When the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team takes the field Saturday, the team staring back at it might as well be wearing Orange jerseys.

Syracuse and Connecticut have more in common than harsh winters.

The No. 8 Orangewomen (5-2, 2-1 Big East) and UConn (4-1) play tomorrow afternoon at 1 in Storrs, Conn. The game will feature two infant programs, two dedicated coaches and two teams playing for northern supremacy.

That two northern teams rank in the Top 25 is rare enough in women’s lacrosse. But considering the teams have existed for a combined 13 years — Syracuse is in its sixth year, UConn its seventh — makes it more eye-opening.

Although tomorrow’s game is an important conference matchup, Syracuse head coach Lisa Miller said it takes on greater meaning.

‘It’s Big East, but more than that it’s a northern game,” Miller said. “Last year (the north) only sent two teams to the tournament. The south sent 102.’

That may be a bit of an overstatement, but the truth is that northern women’s lacrosse teams get little respect, regardless of how many southern powerhouses they knock off. Syracuse beat then-No. 3 Virginia, 12-11, on March 1. UConn took down then-No. 15 Vanderbilt, 15-12, last Saturday. Those northern victories marked two of this season’s biggest upsets.

Syracuse finished 9-4 in its inaugural season in 1998 compared to Connecticut’s 3-5 campaign in 1997. While Miller was given a full year before the start of the season to recruit, UConn head coach Bonnie Rosen was forced to build around her club lacrosse team, which turned varsity overnight.

‘UConn went through a little different situation,’ Miller said. ‘Because of that, they may have gone through a year or so of chaos.’

While the Huskies struggled at first, they showed improvement every year. In 2000, the Huskies advanced to the ECAC Championship game. In 2001, UConn and Syracuse — which was also a member of the ECAC — joined the Big East.

So far the success of the two teams lies in the hands of the coaches, Miller and Rosen, both of whom have been the with programs since the beginning.

‘Bonnie is one of my favorites,’ Miller said. ‘She’s fair, she’s smart and she’s a great coach.’

But Miller’s and Rosen’s methods of coaching are polar opposites.

‘We have similar ways of looking at things,’ Miller said. ‘But I’ll be screaming and yelling. She’s more of the pat-you-on-the-back-and-send-you-on type coach. I have a lot of respect for her though.’

Tomorrow, Miller and Rosen will each coach a pair of standouts. For Syracuse, junior Leigh-Ann Zimmer leads the team in scoring with 23 points. Sophomore Monica Joines has been on a tear the past three games, scoring eight points in Wednesday’s 18-7 victory over Colgate.

UConn relies on sophomore attacker Tracy Mullaney (18 points) to carry the offensive load. Junior attacker Kariane Lauri (14 points) completes the one-two punch.

Neither combo should be short on confidence tomorrow. While Syracuse had its most lopsided win of the season Wednesday, Connecticut beat Quinnipiac, 16-1, as Mullaney scored four goals.

Fresh off the drubbing of Colgate, Miller was content with the offense after criticizing it last week.

‘It was better, faster and more deliberate,’ Miller said.

She said the lineup used against Colgate should carry over to tomorrow.

‘I like to play lots of people,’ Miller said. ‘The more people who can compete, the better off we are.’

Published on March 27, 2003 at 12:00 pm