For the last 14 years, the Syracuse field hockey team has cleared its calendar for the second weekend of October. A Big East tournament appearance has been the norm. Not a hope, but an expectation.

This season, after their run of 14 straight Big East tournament appearances came to an end, the Orangewomen are left wondering what could have been. 2003 marks the first time SU will not be represented in the tournament since it was first played in 1989. Combined with last season’s 10-11 mark, 2002 and 2003 are Syracuse’s first back-to-back losing seasons since 1983 and 1984.

‘It was a season of learning,’ sophomore back Joanne Lombard said. ‘We learned how to deal and cope with losing.’

Though this season may be a bitter pill to swallow for the Orangewomen, it was littered with sweet moments. Departing senior Ann-Marie Guglieri chose to focus on those. Two of SU’s best outings came in Big East losses to Villanova and Connecticut. Syracuse lost, 2-1, to Villanova on Oct. 10 and, 2-1, to UConn on Oct. 26.

In both games, the Orangewomen had a chance to win. A crisper pass here or a stronger shot there and Syracuse could have been headed to Boston this weekend.

Against the Wildcats, SU earned a late penalty stroke. Senior Jackie Sheaffer took the shot and actually beat ‘Nova goalie Erin Scott, but the shot sailed just right and hit the post. The near-miss defined Syracuse’s season.

The same theme prevailed in the loss to UConn. SU came out with extra emotion for its biggest rival. After dominating the Huskies for the first half, the offense went dead in the second.

‘We played better all season than what the stats show,’ Guglieri said. ‘There were games when we outshot teams and we ended up losing, 2-1. You have to look at it as the whole time you were in the game, and things just didn’t go your way.’

Said Sheaffer: ‘It’s comparable to the year we won the Big East (2001). There were so many games that we won by that one goal and we had less shots. That’s part of the sport.’

If one game turned SU’s season for the worse, it was the Orangewomen’s 1-0 loss to Rutgers on Sept. 20. Syracuse had won three games in a row, evening its record at 3-3. Against the Scarlet Knights, though, the Orangewomen mustered no offense.

That loss occurred in SU’s Big East opener, and it appeared that Syracuse never recovered. Rutgers earned the final spot in the Big East tournament. A win against the Knights and Syracuse would have been Boston-bound.

‘Taking nothing away from Rutgers because they’ve really built up their program,’ Guglieri said, ‘I think if there’s one game to have regrets about this season, that one stands clear in my mind.’

Now the Orangewomen must look toward an uncertain future. SU loses only Guglieri and Sheaffer, but the two contributed 24 points of offense.

But they’ll look forward to greater contribution from a steady freshman class. Four freshmen – Ashley Fry, Meg Ryan, Meg Ricker and Jess Wreski – earned starts this season. Fry, Ryan and Ricker all scored at least one goal.

Head coach Kathleen Parker can also look forward to the return of her corner hitters, Lombard and sophomore Michelle Sola. The pair combined for 16 goals and three assists, most coming off corners. However, the unit loses Sheaffer, who typically put the ball into play, and Guglieri, who usually stopped the ball for Sola or Lombard’s shot. Still, the unit improved as the season went on and should continue to do so.

‘We did a lot with the corners this year,’ Lombard said. ‘We’re definitely going to be a threat next year. Teams have been looking out for us because they know we score that way a lot.’

Said Guglieri: ‘The two of them are the best hitters I’ve ever stopped for at Syracuse.’

Published on November 4, 2003 at 12:00 pm