No. 5 Syracuse field hockey wins 2-1 at Stanford to open West Coast swing

By Sydney Chan | @SydneyO_Chan

CitrusTV Field Hockey Beat Reporter

STANFORD, C.A. — For the third time this season, No. 5 Syracuse field hockey (10-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) faced a late surge from its opponent. With 4:08 remaining, Stanford (4-7, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) pulled its goalkeeper for an extra field player, hoping to increase offensive pressure and score to tie or even take the lead. But just as then-No. 16 Rutgers did in early September and then-No. 7 Duke did two weeks ago, the strategy fell short, and the Orange held on for the win.

The first two quarters saw little attacking action from either side — by halftime, the teams had combined for just three shots. Up to that point, it was 1-0, with the only goal coming from SU’s Bo Madden, who connected with teammate and twin sister Hattie Madden off an attacking penalty corner. 

“I saw my twin sister, Bo, wind up on the reverse, and I was like, ‘I’m just going to get in there and see what happens.’ And then she found me,” Hattie Madden said postgame. Hattie Madden is the team’s second-leading scorer with six goals.

But things picked up in the third quarter. Stanford junior Mia Clark scored off a Cardinal penalty corner, marking her first collegiate goal. The Cuse tallied three penalty corners of its own, with grad student Danique Schuurman converting one.

Overall, both defenses held strong, with only six shots coming from each side. Highlighting the Cuse’s defensive effort, SU’s Bo van Kempen made the game-winning save with about five minutes left. Off the Cardinal’s second of back-to-back penalty corners, Clark’s lifter was expertly blocked by van Kempen and sent skyward.

But then, with just a minute remaining, Stanford came close to breaking through. Fifth-year Cardinal Maroussia Walckiers fired a shot that clipped off Orange goalkeeper Tane King’s block. The Cuse stayed composed, though, and cleared the ball to secure the victory.

“It was pretty intense. Stanford did a really good job at making it quite chaotic, but we held our own. We dropped our press back and did as best as we could,” Hattie Madden said. “We got the job done here. Hopefully we come out with another good score.”

Syracuse completes its West Coast swing by facing California on Sunday at 4. Follow @SydneyO_Chan on X for game updates!