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As the first half came to a close, Willemijn Boogert inserted the ball to launch a penalty corner attempt. The ensuing opportunity pinballed around the arc but eventually fell back to Boogert, who knocked in a rebound to give Syracuse a much-needed 1-0 lead.

Boogert’s goal was the first of three for Syracuse (5-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) as it took down UConn (1-5, 0-0 Big East) 3-0. SU was in firm control for the entire game but a single goal in each of the final three quarters handed it the victory.

Despite the Huskies subpar recrord, all of their losses this season were by two or less goals. Knowing that breaking down UConn’s defense wouldn’t be easy, Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar emphasized the importance of maintaining movement and possession to open things up in the attack.

“We really wanted the ball to do the work,” Farquhar said. “You have to keep the ball moving, and you create that separation… when we did it, it worked, and you just have to stay focused and keep doing it.”

Boogert’s go-ahead goal before halftime was essential. The moment flipped the game on its head, forcing UConn to come out of its defensive shell when it re-emerged for the second half.

While the third quarter was more lively, it still took another set play for Syracuse to double its advantage. Sophomore midfielder Lieke Leeggangers, who was impactful in her 23 minutes of play off the bench, inserted a penalty corner and set Myrthe van Bolhuis up to assist captain Eefke van den Nieuwenhof. The defender rifled the ball into the goal at the left post, leaving McKenna with no chance to make the save.

Even as Syracuse maintained dominance over possession of the ball, a common theme that rolled over from its previous 4-2 win over Cornell was an inability to convert inside the arc. Midfielder Charlotte de Vries had numerous chances to score, recording a team-high seven shots throughout the game, but she misfired each time. Pieke van de Pas was very involved in the attacking play, but she, too, couldn’t finish despite taking five shots herself.

With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, UConn had its best chances to score off of three penalty corners. But none of them found the back of the net, keeping the score at 2-0.

The dagger came with merely nine seconds remaining in the game. De Vries wove through several defenders and laid the ball off for freshman Amber Coebergh, who scored from close range. It was the first collegiate goal of her career.

“I love how Amber was able to score,” Farquhar said postgame. “We have to be ready to score at any moment…that mentality is incredibly important to us, and she demonstrated it.”

Published on September 10, 2023 at 3:58 pm

Contact Alex at alcalabre@syr.edu