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Syracuse and California remained deadlocked after 60 minutes of play Sunday. The Bears took an early lead, but SU responded in the second quarter. The two teams entered a 10-minute sudden death overtime period to see if either one could find a game-winning goal.
Just two minutes into the period, Syracuse forced a defensive foul on California to earn the eighth penalty corner of the afternoon for the Orange. Bo van Kempen had the shot she was looking for, but Cal goalie Tina Jolly got her leg pad in front for the temporary stop.
With the ball rolling around the inner circle, Lieke Leeggangers forced another penalty corner to give the Orange another chance at ending the game. This time, van Kempen didn’t miss. Her drag shot worked to perfection, skidding past Jolly and sealing the win for Syracuse.
“I just wanted to finish the job,” van Kempen said postgame. “I really like to perform under pressure.”
Van Kempen’s overtime goal helped No. 14 Syracuse (10-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) come from behind to defeat No. 18 Cal (6-5, 0-5 ACC) 2-1 in overtime. Van Kempen scored her 10th and 11th goals of the season to help SU earn a fourth straight win.
It took a little while for the Orange to settle into their style of play. The Golden Bears controlled the entire first quarter. As the first frame reached its final couple of minutes, California got on the board.
In the middle of the penalty-corner scrum, Olivia Sharratt fired a ball, which found its way through all traffic. SU goalie Louise Pert never appeared to get a clean look at the shot, which didn’t allow her to react in time, giving Cal a 1-0 lead. SU didn’t record a single shot in the first 15 minutes of play. Meanwhile, California had tallied five shots and four penalty corners.
“It took us (too long) to play like how we want to play,” Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar said. “We need to do better in the future.”
Syracuse came out with a different approach in the second quarter. Not only was SU more aggressive than it had previously shown, it was also controlling the ball more on offense. This helped take a lot of pressure off its defense and limited Cal’s opportunities. The Golden Bears didn’t get a single shot off in the second quarter.
“We organized really well,” van Kempen said. “We held our diamond shape and protected the inside.”
Meanwhile, SU rebounded offensively as well. Late in the first half, the Orange were forcing the issue inside the inner circle. A foot foul by California led to a penalty corner for van Kempen. Just like she has done all season long, van Kempen stepped up to the circle and buried the drag shot to knot the game up at 1-1.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself (on those penalty corners),” van Kempen said.
Syracuse had plenty of opportunities throughout the second half but wasn’t able to connect. Willemijn Boogert had a look at the top of the circle. But the Golden Bears were ready, stepping up to stuff the shot.
The Orange finished the second half with nine shots and four penalty corners, even though van Kempen had come through earlier in the game (and later in overtime). SU also had a few self-inflicted wounds when it came to a bad insertion from out of bounds or not being able to handle the inbounds pass. California played a lot more aggressive than prior opponents had played Syracuse on those shots.
“They are watching video,” van Kempen said. “I think all the teams we are playing know what we are doing.”
Despite scoring early in overtime, SU was on the brink of defeat within the first minute of the frame. California had a penalty corner, but Farquhar’s line of defense stood tall and prevented any second-chance opportunities for the Golden Bears.
One minute later, Syracuse was running onto the field in celebration with its first overtime win of the season, following van Kempen’s second strike. The Netherlands native played 60 of the 62 minutes. Only Pert, who finished the game with two saves, recorded more minutes in the victory.
“The heart, the spirit, the passion that this group has is incredibly special,” Farquhar said. “This group (continues) to get comfortable playing together.”
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