Syracuse University
Villanova
Field Hockey Captures BIG EAST Tournament Crown
11/4/2001 2:21:59 PM | Field Hockey
Senior forward Michelle Aronowicz (Exton, Pa./Downingtown) redirected a Michelle Marks (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) shot into the cage with 18:25 remaining in the contest to give No. 18-ranked Syracuse a 1-0 victory against Villanova in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship match. It is SU's third conference championship and first since 1995.
Syracuse and Villanova played to a scoreless first half. The Wildcats outshot the Orangewomen, 6-0 in the opening stanza and had six penalty corners, while SU had one. Things were different in the second half, with the Orangewomen generating more scoring opportunities for themselves. Syracuse attempted eight shots in the second half, while holding Villanova to three. The Orangewomen also forced seven corners in the second period, coming through with the game's winning score on one of those seven corners.
For Aronowicz, it marked her eighth goal of the season and fourth game-winning goal of the year. Her eight goals and team-high 11 assists give her a career-high 27 points for the season. She was named the BIG EAST Tournament's Most Valuable Player, Syracuse's third recipient of the award. In 1993, Julie Williamson became the first Orangewoman to win the honor. In 1995, Cheri Herr took home the award.
Junior goalkeeper Audrey Latsko (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) played the entire game for Syracuse. She earned her 12th career shutout, while finishing with six saves.
The Orangewomen own a 15-3 record. It is the most wins since the 1993 team won a school-record 17 games. This year's winning percentage (.833) is the best since the 1990 team won 85 percent of its games (17-3).
Villanova's season comes to an end with a 12-8 record. Meghan Helwig, the Wildcat goalie, had four saves in the championship game, all in the second half.
Syracuse moves on to the 2001 NCAA Tournament with the BIG EAST Conference's automatic bid. Selections and pairings will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 6. The Orangewomen will be making their third NCAA appearance. In 1993, they advanced to the national quarterfinals, their best finish. In 1995, they qualified for the first round.
Syracuse 1, Villanova 0
First Half Scoring: None
Second Half Scoring:
SU 18:25 Michelle Aronowicz (Michelle Marks)
Shots: SU 8, VU 9
Saves: Audrey Latsko (SU) 6, Meghan Helwig (VU) 4
Penalty Corners: SU 8, VU 10
Defensive Saves: 1 (SU – Lindsay Kocher)
