Before the season, the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team expected to make the NCAA Tournament. After all, that’s where it had been the previous two seasons while compiling a 22-9 record.

Two months later, head coach Lisa Miller was less sure the streak would continue. Her Orangewomen were in the midst of a midseason slide that pushed them to the brink of elimination from postseason consideration. After a 13-6 loss to Cornell on April 17, Miller toasted the steak goodbye.

‘We’re done,’ Miller said after the loss. ‘We’re done. It’s just unfortunate.’

But three weeks later, SU’s fortunes quickly turned, as the team finished the season with a three-game winning streak. Miller’s perspective reversed just as quickly.

On Sunday, No. 16 Syracuse (10-5, 3-3 Big East) received an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament and is slated for a first-round rematch with Cornell.

SU did just enough to sneak into the tournament when it defeated No. 13 Dartmouth, 18-9, in the regular season finale at the Carrier Dome. Typical of their big wins this season, the Orangewomen jumped out to a quick lead, scoring five of the game’s first six goals.

Junior Kim Wayne led with four goals and three assists. She became the school’s all-time assists leader when she snuck a pass to attacker Erin MacDonald for SU’s ninth goal.

‘I’ve always thought that Kim was one of the best middies in the country,’ Miller said. ‘She’s a great athlete. She just sort of floats through space. She’s a good shooter. She has great vision, and she likes to make her teammates look good.’

Few expected Wayne and her teammates to be in danger of missing the postseason when Syracuse entered April with a 6-2 record and a No. 7 ranking in the IWLCA Poll.

But for SU, April showers brought a sluggish stretch of losses. The Orangewomen opened the month with a pair of disappointing road defeats – a 12-7 loss to Notre Dame and a 10-9 surprise against Rutgers.

‘It was a very unexpected loss,’ junior Kim Wayne said. ‘We all went into that game thinking it was going to be an easy win and, well, it wasn’t.’

Thankfully for the Orangewomen, they still had five games on their schedule to dull the consequences of the Big East losses.

After easily defeating New Hampshire, 14-5, Syracuse traveled to Ithaca on April 17 for a matchup with Cornell. Still uncertain about the exact nature of her team, Miller discovered a side she didn’t want to see against the Big Red.

SU got clobbered by seven goals and spent the final minutes of the game with three of its best offensive players – second-leading scorer Carrie Soults, assist-leader Wayne and sniper MacDonald – yanked from the game due to their lack of production.

In the meantime, players searched for answers about the unexpected turns their season had taken.

‘Lacrosse has to be an outlet for us, and it should be fun,’ sophomore Leigh-Ann Zimmer said. ‘This season has had its moments, but it hasn’t always been fun, especially when we’re losing.’

Now, SU’s season may end with a loss. But if it does, it will come in the NCAA Tournament.

‘We know that we’re a top team,’ Zimmer said, ‘and we feel good about our chances against anybody.’

Published on May 8, 2002 at 12:00 pm