Orangewomen Picked to Repeat as BIG EAST Champs
8/1/2002 2:59:37 PM | Field Hockey
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Syracuse Orangewomen were selected by the league's coaches to win the 2002 BIG EAST regular-season field hockey championship. The Orangewomen won both the regular-season and conference tournament crowns last season.
Syracuse garnered five of six first-place votes. Head coach Kathleen Parker returns 16 players from last year's team that went 16-4 overall and 5-0 in the BIG EAST. The Orangewomen advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished ranked 18th in the final national poll.
The Orangewomen also placed four players on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Kristin Aronowicz (Exton, Pa./Downingtown), a senior midfielder, and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Becky Kohler (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra), a senior back. Also making the preseason all-conference squad were senior forward Michelle Marks (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and senior goalie Audrey Latsko (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus).
Aronowicz led the team in last year in goals (17) and points (37). She was named the 2001 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, and is a two-time all-conference player.
Kohler played in 19 games last season and was a first-team All-BIG EAST selection. She switched to defense in 2001 after playing forward to start her collegiate career. Kohler helped the Orangewomen defense to a league-low 1.24 goals against average last season.
Marks was a unanimous selection to the preseason squad. Last season she ranked fourth on the team in scoring with nine points (two goals, five assists), and was named both second-team All-BIG EAST and All-Mideast Region.
Latsko played in 17 games last season, recording a team-best 99 saves and 13 victories. She had a 1.57 goals against average. She was a preseason all-conference selection last year, and in 2000 was a third-team All-American.
The Orangewomen are set to begin the 2002 season on September 6 versus Stanford at Coyne Field. SU opens its BIG EAST title defense on September 21 at Rutgers.
