lead minutes later, as Minah Cho made it 4-1 Syracuse after the Orange bundled Cho’s shot into the net.
Cho’s goal seemed to inject even more life into the Syracuse offense, which pummeled Claire in net with 12 shots in the fourth period. The Raiders goalkeeper deflected Goin’s long-range shot off the right post and made another save when Turner’s shot was sent right at Bo’s pads from close range.
Still hungry for another goal, the Orange earned a penalty corner with five minutes left in the fourth period, where Claire made another diving save to stop a shot mere feet from the goal.
The Colgate goalkeeper ended with 14 saves but couldn’t stop Syracuse’s final penalty corner of the game. Off the insert from Lieke Leeggangers, Karsin Beatty deflected Danique Schuurman’s shot with a minute left to play.
Beatty’s goal gave the Orange five different goal scorers and seven different players with a point scored, a trend that powered SU to a 5-1 win.
“We want to play diverse hockey,” Farquhar said. “We want to create opportunities from different angles on the pitch. It was there, but I think we can capitalize on more opportunities that have presented and releasing earlier.”
