Seniors Deliver; No. 8 Syracuse Beats No. 18 Cornell
from press release
SYRAUCSE, N.Y. - Senior Awehiyo Thomas capped her final regular season game at the Carrier Dome with a resounding four-goal burst to lead the Orange in an 11-8 victory against No. 18 Cornell on Wednesday night. Senior Katie Rowan produced six assists in her final regular season peformance to aid in the victory.
Syracuse dominated the first half with a five-goal pad, 8-3, but the Big Red surged back and outscored SU in the second session, 5-3. The Orange hung on for its 11th victory of the season and turns its attention to conference foe Rutgers on Saturday, April 18. Syracuse and Rutgers faceoff in Piscataway, N.J.
Cornell made a valiant rally, but it fell just short as No. 8
Syracuse won its third straight over the Big Red with an 11-8
victory on Wednesday evening at the Carrier Dome. The Big Red got a
pair of goals from Syracuse native Shannon McHugh and two goals and
an assist from Skaneateles native Libby Johnson in the defeat,
dropping Cornell to 7-5 on the year. The Orange improved to
11-3.
McHugh scored both of her goals in the second half run as Cornell
rallied from a 10-3 deficit to get within 10-8 with 4:35 to play.
Another Big Red goal was waved off late for a crease violation and
the Orange were able to run the clock out on the upstarts. Tissy
O'Connor was also huge all night, scoring once, winning five ground
balls and two draws and causing a turnover. Seniors Halsey Diakow
and Deirdre Lafferty chipped in a goal apiece, while classmate
Jessica Wiegand and freshman Jessi Steinberg had an assist each.
Kristen Reese made five saves, all in the first half, and also won
a ground ball and caused a turnover.
SU All-American candidate Katie Rowan was held without a goal, but
was able to generate six assists. High-scoring Christina Dove and
Halley Quillinan tallied just three goals between them, but Awehiyo
Thomas stepped up with four scores.
Cornell held a 23-20 edge in shots and was a perfect 15-of-15
clearing the ball, leading to several fastbreak opportunities. The
Orange won the battle at the draw control circle (13-8) and got 10
big saves from goalkeeper Liz Hogan in the victory.
Cornell trailed 8-3 at the half despite playing an inspired half
of lacrosse in the first 30 minutes. Reese made five saves and
O'Connor was outstanding on both ends, scoring a goal, winning
three ground balls and leading the clearing game for the Big Red.
Reese made four saves on the All-American Rowan, but she was able
to contribute with five first-half assists.
The Orange scored two quick goals to set the pace, as Tee Ladoceur
found the back of the net 1:43 in on a free-position shot and
Awehiyo Thomas scored the first of three first-half goals 36 second
later after a broken play at midfield. Cornell responded though,
not allowing the home team to pull away so easily. Johnson got the
Big Red on the board with an odd-angle free-position shot that beat
Hogan over her shoulder at the 26:44 mark. O'Connor then tied it up
in front of the net on a nice feed from Jessi Steinberg at 25:10 to
make it 2-2. After Reese saved a low shot, her outlet pass to
O'Connor triggered a fastbreak that resulted in a free-position
shot that hit the pipe. The failed clear by Suracuse resulted in
another fastbreak for Wiegand, but the senior was stoned by the SU
keeper to keep the game tied eight minutes in.
After those two missed opportunities, the Orange took control with
its offensive efficiency. Christina Dove scored her 42nd goal of
the season on a feed from Rowan before Rowan connected on another
pass, this time to Thomas at the 19:43 mark. Rowan completed the
assist hat trick when she hit a speeding Bridget Looney to go up
5-2 after her rocket shot at 18:05.
Cornell cut the deficit to two when Hogan stoned a shot by Halsey
Diakow in front of the cage, but the ball fell right back into the
senior's stick and she one-timed it past the sprawling goalkeeper
with 14:55 on the clock to cut the deficit to 5-3. That would be
the last time the Big Red would find the net in the half, as the
Orange would end the half on a 3-0 run as Cornell would go
scoreless for the final 14:55. Rowan assisted on a pair of goals in
the final nine minutes, including Halley Quillinan's score with
2:57 left to round out the first-half scoring.
Shots were closely contested in the first 30 minutes with Syracuse
holding a slim 14-11 edge, but it was on the draw (8-4) that SU
took its biggest advantage, Cornell cleared all seven attempts from
Syracuse's offensive zone and Hogan made it stand up with seven
saves between the pipes.
SU got on the board 2:29 into the second half when Looney found the
back of the net to make it 9-3. The run extended to 5-0 when Rowan
again assisted on a goal, this time to Thomas at 22:58. From there,
the Big Red got right back in the game with a 3-0 spurt of its
own.Johnson, Lafferty and McHugh each found the back of the net in
succession to cut the SU lead to 10-6 with 9:52 left. When Wiegand
found Lindsey Kane on a fastbreak after a Orange turnover to make
it 10-7 with 6:16 left, Cornell was energized and back in the game.
Another Syracuse turnover turned into a lightning-fast goal, this
time on a midfield run by McHugh to get back within 10-8 with 4:35
left. After Syracuse won the ensuing draw, the Big Red forced yet
another turnover, but handed it back on a bad clearing pass with
under four minutes to play.
The Orange was able to capitalize on a free-position attempt, as
Lindsey Rogers found Megan Mosenson on a quick start with 2:19 left
for a goal on the open net to push the lead back to three (11-8),
but McHugh won the draw and drew a foul inside the fan, but her
free-position shot was saved by Hogan. Cornell forced a quick
turnover and Jessica Wiegand appeared to score, but the goal was
waved off for a crease violation. The Orange were able to clear the
ball and run out the clock to earn the victory.
The Big Red continue Ivy League play when it visits Yale on
Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. in New Haven, Conn.
