Orange Keeps on Rowan

Saturday, April 5

Carrier Dome

Noon

Syracuse University

#6 Georgetown

Katie Rowan set the school record for assists in a season and points in a game with her performance against Georgetown.

4/5/2008 2:02:05 PM | Women's Lacrosse

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A record-breaking performance from junior Katie Rowan led the No. 5 Orange women’s lacrosse squad to an 18-3 victory against BIG EAST rival No. 6 Georgetown on Saturday, April 5 in the Carrier Dome. With the win Syracuse improves to 10-2 on the season and 3-0 in the BIG EAST, while Georgetown moved to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in BIG EAST play. The win marked the first time the Orange has defeated the Hoyas in the regular season since the two teams first met in 1999.

"We really focused on challenging the defense, stepping up and changing our style on defense, taking more chances and playing better team defense, getting more slides and more backup," said head coach Gary Gait. "It definitely paid off today, we were on every shot. We were tipping sticks, we were getting turnovers when they set it in the middle, and that’s what we were focusing on in the defensive end. On the offensive side, we wanted to control possession more, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that were there, but then we wanted to maintain possession to rest our players so that we would be fresh for 60 minutes."

Rowan recorded 11 points on four goals and seven assists. Her record setting-day began with her fourth assist of the game on a Christina Dove goal with 9:13 remaining in the first half. With the assist, her 34th of the season, Rowan broke the Syracuse single-season assist record set by Kim Wayne in 2002. Rowan continued her historic performance in the second half, contributing her 11th point of the contest with an assist on a Kristin Brady goal with 12:31 remaining in the game. Rowan’s 11 points set the Syracuse single-game record previously shared by Wayne and Rowan. In addition, her seven assists tie the single-game school mark.

A team-best five goals by Dove and sophomore Halley Quillinan’s three goals and one assist helped pace the Orange offense. Brady, sophomore Jackie DePetris, junior Megan Mosenson and sophomore Breanna Stiff also contributed goals for the well-balanced Syracuse attack.

The Orange jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first seven goals of the game. DePetris started the scoring for the Orange at the 25:45 mark and Rowan contributed her first goal of the game 13 seconds later. Dove converted two consecutive chances and Mosenson scored to give the Orange the 5-0 advantage. DePetris and Rowan made it a 7-0 lead, each scoring their second goals of the game. Georgetown’s Bunny O’Reilly scored the Hoya’s lone goal of the first half, but Syracuse ended the stanza on a three-goal run for a 10-1 lead at halftime. The Syracuse halftime advantage was also due in part to an outstanding performance by freshman goalkeeper Liz Hogan, who made 11 saves on 15 shots.

Syracuse continued its impressive offensive output, adding to its lead with the first three goals of the second half on scores by Quillinan, Brady and Rowan. The Orange traded goals with the Hoyas until the 10 minute mark when Syracuse put the game away on a four-goal run, ensuring the 18-3 victory.

Hogan made 13 total saves on 22 shots faced in the cage for the Orange. She reached double figures in saves for the second consecutive game after establishing a career-high 14 saves at Albany on Wednesday.

O’Reilly, Molly Ford and Jordy Kirr each contributed scores for Georgetown while Jacqueline Giles and Ashby Kaestner each had an assist. Caitlin Formby and Lauren Thomas split time in the cage for the Hoyas. Formby made two saves and recorded the loss after allowing the first seven Orange goals. Thomas made five saves and allowed 11 goals.

The Orange will be back in action Saturday when it travels to New Jersey to take on Rutgers at 11 a.m. in its fourth BIG EAST match-up of the season.