Syracuse Prepares for Conference Tilt with Eagles
4/16/2004 9:17:44 AM | Women's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The 13th-ranked Orangewomen (7-3, 3-1) will look rebound from its loss to Dartmouth when they play at BIG EAST rival Boston College (5-7, 0-4) on Sunday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. The Orangewomen are third in the BIG EAST Conference behind No. 5 Georgetown (8-2, 4-0) and No. 2 Notre Dame (10-0, 3-0). SU’s loss to the Big Green on April 11 snapped its six-game winning streak and was the first defeat for the Orange against a regional opponent this season. Eight days after stopping the second-most shots ever by an Orangewoman (23 versus Rutgers), sophomore Jennifer Kasel turned in another spectacular performance against Dartmouth. She made 21 saves against the Big Green, including 14 in the first half. Her outing ranks eighth on the list for most saves in a game by a Division I keeper this season. It also tied her with Clothilde Ewing for third on the Orangewomen’s single-game saves list. Kasel ranks 15th among Division I goalies with a .556 save percentage. That mark also ranks third in the BIG EAST. She owns the best mark in the conference against league teams, posting a .632 saves percentage in the Orangewomen’s four BIG EAST contests. Kasel has made 124 saves this season, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. Freshman Chelsea Strodel made her first-ever start in an Orange uniform against Dartmouth. She finished the game with two ground balls. Strodel has seen action in SU’s last six games. The Skaneateles native has recorded four ground balls this year and added two draw controls. Boston College has lost its last three games, all against conference foes. In its most recent outing, the Eagles were trounced by No. 2 Georgetown, 20-3. Boston College has yet to win a BIG EAST encounter and hasn’t recorded a victory since March 31 versus Boston University. The Eagles are averaging just 8.36 goals per game and have cracked the 10-goal mark just three times this season. Susie Breaznell is the team’s leading goal scorer. She has tallied 22 goals and ranks third on the team with 25 points. Courtney Legath leads the squad with 28 points. She is also the team’s leader in assists with 13. Legath recorded nine points in the Eagles’ season-opening win against Stony Brook. Her performance is tied for the third-highest scoring output by a Division I women’s lacrosse player this season. Tara McKennett has started nine of Boston College’s 12 games and has seen time in 10 contests. She owns a 11.21 goals against average and a .408 save percentage. Syracuse and Boston College have met each season since the the Orangewomen’s lacrosse program in 1998. Syracuse has scored double-digit goals in each pairing and have scored at least 16 goals in four of those matchups. Leigh-Ann Zimmer paced the Orangewomen against Boston College last season with six points in a 14-6 win at the Carrier Dome. Jessica Bell contributed a career-high three goals and four points in the triumph.
