SU Begins Easter Weekend Slate With Hokies
4/8/2004 3:36:39 PM | Women's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The 11th-ranked Orangewomen lacrosse team (6-2, 2-1) will play the first of two Easter weekend games on Friday, April 9 when they host BIG EAST opponent Virginia Tech (5-4, 2-2) in the Carrier Dome at 2:00 p.m. SU enters the pairing with a five-game winning streak and is coming off its best offensive and defensive performances of the season. Against Colgate on March 30, the Orangewomen scored 21 goals, which is tied for the sixth-most tallies in a women’s Division I lacrosse game this year. Against Rutgers on April 3, SU allowed a season-low five goals in a 15-5 win. Sophomore Jennifer Kasel garned the BIG EAST Confernce's Co-Defensive Player of the Week Award on April 5. Kasel made a combined 27 saves in the wins against Rutgers and Colgate, including 23 against the Scarlet Knights. She posted a .692 save percentage and a 6.99 goals-against-average in the two triumphs. Kasel's performance against Rutgers vaulted her into the the upper echelon of goalies in the nation. The 23 saves is tied for the third-highest total by a Division I keeper this season. Steph Schneider of Denver owns this season’s higest single-game saves total with 26 stops versus California. Kasel is tied for 15th in the nation and second in the in the BIG EAST Conference with a .533 save percentage. She ranks first in save percentage against conference opponents. In three BIG EAST contests she has posted a .627 save percentage and has made 47 saves. Syracuse ranks fifth among Division I women’s lacrosse progams in scoring. The Orangewomen are averaging 13.88 goals per game, 1.22 goals behind Maryland, who leads the nation with a 15.0 goals-per-game-average. Syracuse is 13th among Division I programs in scoring margin, averaging 3.38 more goals than they are allowing. SU has put 61 percent of its shots on goal this season (148-of-209) and its overall shooting percentage is .457. By comparison, the Orangewomen’s defense is holding opponents to a .367 shooting percentage. Against Colgate, the Orangewomen notched 21 goals, which is tied for the sixth-most in Division I this year and is two short of the school record. It was the most goals SU has tallied since they scored 21 against Colgate in 1998. The Orangewomen have scored at least 10 goals in seven of their eight games and they are 6-1 in those contests. The only pairing SU has lost this season when scoring in double figures was to Maryland, 14-11, on March 3. Syracuse has scored 111 goals, six behind No. 3 Notre Dame, who leads the BIG EAST with 117. Senior Leigh-Ann Zimmer is SU’s top goal scorer. She leads the conference in points (39) and goals (28). Zimmer ranks sixth in Division I in points-per-game average (4.88) and seventh in goals-per-game-average (3.5).
The Hokies are 5-4 this season and are receiving votes in this week’s IWLCA poll. Virginia Tech has posted victories in its last two games, defeating Ohio State (10-6) on April 2 and Boston College (14-6) on April 4.
Goalie Jamie McGraw shared last week's defensive player of the week award with Kasel. McGraw made a combined 24 saves in Virginia Tech’s two wins last week. For the season, McGraw is tied for second in the BIG EAST with a .533 save percentage. She also owns a 10.92 goals against average.
On offense, the Hokies have two performers that rank in the top five in the BIG EAST in scoring. Kate Threadgold has notched 35 points this season (22 goals, 13 assists), the third-highest point total in the league. Stephanie Jones is tied for fifth in the conference with 29 points (22 goals, 7 assists).
Syracuse and Virginia Tech have squared off on the lacrosse field in each of the last three years with the Orangewomen prevailing in all three meetings. SU has held the Hokies to eight goals or fewer in all three matchups.
In last year’s meeting, Syracuse posted an 8-7 win against the Hokies in Blacksburg, Va. SU’s Danielle Lillis broke a 7-7 tie at 44:55 to give the Orangewomen a one-goal triumph. Zimmer and Cristine Doran eached recorded two goals in the contest.
