Syracuse University
Loyola
Orangewomen Lose Regular-Season Finale, 14-11, at No. 4 Loyola
5/8/2004 7:17:32 PM | Women's Lacrosse
BALTIMORE, Md.
-- The 15th-ranked Syracuse women’s lacrosse team lost the final game of the 2004 regular season, 14-11, at No. 4 Loyola (14-3) on Saturday, May 8 at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field.Syracuse owns an overall record of 9-6 and will learn its postseason fate on Sunday, May 9 when the women’s lacrosse selection committee announces the 16-team field for the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The selection bracket will be announced between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. on College Sports Television (CSTV). The Orangewomen are in the mix for one of the tournament’s eight at-large berths. Georgetown earned the BIG EAST’s automatic bid to the tournament by winning the league’s regular-season title with a 6-0 record.
The Orangewomen began the game by winning opening draw control against the Greyhounds on Saturday, and after working the ball around the perimeter. A cutting Leigh-Ann Zimmer beat Loyola keeper Kim Lawton to put SU ahead 1-0 at the 2:53 mark. Loyola’s Stephanie Walker, the younger sister of SU captain Jacquelyn Walker, drew a foul and converted the ensuing free-position chance, to knot the game, 1-1, at 5:51. After trading tallies, Syracuse took a 3-2 lead on a goal by sophomore Meghan O'Connell at 12:52. The Greyhounds put together the game’s first consistent scoring run, notching the next four goals to take a 6-3 margin at 20:07.
The Orangewomen thought they had cut the lead to two goals when junior Monica Joines found the back of the cage with seven minutes left in first half, but a foul on the Greyhounds before the shot wiped away the tally. Lawton stopped Joines on following free-position, but Syracuse maintained possession and Zimmer drew a foul, earning a free-position opportunity of her own. Lawton was up to the challenge again, denying Zimmer on the free-position and the Orangwomen were whistled for a crease violation giving the ball back to the Greyhounds. SU eventually did pull within two, 6-4, when Joines converted a free-position opportunity with less than a minute to go in the half, but Loyola reclaimed a three-goal edge, scoring with six seconds remaining in the period to take a 7-4 lead at intermission.
Zimmer opened the second half with a goal, but Loyola got consecutive tallies from Tewaaraton Trophy candidate Rachel Shuck and Talia Shacklock to increase its margin to 9-5 at the 35:51 mark. Syracuse responded with consecutive goals by Joines and Zimmer to get within two, but the Greyhounds’ leading scorer, Sydney Greene, netted three straight goals to extend their advantage to 12-7 with 17 minutes left in the contest. The Orangewomen recorded four the game’s next five goals, including consecutive tallies by Zimmer to get within two, 13-11, with a little over minute left, but Walker sealed the game for the Greyhounds with an unassisted goal with 47 seconds remaining on the clock.
Zimmer paced the Orangewomen with six points (five goals, one assist) and Joines added a hat trick. Sophomore goalie Jennifer Kasel played 42:57 and made 15 saves. Kasel has stopped 181 shots this season, five shy of Clothilde Ewing’s season-record of 186 saves set in 1999. Freshman Bethel Steele made her third career appearance, replacing Kasel and playing the final 17:03. Steele finished with two saves. Junior Courtney Palladino recorded her ninth goal of the year in the contest and led SU with five draw controls. Freshman Ashley Pike contributed a team-high three ground balls.
Shuck and Greene eached finished with five points for Loyola. Shacklock contributed four goals and Walker and Jen Schuerholz each scored twice for the Greyhounds. Lawton made four saves in the first period and Cindy Nicolaus played the second half between the pipes and finished with five stops for Loyola.
The Greyhounds outshot the Orangewomen 34-22 and held a 32-19 advantage in ground balls. Syracuse won the draw control battle, earning 14 draw wins to Loyola’s 13.
Syracuse is 0-2 in the all-time series against the Greyhounds.
