The Syracuse Tradition
The Syracuse women’s lacrosse program owns one of the most historic traditions in the history of college lacrosse. Syracuse is the only school in Division I history to record a winning campaign in each season of play (minimum of 10 seasons). In fact, Syracuse’s 10-consecutive winning seasons is tied for the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history.
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Katrina Hable was the first |
The Orange wasted no time becoming one of the premier lacrosse schools in the country. Syracuse posted a record of 9-4 in its inaugural season of 1998. After losing its first-ever game against defending national champion, Maryland, the Orange won nine of its next 10 games to put its name on the women’s lacrosse map. Syracuse posted its first-ever victory against Siena on March 17, dominating the Saints, 19-0. In just its first season of play, the Orange led the nation in goals per game and scoring margin.
In its second season of play, the Orange earned its first postseason invitation, claiming the ECAC Championship. Syracuse won 10 of its last 11 regular-season games to earn a spot at ECAC Championship. Syracuse defeated Boston University in the semifinal, 9-8 in overtime and defeated top-seeded Yale, 9-8 to claim the title. The 1999 season also saw SU’s first All-American. Katrina Hable was named to the third team, starting an active string of nine-consecutive seasons with at least one All-American.
The 2000 season featured another first for the Syracuse program. After losing three early games to top-10 opponents, Syracuse tallied 12-consecutive victories. With its 12-3 regular-season record, the Orange earned its first invitation to the NCAA Tournament in just its third year of competition. Syracuse traveled to Washington, D.C. to square off against Georgetown, losing a hard-fought game, 11-10.
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Carrie Soults was named |
Orange Continues Success in BIG EAST Conference
Syracuse opened a new chapter in 2001, beginning play in the BIG EAST Conference. The Orange continued its success in the newly-formed women’s lacrosse conference. In the first-year of the league, Syracuse posted a 4-1 record and Carrie Soults earned Midfielder of the Year accolades. After another impressive season, Syracuse made its second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange continued its strong tradition during the next several years. Syracuse extended its NCAA Tournament streak to four-consecutive seasons, earning invitations in 2002 and 2003.
The Orange, who also earned a spot in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, remained one of the top teams in the country over the years. From 2001 to 2006, Syracuse played one of the more demanding schedules in the country and defeated 12 nationally-ranked teams. SU defeated national-power Virginia for the first time in 2002 and won three-consecutive games in the series, including a victory against the eventual national champion Cavaliers in 2004. The Orange also defeated perennial powers such as Boston University, Cornell, Notre Dame and Dartmouth, including a win against the third-ranked Big Green in 2006.
The 2007 Orange Adds to Growing Tradition
The 2007 Syracuse squad took the next step toward greatness, completing the program’s most successful season to date. The Orange won a school-record 13 games and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Syracuse also won its first BIG EAST regular-season championship, won the inaugural BIG EAST Championship Tournament with its first-ever victory against perennial-power Georgetown and won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game. After leading the team to new heights, Miller was voted the BIG EAST Coach of the Year by her peers.
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Amber Pardee-Hill was named |
After a 2-3 start, the Orange won eight of its next nine regular season games, earning a share of the BIG EAST regular season championship for the first time. Syracuse then hosted the inaugural BIG EAST Championship, opening the tournament against Rutgers. The Orange defeated the Scarlet Knights, 13-7, to advance and play rival Georgetown. Behind the play of goalkeeper Amber Pardee-Hill, Syracuse jumped to an 8-3 halftime advantage and won the game, 12-7, to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Pardee-Hill was named the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Orange continued its success in the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse traveled to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Vanderbilt in the first round. SU scored the last five goals of the game to earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, 16-10, against the Commodores. In the NCAA Quarterfinals, Syracuse played top-ranked Northwestern tougher than any other team during its 18-game winning streak, but lost to the Wildcats, 14-9. Northwestern would end up winning its third-consecutive national championship one week later.
Individual Honors
With the high level of success that the Orange lacrosse teams have exhibited during the last decade, numerous individuals have been recognized among the best in the country. Following Hable in 1999, the Orange has had at least one All-American in each of the last nine seasons. In 2001, Stacey Brown became the first SU student-athlete to earn first-team All-America accolades. Leigh-Ann Zimmer (2004) and Katie Rowan (2007) have duplicated the feat since. Syracuse student-athletes have been recognized a total of 13 other times, including Hable (2000 Second Team), Lauren Brady (2000 Third Team), Soults (2000 Third Team, 2001 Third Team), Zimmer (2002 Second Team), Monica Joines (2003 Third Team, 2004 Third Team, 2005 Second Team), Ellen Rust (2003 Second Team), Caitlyn Dragon (2005 Third Team), Gaddy Fortune (2006 Third Team), Ashley Pike (2007 Third Team) and Halley Quillinan (2007 Third Team).
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Head Coach Lisa Miller has |
Orange student-athletes have also seen a great amount of success regionally and in the BIG EAST Conference. A total of 20 players have earned 31 regional All-America accolades in the past decade. In addition, Miller was named 1999 North Region Coach of the Year. At the conference level, 21 different players have earned a total of 33 All-BIG EAST honors since 2001. Miller also earned 2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year and Zimmer was named the 2004 Attack Player of the Year.
Academic Success
Orange student-athletes not only excel on the field, but they perform just as well in the classroom. In 2005, the team was recognized as an IWLCA Academic Squad by achieving a GPA of over 3.0. Three SU student-athletes have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, including Soults who earned Academic All-America honors in 2002, and nine players have earned IWLCA Academic All-America honors. In addition, a total of 45 student-athletes earned BIG EAST Academic All-Star accolades and 73 have been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
