All season, sophomore Monica Joines has quietly dominated the Big East. Saturday was no different.

Joines’ effort catapulted the No. 8 Syracuse women’s lacrosse team to an 8-6 win over Rutgers. While her Preseason Big East Player of the Year teammate Leigh-Ann Zimmer receives all of the publicity, Joines steadily piled up points for the Orangewomen (8-2, 5-1 Big East). In the process, she has become one of the conference’s most-improved players.

Saturday, Joines registered two goals. But she didn’t just pad the lead with her offense; she saved it with her defense.

The midfielder picked up one ground ball and was partly responsible for holding Rutgers (6-3, 0-2) scoreless for the last 25 minutes of the game. She also capped off Saturday’s game by scoring the final goal for SU.

Wednesday, Joines scored SU’s final goal in its victory over Notre Dame, taking away any chance for an Irish comeback.

‘A great player knows instinctively when her team needs a goal,’ SU head coach Lisa Miller said. ‘That’s not something you can coach.’

Joines’ two goals Saturday increased her season total to 20. She also has five assists. Despite Joines’ recent offensive tear, her efforts weren’t recognized by the Big East until her eight-point breakout against Colgate on March 26. Joines was named the Big East’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week on March 31.

At that time, Joines’ 20 points tied her for seventh in the conference. Perhaps the biggest reason Joines is overlooked is Zimmer, who ranks No. 1 in the conference in points. Zimmer now has 29 goals and seven assists after her three-point effort on Saturday.

But there’s no resentment on the Syracuse sideline. The two conference leaders just add more facets to SU’s potent offense.

‘(Joines) compliments (Zimmer),’ Miller said. ‘It’s a one-two punch.’

At the end of last season, the punch didn’t look as powerful as it does now. Joines scored 12 goals and had four assists last season. She was poised for a strong year, but few people anticipated that Joines would be this dominant.

Miller was one of those people.

‘I knew at the end of last year that Monica would be one of the best players to ever come through here,’ Miller said.

So far, Joines is proving her coach right. She has 11 goals in the last four games, and she has at least one goal in the last eight games.

If anything, playing alongside Zimmer has helped Joines mature.

‘I’ve played against the best players in the country,’ Joines said. ‘Leigh-Ann is one of the best lacrosse players I’ve ever seen.’

And because Zimmer is so dominant, opposing defenses are more likely to focus on her than the youthful Joines.

‘She’s a year older than me,’ Joines said. ‘I’ll let her have all the publicity she wants. It makes me nervous anyways.’

Published on April 6, 2003 at 12:00 pm