2006 Syracuse Field Hockey Season Outlook
8/4/2006 10:02:36 AM | Field Hockey
SYRACUSE, N.Y.-- A large contingent of talent and experience will return to suit up for the Orange in 2006. This year’s squad will be aided by a stellar defense, headlined by Michelle Sola, a senior captain, and sophomore Heather Hess, last year’s BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. That defense, along with a potent offensive attack, that combined for 30 of Syracuse’s 44 goals in 2005, has SU head coach Kathleen Parker looking for big things in 2006.
"I think this group is very hungry," Parker said. "Most of the time when a season ends, everyone takes a deep breath of sigh of relief and are ready to rest. Not with this group. When I met with each player in their individual evaluations at the end of last season, every single player came in and was ready to get going. It was an attitude I haven’t seen in a long time and I think that’s a reflection of their desire to achieve great things."
Achievement is no stranger to the SU field hockey program and it starts at the top with Parker, who is in her 29th season as head coach of the Orange. Parker enters the 2006 season as the sixth winningest coach among active Division I coaches. Last season, she earned her 300th career victory when the Orange defeated Massachusetts at Coyne Field in late September.
With her footprint already evident on the Syracuse field hockey program, Parker hopes her experienced squad is ready to leave a lasting impact on the program as well.
"We have a lot of experience and I know it’s a group that’s excited to be back," she said. "I think that their excitement really shines a positive light. We have a group of seniors who are really eager to do something special and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to do just that."
Parker’s goals for her team remain as clear as in any other season, compete for a BIG EAST championship and position itself for an NCAA Tournament berth. The Orange has lost in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals in each of the past two seasons. SU is no stranger to the BIG EAST crown however, as the program captured the league title for the third time in 2001.
"Our goals for this year are first off to improve our record from last year. If we can do that we will compete for a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament, which would allow us to compete for a spot in the NCAA Championship," she said. "I think we have a schedule where we have to win 75-80 percent of our games in order to be considered a good top program. We will need to get some good wins in BIG EAST competition to be successful. "
Defense
When looking for the strength of this team, look no further than the back line. The Syracuse defense is an experienced and accomplished group that’s led by Sola and fellow senior Jess Wreski. Sola was second on the team in goals scored in 2005 with 11, while assisting on five others, to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors for the first time in her career. Wreski played in all 20 games last season, recording one assist as a vital member of a defense that allowed slightly more than two goals per game.
"Between Michelle and Jess there is a lot of experience and they work together really well since they’ve been starting deep backs together for the last few years," said Parker. "I would say the strength of our team is right there with those two."
In goal, behind the veterans Sola and Wreski, will be Hess, who made 107 saves and posted two shutouts last season. Hess became the third SU goalkeeper to earn BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors last season when she did so as a freshman and is someone who Parker believes will continue to improve. Marie O’Brien will serve as Hess’ backup after allowing 1.52 goals per game in seven games played last season.
Others looking to see significant time in the backfield will be juniors Brittany Angellella and Gloria Nantulya, each of whom played in all 20 games last season with Angellella scoring one goal.
"Brittany and Gloria were both very good sophomore starters as outside backs – so there’s very good experience there," Parker said. "I think Courtnie (Geissler) is another player who could step in at those positions as well. Our backfield is probably as solid as it can be."
A pair of newcomers will also be in the mix for playing time in the backfield as Michelle Davis and Shanna Muscavage will provide depth at the position. Davis, a native of Lititz, Pa. and a high school teammate of Hess at Warwick High School, helped her team win a combined 48 games in her junior and senior seasons. Muscavage hails from Stevens, Pa. and was a 2005 second-team all-state selection, while playing for Cocalico High School.
Midfield
The midfield may be the biggest question mark for the Orange. Junior Meg Ricker and sophomore Brittany Shannon both return after seeing significant action in the midfield last season. Ricker played in 19 games in 2005, while Shannon played in 16, scoring one goal.
"Shannon started a little bit in the middle last year and I think she’ll come in and be a really strong contributor at that position," Parker said. "Meg has been plagued with injuries and could slide into a midfield slot if she can stay healthy."
Sophomore Heather Doran is another name that will be penciled in at the midfield position after seeing action in 11 contests last season. Parker has been pleased with Doran’s progress since last year and looks for her to have an impact.
"Heather is going to show some of the steadiness that she’s capable of giving us," Parker said. "As a freshman, she may have been a little tentative and unsure of herself, but after the spring I think she’ll come in a little more relaxed."
Others looking to join the middle line will be redshirt-freshmen Cassie Barry and Amanda Kanekuni, as well as freshmen Kim Coyle and Lucy McGregor. Barry was a first-team all-state selection at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, N.J., while Kanekuni received National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Academic All-America honors at Fredrick (Md.) High School. Coyle was a three-sport athlete at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., where she scored 22 career goals. McGregor hails from Christchurch, New Zealand where competed in the Australian School Girls National competition with the Tasmanian Under-16 team.
Attack
With almost 70 percent of SU’s offensive output returning from last season, this year’s front line is certain to be an exciting one to watch. Seniors Ashley Fry and Meg Ryan return after finishing third and fourth on the team in goals scored last season, respectively. Fry will look to add to her 16 career goals this season, while Ryan led the team in assists in 2005 with 14, the second highest single-season assists total in school history.
"Meg has been used as both a midfielder and forward throughout her career, but I’d like to have her up on the forward line and be a little more steady," Parker said. "Ashley is a great scoring forward who has also been plagued with injuries, so we’re hoping this year she can play more injury free and find the cage for us."
Junior Jessica Lerew has two solid years of experience under her belt including last season, during which she scored two goals and assisted on two others. Megan Stuart, a senior captain, will also be a key ingredient to the front line of the Orange. Stuart scored one goal in 17 games played in 2005 and is a player that Parker has a great deal of confidence in.
"Megan is coming back as a fifth-year senior and if she plays the way she did this past spring then I think she is going to have a lot of positive things to bring to the team," Parker said. "She seems to have really matured this past spring, more than the last three years combined – so I’m looking forward to very big things from her."
A pair of sophomores in Alison Babbitt and Krissy Woods will provide the team with depth at the position as the two combined for 19 games played in 2005.
New to the forward position are freshmen Tracy Deitrick and Nicole Woodcock. Deitrick was a three-sport athlete at Mountain Lakes (N.J.) High School where she was named first-team all-state in field hockey, while Woodcock is a local product who attended Cicero-North Syracuse High School where she was also a three-sport athlete, scoring 36 goals in her field hockey career.
Schedule
BIG EAST games will all be key dates to circle on the 2006 slate according to Parker. The Orange will have six regular-season conference games this season with the addition of Georgetown to the league. SU opens BIG EAST play at Rutgers (Sept. 15) before returning to Coyne Field to host Louisville (Sept. 22). In addition to Louisville, the Orange will host conference games with Georgetown (Oct. 1) and Providence (Oct. 13), while squaring off in road contests at Villanova (Oct. 6) and Connecticut (Oct. 21).
"Every single BIG EAST game we play is incredibly important," Parker said. "As much as I don’t like to make one game more important than another, there’s no doubt that those games are the most important in terms of putting us in position for the BIG EAST Tournament and the NCAA Tournament."
The BIG EAST Tournament will be held at Louisville, November 3-5.
