Orange Meets the Media
2/3/2011 4:34:30 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Watch Meda Day Highlights | Head Coach Gary Gait Quotes | Student-Athlete Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y -- The fifth-ranked Syracuse women's lacrosse team hosted its annual media day after practice on Thursday, February 3 in Manley Field House. Head coach Gary Gait and the student-athletes previewed the 2011 season, which gets underway on February 17.
This year's squad features six returning starters from the 2010 team that posted a record of 15-7 and advanced to the national semifinals for the second time in three years. The Orange welcomes 10 newcomers this season, including eight freshman.
“We're definitely young," Gait said. "We will determine the direction and the model of this team as the season progresses. It's going to depend on how they come together as a group and how they react to pressure. In the end, hopefully, we'll all move in the direction we were hoping and we'll be looking at the end of the season fighting for a championship.”
Leading the list of returners is senior goalkeeper Liz Hogan. Hogan earned the 2010 IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year award and was a first-team All-American after leading the nation in saves with a school-record 211. She enters her final campaign for the Orange as the school's career leader in saves (518) and ground balls (152).
The Syracuse defense also welcomes the return of Lindsay Rogers. Rogers, who earned All-America honors as a sophomore, is back for her fifth year after redshirting last season due to a knee injury. Senior Catherine Rodriguez will also help anchor the SU defense. She was voted to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in 2010 after ranking third on the team in ground balls, caused turnovers and draw controls.
The offense returns two of its top three scorers from a year ago. Senior Tee Ladouceur led the nation in assists last season with 48, and posted career highs in points (91), goals (43) and assists (48). Sophomore Michelle Tumolo ranked third on the team in scoring in 2010 with 74 points. She became the highest scoring freshman in the history of the program, while her 37 assists is also a freshman school record.
The Orange open the 2011 campaign on Thursday, February 17 against Colgate in the Carrier Dome at 5 p.m.
