Van Kempen’s hat trick powers Syracuse field hockey past Fairfield

Syracuse Field Hockey followed up its record-breaking home opener with a dominant 5-2 win against reigning Northeast Conference champion Fairfield on Sunday afternoon at J.S. Coyne Stadium. 

High energy and sharp execution describe how the No. 11 Orange maintained command of the match from start to finish. A dynamic and effective Orange produced 11 shots on goal and 12 penalty corners that tested the Stags’ defense. 

Graduate student Bo Van Kempen followed her historic Friday performance with another standout game Sunday, scoring three goals to cap a nine-goal weekend. 

Syracuse relied on strong ball movement and crisp passes to record goals from No. 13 Liz Stange, No. 6 Lieke Leeggangers, and two goals from No. 16 Van Kempen, giving their squad a 4-0 lead at halftime. 

The Orange defense played tight and cohesive, limiting Fairfield to just one shot on goal in the first half. The Stags reset at halftime and responded after the break, forcing back-to-back penalty corners and scoring their two goals of the afternoon in the third period.

“I want to give Fairfield credit,” Head Coach Lynn Farquhar said, “Their coaches switched up some stuff and responded to it and didn’t let down.” 

Despite Fairfield’s efforts in the third period, Syracuse quickly answered. Defender Van Kempen converted off a penalty corner, stopping the Stags momentum and regaining control for the Orange.

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Communication and energy from the crowd played in the background while the Orange worked together to secure the win. The strong team dynamic was built in the offseason, when Syracuse welcomed 17 new transfer students and freshmen to the roster. 

“The newcomers are awesome to work with,” Forward Pati Strunk said, “Everybody is so happy they’re here, and the chemistry is really good.” 

Through two games, Syracuse scored 20 combined goals while allowing just 2. Following a strong opening weekend at home, Farquhar and the team continue to prepare for the games ahead. 

“Part of sports is staying sharp as you go,” Farquhar said. “It doesn’t matter what was done. It’s being present in the moment, and that’s something we will continue to lean on.” 

Next up, Syracuse Field Hockey hits the road for Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Orange are slated to face Rutgers University on Friday at 1 p.m. and Ohio State University on Sunday at 2 p.m. 

In preparation for these more competitive games, Farquhar said this week the team will focus on moving off the ball and polishing its defensive skills. 

“It’s doing it simple and doing it well,” Farquhar said, “The speed [of Rutgers and OSU] is going to be similar to us, and the pressure is going to be right on us. We have to do the work this week.”