Michelle Tumolo threw her hands up in the air in disgust. Watching as teammate Tee Ladouceur’s goal was called back, the Syracuse attack summed up a frustrating first half with one expression.

But using the intermission to regroup, that all changed. Fast.

Led by Tumolo, the Orange used a spirited six-goal run late in the second half to erase a one-goal halftime deficit. Tumolo erupted, scoring three goals during the run, including the game-winner, in the final 10 minutes as No. 10 Syracuse (9-4, 4-1 Big East) edged No. 13 Loyola (9-5, 3-2) 13-11 in the Carrier Dome Friday. The Orange rode that momentum into Sunday, routing Villanova (7-6, 0-5) 18-3.

Against the Greyhounds Friday, pressure throughout the first half agitated the Orange. But it responded, and Tumolo decided to shine.

‘In the first half I was just getting down on myself easily,’ Tumolo said. ‘But as soon as halftime came we got a halftime speech and got pumped up and I was just like, ‘I have nothing to lose.’ I just took the ball to the goal and was tough with it.’

Tumolo was held without a point through the first 50 minutes of the game. The star attack was tightly contested the entire game.

Tumolo, who has made a living scoring from behind the net, was rattled. Loyola defender Ashley Moulton continued to deny her the ball. The entire offense sputtered, and in the second half, a more determined team hit the turf.

‘To be honest, I think that we went in at halftime and they were outshooting us by 10 or 12 shots,’ senior attack Halley Quillinan said. ‘I think that we just needed to get out there and just get some shots on cage and eventually they would start dropping, and they did.’

With the game tied at nine with just over eight minutes left, Quillinan won an important draw control. Freshman attack Tegan Brown rushed past two defenders and found an open Tumolo. With some of the first space Tumolo had seen all game, she put the ball over Loyola goalie Kerry Stoothoff’s shoulder.

Tumolo was at the forefront of the SU onslaught. The drought was over, and a polished Syracuse team took control. And Tumolo iced it.

‘They got to the middle of the field, they kept their head up, moved it when they needed to,’ SU head coach Gary Gait said of his offense. ‘And that was one of the biggest differences — their ability to clear the ball in the second half compared to the first. And it created opportunities.’

Tumolo continued to do everything in her power to win the game. A little more than halfway through the second half, Tumolo continued to get stopped. As she streaked to the goal, the freshman was upended and hit on the head by an opposing player.

Aggravated and bothered, Tumolo turned her emotions into results. She succeeded in avoiding the defensive pressure and scored three times en route to a triumphant victory for the Orange.

‘The girl that was on me was on me really tight the whole game, so it was frustrating,’ Tumolo said. ‘But it also helps me because it makes me go that much harder. When you’re going through the eight, you know you’re going to get bumps, hits and everything. You just have to be strong and keep going.’

The Orange was not as happy about its performance through the first 30 minutes. Despite a seemingly surmountable one-goal deficit, SU was not satisfied with the effort it put forth.

But everything changed in the second half, and an inspired team outshot and outworked Loyola. The frustration transformed into elation.

And Syracuse took Loyola’s hindrance to heart.

‘After I was frustrated, I just take that out on the other team,’ Tumolo said. ‘I’m a competitor, so once there is something going on, there is just a fire that gets lit under our butts.’

adtredin@syr.edu

 

Published on April 18, 2010 at 12:00 pm