SYRACUSE
2012 RECORD: 19-4 (8-0 BIG EAST) COACH: GARY GAIT (6TH YEAR)
ORANGE 2
Gary Gait is lacrosse’s mad scientist, combining the fi nesse of the women’s tradition with the pace of the men’s game. He almost had a winning formula in 2012, when he guided his alma mater to its fi rst NCAA championship game
appearance and fell just short of its fi rst national title. This season, Gait will experiment even more.
And we’re not even talking about the 90-second-shot-clock- during-fall-ball thing. “I’m just trying to create some chemistry and do some things to take the game to the next level. We want to see some no- look passes and behind-the-head stuff,” Gait said. “We’re not going to stay happy where we’re at.” If the Air Gait were legal in women’s lacrosse, the fi rst one to
try it would be Syracuse senior attacker Michelle Tumolo. Trick shots and unexpected dodges are her bread and butter. The Tewaaraton Award fi nalist thrives in Gait’s freewheeling system. So does junior
Jan 13 at Jacksonville Feb 17 Maryland Feb 24 Virginia Mar 2 Florida* Mar 9 at Towson Mar 22 UConn Mar 27 at Boston College Mar 30 at Northwestern Apr 5 at Villanova Apr 7 at Rutgers Apr 12 Louisville Apr 14 Cincinnati Apr 16 Cornell Apr 19 Notre Dame Apr 21 Marquette Apr 26 at Loyola Apr 28 Georgetown * at Sun Life Stadium, Miami
attacker Alyssa Murray, who led the nation in points (105) last season. “You have to think outside the box,” Murray said. And it’s not just on the
offensive end. Syracuse has revamped its midfi eld to make the most of two-way midfi elders like Bridget Daley and Kirkland Locey. In place of substituting defensive and
offensive midfi elders, the Orange will run unifi ed midfi eld lines. Syracuse returns nearly all of its starters and has an infusion of freshman talent. Expect to see a lot of rookies like Kelly Cross and Erica Bodt. The Orange midfi eld will miss sophomore Gabby Jaquith, who is out for the season due to a knee injury. Even goalkeeping is not immune to experimentation. Syracuse
fl outs the conventional wisdom that if you have two goalies, you have no goalies. Alyssa Constantino and Kelsey Richardson platooned in the cage, and collectively fi nished with an 8.87 goals against average in 2012. Constantino had a slight edge in minutes played (including the entire NCAA fi nal), but both likely will play regularly in 2013. The Orange’s defense features twin sisters and takeaway defenders Becca and Linley Block. “They can clear the ball any time they want. They’ve developed stick skills and become huge impact players,” Gait said. “They are two of the fastest players in the country by far. And there’s two of them.” Sounds like he’s describing another pair of Syracuse twins, doesn’t he?
— C.L. A Publication of US Lacrosse
Alyssa Murray RIVAL COACHES SAY
“The big question is whether they have learned to break the stall yet… Syracuse plays an up-tempo style that’s hard to beat when they are on… They have two goalies (starting with Costantino) that have the ability to go, as well as a number of attackers that gained serious experience.”
TOP RETURNER A Michelle Tumolo (Sr.) Tumolo won the 2012 IWLCA Attacker of the Year award on the strength of her crease moves, which produced 95 points. Her creativity and relentlessness stymied the nation’s best defenders, and Tumolo can give as good as she gets. She led the team in caused turnovers (16), too.
X-FACTOR M Kayla Treanor (Fr.) Traynor, a U19 alum who amassed 95 points as a senior at Niskayuna (N.Y.) High, leads a loaded freshman class. “The coaches are impressed with what she delivers every day, with her stick skills and her poise,” Gait said.
PROJECTED STARTERS
A Alyssa Murray (Jr.)* G: 74 A: 31
A Michelle Tumolo (Sr.) * G: 52 A: 43
A Devon Collins (So.)* G: 33 A: 3
A Kailah Kempney (So.)* G: 37 DC: 90
M Katie Webster (Jr.)* G: 41 A: 15
M Kayla Traynor (Fr.) G: 57 A: 38 (at Niskayuna High)
M Bridget Daley (Sr.) * G: 7
DC: 90
M: Kirkland Locey (Sr.)* GB: 4 DC: 41
D Becca Block (Sr.) * DC: 47 GB: 34
D Linley Block (Sr.) * GB: 20 DC: 16
D Natalie Glannel (Jr.) * GB: 23 CT: 12
G Alyssa Costantino (Jr.) * GAA: 8.36 SV%: 49.4
* returning starters TELLING NUMBER If more teams
choose to faceguard Michelle Tumolo like Northwestern did in the NCAA fi nal, Syracuse could be in trouble.
13
at Jacksonville on Jan.13 — the earliest NCAA lacrosse contest of the season, men or women. February 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 61
Days into the year before Syracuse played its first game
©GREG WALL (AM); ©SYRACUSE (AC); ©LEE WEISSMAN (MT)
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