Syracuse defeats Kent State 5-0
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Syracuse opened up the first quarter scoring twice in the first five minutes. Willemijn Boogert found the back of the net first within the first 90 seconds of the game. The second goal came a couple of minutes later by Quirine Comans at the 3:23 mark.
Comans scored once more by the end of the game. No. 10 Syracuse (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) continued its momentum from the first quarter, defeating Kent State (1-2, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) 5-0. Syracuse had 19 shots compared to Kent State’s 12. The Orange also had ten shots on goal compared to Kent State’s three.
SU kept the pressure on Kent State all quarter long throughout the first period. The Orange continually put pressure on the ball handler for Kent State, allowing them to get long stretches of possession on the opposite end of the field.
Syracuse’s offense continued to attack throughout the first half, but Kent State goaltender Cecile Van Eijck put together a strong first half, making a number of saves.
The second quarter was fairly even between both sides as both Kent State and Syracuse had opportunities to score. Syracuse notched five shots in the second quarter while Kent State had five. Neither side could manage to get it past the opposing goalkeeper.
Crucially, Syracuse goaltender Abby Neitch made sure Kent State didn’t score on all five of its corners in the first half.
The second half began with another Comans goal, helping the Orange extend their lead to 3-0. Syracuse tacked on another goal off of a penalty corner just a few minutes after its third goal. The third quarter felt much like a continuation of the second as both teams had chances to score with Kent State being repeatedly stymied by the Syracuse defense and goaltender Neitch.
Syracuse added one more goal in the fourth quarter from Sabine van den Eijnden at 45:28.
Syracuse had a strong game defensively against a good Kent State team allowing minimal shots on net, which led to zero goals for the Golden Flashes. This was made even more improbable by the fact that Kent State had more penalty corner attempts than Syracuse by seven to five.
Syracuse has now gone three straight games without allowing a goal and won all three contests.
Throughout the game it seemed like whenever Syracuse needed to make a play, it did. The offense continued to put pressure on the Kent State defense through strong passing as well as quick movement. On defense, the Orange continued to do what they’ve done all season, limiting scoring chances by their opponents and intercepting passes.
They’ve been solid in offense, defense and in net all season long, allowing them to win their first three games in convincing fashion.
