Northwestern attack Katrina Dowd took the ball from the corner and beat two Syracuse defenders on her way to the cage. She saw an opening and delivered the ball into the top left corner of the net.

The goal with 1:48 remaining thrashed Syracuse’s hopes after nearly up-ending the nation’s top team. The Orange had led by three at halftime but couldn’t hold on as No. 7 Syracuse (4-2) fell to No. 1 Northwestern (6-0), 13-12. The game was played in front of a crowd of 1,583 at nearby Christian Brothers Academy.

SU may have lost the game on Sunday, but it took a step in establishing itself as a top team in the nation. The Orange held a lead late in the first half, making it the first time Northwestern trailed all season.  

‘I think we came out hard. There were mistakes we could have capitalized on, and we could have scored on them more,’ freshman attack Michelle Tumolo said. ‘I think we just need to keep our heads up, and we can play with these top teams.’

The Wildcats opened up an early lead on the Orange. Northwestern used its athleticism and aggressiveness to force numerous turnovers. SU trailed 5-1 before head coach Gary Gait used a timeout at the 19:27 mark of the first half.

Northwestern used a unique style of defense that highlighted its quickness. Players often doubled the ball handler and used the turnovers they forced to rush out in transition.

‘The key is to keep your head up and to have some game awareness, and that comes from being able to relax and know you can protect the ball one-on-one and look around,’ Gait said.   

The timeout was just what the Orange needed. SU went on an 8-1 run over the next 18 minutes and took a three-goal lead.  

Syracuse was also able to force more turnovers than the Wildcats in the first half. It used an advantage in shots to take the lead into halftime. Northwestern’s streak of 34 consecutive wins was in jeopardy.

But the defending national champions were not going away. The Wildcats went on a four-goal run of their own in the second half to regain the lead.  The game was back and forth until the final minute of play.

‘There was definitely a shift in momentum. I think both teams handled it pretty well, and both teams are pretty well conditioned,’ junior goalkeeper Liz Hogan said.

Northwestern has not lost a game since its 2008 season finale against Pennsylvania and has won five consecutive national championships.

Syracuse has lost to Northwestern in each of the last five seasons. The Orange took many positives away from the game, despite the obvious feeling that it could have won.

‘They’re the best team there is right now, and it would have been an upset if we won this game,’ senior midfielder Christina Dove said. ‘I think coming within one goal of them and having the whole season ahead of us, we haven’t even gotten into the Big East or the tournament or anything, and I think this builds a lot of confidence for us.’

The Orange had numerous opportunities to take the lead late in the game but was turned away each time. Northwestern held most of the possession and valuable chances were missed.

SU saw something different from this particular opponent, though. This is the No. 1 team in the nation. The defense was something new, and the pressure of the game seemed to take over in the end.

‘I would say there was a lot of pressure on them, there were a lot of unforced errors and a lot of mistakes, and that’s from the mental pressure,’ Gait said.  ‘We have to go back and work on our toughness and being able to stay focused and composed and build our confidence.’

Tumolo has seen other Syracuse teams fall to Northwestern in the past. She’s anxious for another opportunity to thwart the champions.

‘Our heads were in it, but we need to just get completely focused and know we can beat this team, and even though we lost by one, we will beat them if we play them again.’
 
adtredin@syr.edu

Published on March 22, 2010 at 12:00 pm