The SU Women's Lacrosse team knew they had what it took to beat # 10 Virginia and # 1 Northwestern earlier this season, which is what made losing to them so difficult. But it's that very same self confidence and experience that has make beating two top 5 teams, # 4 Florida and # 3 Maryland, and # 18 Towson feel so good. Gary Gait's team has banged off four straight wins, and are on an all time season high as they head to Foxboro to take on Harvard in the first ever women's collegiate game in Gillette Stadium.
"Last year we were close," says Gait, "and we just couldn't quite make the plays, because I think our youth. They've seen that they can win this year, they're learning from what they did the year before, and now they're just focussed on developing chemistry and taking their game to the next level."
Gait says his team has the perfect combination of experience and talented youth, and now that they've proven to themselves they can beat the elite teams, the sky is the limit.
"The winning streak is nice," admits Katie Webster, "we didn't really have one of those last year, so just the feeling of winning and playing as a team is the best."
"The defense is playing great," says Alyssa Murray, who scored seven goals against Connecticut, "The offense has been shooting really well the past few games, our shooting percentage has ben really high, and I think it's just something so great for the program."
The following is a details Harvard preview from SU Athletics.
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FOXBORO, Mass. -The No.2 Syracuse women's lacrosse team (5-2, 1-0) will play its fourth road game in its last five when it battles Harvard (4-4) at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 31 at noon. The match-up between the Orange and Crimson will be the first intercollegiate women's event played in Gillette Stadium in its 10- year history.
Syracuse is seeking its fifth consecutive win after defeating Connecticut, 20-8, in the two teams' BIG EAST opener. The Orange is also vying to improve its road record to 4-1 on the 2012 campaign.
The game will be broadcast live on WJPZ 89.1FM in the Syracuse area. Live audio for the matchup will be available on Orange All Access on SUathletics.com. Subscriptions to Orange All Access are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.
ROAD WARRIORS
Syracuse is well-acquainted to life on the road. The Orange has faced five teams away from the Carrier Dome during the 2012 season, including three teams ranked in the top 10. After dropping an early-season decision at No. 10 Virginia, SU defeated No. 4 Florida and No. 3 Maryland on the road, with each game being decided by one goal. The back-to-back wins versus opponents ranked in the top five marked the first time in program history that the Orange has accomplished the feat.
Last week, Syracuse opened the BIG EAST schedule with a road victory against Connecticut.
HELLO AGAIN
The Harvard sideline will feature several familiar faces for Syracuse fans. Crimson head coach Lisa Miller was the first head coach in Orange women's lacrosse history and guided SU from 1998-2007. In addition, Syracuse letterwinners Bridget Looney '09 and Carla Gignon '03 serve as assistant coaches for Miller. Looney is Syracuse's all-time leader in caused turnovers (101), while Gigon ranks second in saves (475) on the Orange's career leader list.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Syracuse looks to get off to another good start as it did versus the Huskies last week in Storrs, Conn. After UConn tallied the contest's first goal, SU scored 10 out of the next 12 goals to claim a 10-3 halftime advantage. The first half scoring streak was led by sophomore Katie Webster (Syracuse, N.Y.), who scored three goals during the span, as well as freshman Devon Collins (Rochester, N.Y.), junior Michelle Tumolo (Mullica Hill, N.J.) and sophomore Alyssa Murray (West Bablylon, N.Y.), who scored two goals apiece to close the first period.
The Orange held on in the second half due to persistent offensive pressure as well as a staunch defensive effort. Murray continued her impressive day on attack, scoring seven total goals to lead SU, which had seven different student-athletes score against the Huskies. She leads SU in goals scored with 21 this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Constantino (West Islip, N.Y.) earned the win for Syracuse, registering four saves in her 30 minutes of work. Freshman Kelsey Richardson (Memphis, N.Y.) took over goalkeeping duties in the second period, when she also recorded four saves. The Syracuse defense limited M.E. Lapham, the BIG EAST's second-leading scorer, to one goal.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON
Harvard owns a 4-4 overall record before its match-up with Syracuse. After winning two out of its first three contests to begin the 2012 season, the Crimson endured a three-game losing streak in March, before rallying to defeat Yale last week, 7-5, to record its first win in Ivy League play (1-2). Harvard won its second consecutive game on Wednesday, defeating Stanford 10-4.
Melanie Baskind and Danielle Tetreault lead the Crimson with 16 points this season. An Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American third team selection, Tetreault also leads the Crimson in assists (4), while Baskind has registered a team-high 13 goals.
Goalkeeper Kelly Weis anchors a strong Harvard defense that ranks second in the Ivy League in goals against average (8.07), saves per game (8.13) and save percentage (0.492). Weis has logged all but three minutes of the Crimson's season, registering 62 saves with a save percentage of 0.484. She allows 8.00 goals per game.
SERIES RECORD
Syracuse owns a 3-0 record versus Harvard, with the Orange and Crimson meeting for three consecutive seasons from 2005-07. The last time the two teams met, the Orange offense dominated the game, tying the school single-game record at the time for goals in a 23-12 victory in Cambridge, Mass.
UP NEXT...
The Orange will play its third consecutive road game, and its fifth in six games, when SU travels to face Notre Dame on Thursday, April 5. Opening draw is slated for 7 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
**Courtesy SU Athletics**
