Three Orange Named To IWLCA All-Region Teams

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Three Syracuse women’s lacrosse student-athletes were named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Northeast Region team, announced today. Junior Gaddy Fortune (Long Branch, N.J.) and freshman Kathryn Rowan (Delmar, N.Y.) were both selected to the first team and sophomore Stephanie Bissett (Woodstock, Md.) was placed on the second team. This is the first time that each student-athlete has been recognized by the IWLCA.

Syracuse’s three selections to the all-region teams is the most since 2003 when SU placed four on the lists. In 2004 and 2005, the Orange placed a pair of student-athletes on the first team. Every season since 2002, SU has had at least two first team honorees.

Fortune and Rowan earned first team accolades for their point production in 2006. The two combined for 93 goals to set a new school record for goals by a pair of teammates in a season. The pair combined for four goals in the first half in the season finale against Penn to catch the record. Monica Joines and Leigh-Ann Zimmer paired up for 92 goals in 2004.

Fortune’s 47 goals this season ranks second on the single season list at Syracuse, just five behind Zimmer’s 52 goals in 2004. She also totaled 50 points this season which is ninth on the single season points chart. Fortune also recorded 28 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers, and nine draw controls.

Fortune exploded in 2006 after entering the season with 10 goals in her first two seasons in Orange. She registered nine hat tricks and had three games with a career-high five goals. Her six points against Binghamton on March 7 is a career high. In a 13-12 overtime loss at Loyola, Fortune scored three goals in the final 3:26 of regulation to force overtime.

Rowan is just the second Orange freshman to be named to the first team. Leigh-Ann Zimmer is the only other Syracuse student-athlete with the honor in 2001. Overall, Rowan is just the fourth freshman to be recognized by the IWLCA since 1998. In SU’s inaugural season, Karen Healy and Katrina Hable were both named to the second team after their rookie campaigns.

Rowan set new SU records for goals and points by a freshman with 46 and 56, respectively. Her 46 goals are third on the single season ledger behind Fortune’s 47 and her 56 points are tied for fourth in a single season at Syracuse. She scored six goals at Rutgers on April 15, which was one tally off of the school record.

Bisset anchored one of the top defenses in the country in 2006. She was second on the team in caused turnovers with 17. The Orange is tied for 14th in the nation in scoring defense and allowed just 8.88 goals per game. Against Binghamton, Syracuse allowed just two goals in a 21-2 win. It was the second-largest margin of victory for SU in team history.

The Orange back line kept Syracuse in a number of games, as SU lost four games by two goals or less, including three by a single goal. The Orange defense held No. 1 Northwestern, the top scoring offense in the country, to 13 goals in a 13-11 loss, the closest SU has ever come to knocking off the nation’s top-ranked team.

The Syracuse defense went four-straight games without allowing 10 goals from March 15-28. The last time an Orange defensive unit went four-consecutive games without giving up 10 goals was in the 2003 season.

All three student-athletes are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American teams, which will be announced on May 30. The organizations will honor the National All-Americans at a banquet on June 10 in Baltimore.

Syracuse University Athletics

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