Syracuse Gets First ACC Win in Double Overtime Thriller, 3-2
By Max Gifford | @GiffMD
It took a full game and two extra periods, but finally, in the 72nd minute, No. 10 Syracuse field hockey struck gold. Senior Eefke van den Nieuwenhof went to the penalty line where she ripped a penalty stroke past No. 12 Boston College’s Caroline Kelly to give the Orange their first win in ACC play of the season, 3-2.
SU and BC’s bout was in best terms, a seesaw battle. The Eagles drew first blood in the waning seconds of the first quarter on a goal from Mia Garber after the team outshot the Orange 5-2 in the first five minutes of the contest. The ‘Cuse would eventually return the favor, outshooting Boston College 8-1 in the second quarter, where they knotted the game at one goal apiece thanks in part to a scrappy rebound by Cato Schreinemacher.
A quiet third quarter ensued after the halftime break, but it built up suspense for what would be a dramatic final ten minutes of play. The Orange dominated the Eagles in nearly every category offensively through the second half-hour. This included a 6-0 third-quarter shot difference and an 11-2 margin in the final 42 minutes of the game.
With six minutes to play, Olivia Bell, who already had her name on the stat sheet for assists, put SU up one late in the contest on an unassisted tally. However, in the final two minutes of the game, despite BC’s low shot count, Margo Carlin made one of its few second-half strikes count, which would ultimately send the match to overtime.
Boston College turned it around in the extra period of play, with most of the overtime possession, but the Syracuse defense was up to the task and kept them at bay. The Orange had a couple of chances in overtime, but couldn’t get anything on Caroline Kelly. That was until that fateful 72nd minute when grad student Charlotte de Vries wound up for a shot in which her forward motion was stopped by an Eagle player. After a review, the play was ruled illegal and set up the eventual van den Nieuwenhof game-sealing goal.
Syracuse is now in the win column in ACC play and has won back-to-back top-20 matchups. Next, SU stays in the City on a Hill to face another test in No. 15 Harvard. First push is set for 1 p.m.
