Before the season started, the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team looked pretty solid. SU’s top two scorers and two of its best defenders returned. All four started every game last year. The only weak point on SU may have been the goalie position, at which the Orangewomen lost all-time saves leader Carla Gigon.

After a preseason battle for the starting position, sophomore Jennifer Kasel has emerged as a force. In Saturday’s 15-5 win at Rutgers, Kasel made 23 saves, earning her a share of Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors. The No. 10 Orangewomen won their fifth straight game and are now third in the Big East.

‘I’m convinced that if you play a team that rushes their shots or is not finishing, you let them shoot because you get the ball,’ SU head coach Lisa Miller said. ‘There’s a difference between taking shots and shooting to score.’

Kasel has started all eight games for the Orangewomen this season while freshman Bethel Steele has seen limited action in two games. Kasel appeared in only two games last season, recording one save and giving up three goals.

‘Jen has the quickest hands I’ve ever coached,’ Miller said. ‘Her fundamental game is getting better and better. She’s got a lot of room for growth, and she’s only going to get better.’

Kasel gave up a season-low five goals against Rutgers (4-5, 0-3 Big East). Her save total was only two shy of Clothilde Ewing’s school record of 25 against Connecticut in 1999.

‘She tracked the ball really well,’ Miller said. ‘A majority of the shots came from 6 meters out. They were low angle, and she made some really nice saves on some free positions.’

Despite being outshot by the Scarlet Knights, 36-25, SU outplayed Rutgers, Miller said. SU (6-2, 2-1) trailed early, but senior Leigh-Ann Zimmer’s goal with 9:54 left in the first half provided the spark that ignited the Orangewoman attack.

SU went on to score the next 10 goals, including three by sophomore Meghan O’Connell. Zimmer had four goals and three assists on the day, tying her career high of seven points. Her efforts earned Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors.

‘One of the things that Rutgers does is they never turn their back and hide the ball,’ Miller said. ‘So Jen could find it all the way around the net. Statistically, you look at Princeton and they always get outshot, but they’ve won two national championships.’

Saturday’s game was the 100th in SU women’s lacrosse history. Miller has been at the helm for all seven seasons with a record of 69-31.

Miller was pleased with her team’s performance and believes it is playing its best lacrosse of the season. But as always, there is more work to be done.

‘You can’t let down at all,’ Miller said. ‘Women’s lacrosse is so bizarre right now between automatic qualifiers and upsets. We keep talking about just doing the little things and playing together. We have good team chemistry, and that helps a lot.’

Published on April 5, 2004 at 12:00 pm