May 23, 2008

by Paul Krome, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

BALTIMORE - Syracuse attacker Katie Rowan had a chance to make history, but a 5-foot-5 midfielder from Upper Arlington, Ohio, instead doomed her to repeat it.

Rowan put up eye-opening numbers while leading the Orange to its first national semifinal and earning a designation as a Tewaaraton Award finalist. She entered the day with an NCAA-best 142 points - 37 higher than the next highest scorer - and six points shy of equaling former Maryland star Jen Adams for the NCAA's all-time single-season record. But instead of leading Syracuse into the final, she once again was shut down by diminutive Northwestern midfielder Maggie Bremer, and the Orange could not show up offensively in its 16-8 loss.

"I played basketball in high school, and in basketball you have to be in someone's face; right next to them," said Bremer, who shadowed Rowan for the entire game, limiting her to just one shot when the game was still a game. "It really just comes down to preparation."

Bremer held Rowan without a point for the teams' second consecutive meeting. Bremer repeatedly denied her the ball, often forcing her - more mentally, perhaps, than physically - to stay on the opposite side of the field from where Syracuse players worked the ball, looking for cutters. She stayed with Rowan's quick-footed attempts to break free.

Finally, with 6:45 left in the first half, Rowan lost Bremer on a backdoor cut from the 12-meter and caught a feed from Megan Mosenson in stride. Rowan fired a shot, but goalie Morgan Lathrop stopped it. An ensuing foul against the Orange ultimately led to Northwestern's Katrina Dowd punching home a pass from midfielder Casey Donohoe with 6:10 remaining, tying the game at 5 and starting the 12-1 Wildcat run that turned the contest into a rout.

"She's a great defender and a very good athlete," said Rowan.

While Rowan didn't give much credit to Bremer, the latter probably wouldn't have accepted it anyway.

"It's our whole defense," said Bremer, an offensive-minded, All-American midfielder at Upper Arlington High who led her team to Ohio Schoolgirl Lacrosse Association championships in 2004 and 2005. "It starts with Morgan, then the rest of our defense. There's so much talking about where the picks are. This one goes to everyone."

In the first meeting between these teams March 24 in the Carrier Dome, Bremer and senior Christy Finch shared the assignment on Rowan. They limited her to just one shot in the Wildcats' 19-7 thumping.

Syracuse players and coaches partially attributed their second-half meltdown in that game - NU led just 5-4 at halftime - to having just a day to prepare following their 24-4 drubbing of Connecticut on March 22.

But nearly a week of prep time didn't help the Orange actively involve Rowan. Syracuse adjusted and found offense from other sources, but Rowan couldn't deliver the explosive offense she had provided much of the year.

"We're taught hard work from the beginning," said Bremer. "It's really about watching her, staying on her and talking."