Student-Athlete Media Day Transcript
Women’s Lacrosse Media Day
Student-Athlete Quotes
February 3, 2011
Liz Hogan, Senior, Goalkeeper
On the season outlook:
“First and foremost we want to get back to the Final Four, and hopefully win it this time and get that national championship.”
On the tough road schedule this year:
“I don’t think we’re playing in the (Carrier) Dome once in March so we’re going to have to be road warriors. Hopefully we will get the wins when we need them most.”
On being the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year last year and earning the preseason award this season:
“It is really nice to get it at the end of the year. Preseason (award) doesn’t really mean that much; it just sets expectations of me. Overall, I look at it as more of a team thing and I would rather go out with a national championship than a preseason player award.”
On the preseason media poll rankings:
“It is just preseason. If that’s where they think we are, that’s fine. At the end of the season, I want to be number one.”
On the program’s development during her time at Syracuse:
“It has made monstrous steps. I came in as a freshman and we had great seniors and everything. I think now we are much more confident and we have a lot of good leaders and we’ve really come into our own kind of team.”
Tee Ladouceur, Senior, Attack
On playing without last year’s senior class:
“Losing players like (Christina) Dove and Halley (Quillinan), we know we’re going to have to step it up big time to fill those shoes. But players like Sarah Holden and Lindsey Connell have done a great job so far at filling those shoes and are working hard in practice and having a much bigger role than they did last year. We also have a couple of freshmen that play like they’ve been here for four years. We are a young team but things have been going well so far so I’m excited.”
Goals for her senior season:
“It is senior year; have to pull out all the stops. The goal is a national championship and this is our last chance. We have to take no prisoners, we’re going to do what it takes and we’re going to work hard. We want that ring really badly.”
On having so many road games:
“We haven’t been on the road this much before, but no excuses, right? The national championship isn’t going to be in the (Carrier) Dome, so we better learn to win on the road.”
Michelle Tumolo, Sophomore, Attack
On being the youngest player on the U.S. National Team that competed at the Champion Challenge last weekend:
“I was very nervous, but they are so accepting. The oldest girls on the team were making me feel like I had been part of the team for a while. I was at practice one day and we were all in a huddle and one of the best players, Acacia Walker, mentioned me and said ‘Michele Tumolo, she’s young but she can really take it to them.’ She was really giving me confidence to have under my belt and play like I play here and transferring it to the U.S. program.”
On what she will take from the experience with the U.S. National Team:
“Playing with an open mind; everyone is good so I just played against girls from Virginia, Maryland, who we are going to play in the regular season. It was kind of an advantage that I played against them before I see them in the season. So it was a great advantage for me to see how they are this year versus how they were last year and know how their defense plays and how their offense runs.”
On improved stick work:
“I’ve learned it all here. I play for Gary Gait, who is one of the best stick handlers in the world. A lot of coaches don’t let players do what we can here at Syracuse. Some players can’t even rip a behind the back shot – they’ll get stripped right off the field. So I am very lucky to be able to do that because I am one of those players who plays like a boy. I like to do weird things with my stick and it is awesome that my coach lets me do that because that’s how I play. I think he knew that from when I came in here. We connected on that level because I look up to him to give me new stick tricks and when he tells me to try something I try it, no matter how hard it is.”
