To the casual fan, today’s women’s lacrosse game between No. 10 Syracuse and Virginia Tech may seem like a letdown.

The Orangewomen just beat then-No. 3 Virginia, 12-11, in overtime on Saturday, and the Hokies rank last in the Big East.

But ask any Syracuse player, and they’ll likely tell you this game — which will be played at 1 p.m. in Salem, Va. — is more important than Saturday’s thriller. To ensure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse must avoid letdowns against Big East foes, no matter how early in the season.

Today’s game will be the first leg of a tough three-game stretch away from the Carrier Dome. After today’s game, the Orangewomen will return to Syracuse before making a Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C., to face No. 6 Maryland and No. 3 Georgetown.

But first comes Virginia Tech (0-2, 0-1 Big East), which has been idle for a week. Today’s game will be Tech’s first home game, though it will be played at Roanoke College.

The Hokies won’t be intimidated by the Orangewomen’s ranking. It will be their third try at a top-10 team this season. Virginia Tech lost to No. 1 Duke, 16-2, in its opener, and fell to No. 3 Georgetown, 17-5, a week ago.

Syracuse (1-0) has had little time to prepare for today’s game. The Orangewomen were given an off-day Sunday and a light practice yesterday. After practice, Syracuse boarded a plane to Virginia.

‘It’s a rough schedule,’ SU midfielder Leigh-Ann Zimmer said Saturday. ‘But it’s good that we have a day off Sunday.’

With little time to prepare for the Hokies, Zimmer — who was named Warrior/Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Week for her four-point performance against the Cavaliers — said the Orangewomen will likely stick to the same schemes they used Saturday.

That’s perhaps a wise decision, considering Syracuse contained the Cavaliers’ high-powered offense, including star midfielder Lauren Aumiller.

Virginia Tech senior Sam Sybert will draw the most attention from the Syracuse defense. She led the Hokies last season with 41 points, earning first-team All-Big East status. Australian Kate Threadgold leads Tech this year with three goals.

On Saturday, Syracuse defender Ellen Rust was responsible for shutting down Aumiller. She said Syracuse would not change its strategy much today.

‘We’re going to rush the ball and look for a good shot,’ Rust said. ‘Most important, we’ve got to hold our ground on defense.’

Virginia Tech’s offense is less talented than its Charlottesville neighbor’s, but that doesn’t diminish the game’s importance.

‘Virginia Tech is just as important,’ Zimmer said. ‘It’s Big East, an automatic bid is on the line. We’ve got to be focused.’

Published on March 3, 2003 at 12:00 pm