Outrank your opponent, dominate early and establish a four-goal lead. That’s exactly what opposing teams have done against the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team.

Fall behind, play catch-up and make things interesting in the second half. That’s the only way the Orangewomen have stayed competitive this season.

In a role-reversal, the Orangewomen established an early lead – something they haven’t done all season – against Massachusetts on Friday, only to see it disappear in the second half. Only a late surge allowed the No. 10 Orangewomen to squeak out a 12-11 victory in the women’s lacrosse version of March Madness on Friday at the Carrier Dome.

In an electric finish that could’ve short-circuited Central New York, senior Leigh-Ann Zimmer provided the lightning surge. Trailing by three goals with less than nine minutes to go, SU (2-2, 0-1 Big East) came back and tied the game with 36 seconds left on a goal by senior Cristine Doran. As the public address announcer counted down the final seconds, Zimmer sealed the win with five seconds on the clock.

‘We have to work on being consistent,’ Miller said. ‘We’re going to have to put together a 60-minute game of consistent lacrosse. We just play so much better with our backs against the wall.’

From the opening draw, SU controlled the game and established a 4-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. In the previous two games against Maryland and Georgetown, the Orangewomen trailed by six and seven goals, respectively, at the same point in the first half.

‘We started the game pretty well then we sort of went to sleep again,’ Miller said. ‘I’d like to get ahead. My blood pressure is spiking on the sideline so I’d like to grab a lead and keep the lead.’

Zimmer, who set the SU career points record in the Maryland game, finished with six points against UMass (1-4). She had one goal and two assists in the first half, but it was her determination and senior leadership in the second that won it.

‘At the end of the game, I knew we were down so I wanted to try and get that goal,’ Zimmer said. ‘Courtney (Palladino) and Monica (Joines) cleared a huge lane for me. It comes from both (teammates’ help) and me being able to dodge the other shooter.’

‘I think she took charge. I’m glad to see it,’ Miller said. ‘You can see when she actually said, ‘Uh, oh’ and took over in so many ways.’

Zimmer couldn’t do it alone, though. Doran, also a senior, had only one shot and one point in the game, but her final-minute goal that tied it at 11 proved crucial. Freshman Melissa Pearsall caused a turnover in SU’s defensive zone to get the ball to Doran, who streaked down the right side of the field. She fired the ball in the lower left corner of the net to get her first point of the season, a big one for SU.

Doran has been used sparingly this season. She did not play in the Georgetown game and only has two shots in her three games. She sat out the first half against UMass and came off the bench in the second.

‘She’s quick, she’s intelligent and she’s a good shooter,’ Miller said. ‘She can create chaos and I think at that point we needed some chaos.’

Although the Orangewomen have played tough against good competition, Miller believes there is a lot of work left to do.

‘We need to start the first half like we start the second half,’ Miller said. ‘Sixty minutes means 60 minutes in lacrosse. If it’s a one-goal game and both teams have played consistently, then that’s great. But I’m not convinced that we’ve played 60 minutes yet.’

Published on March 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm