Syracuse Women Survive First Test of 2016, Northwestern

By Kerry Bretti 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The No. 2 Syracuse women hosted No. 5 Northwestern Sunday afternoon for the team’s first real test of the season. The Orange outlasted the Wildcats throughout changing leads, winning 16-12. Northwestern entered today’s game having not played a game since February 13.

The Orange led early, scoring the first three goals only to go silent for nearly 17 minutes, while Northwestern took its turn during a 5-0 run in the middle of the first half. The teams went back and forth scoring for a while before Syracuse went on a 5-0 run in the second half to seal the win.

Kayla Treanor and the draw are constant factors in Syracuse’s success. Treanor won 11 of 15 draws in the first half. Before play resumed for the second half, both coaches Kelly Amonte Hiller and Gary Gait were having a conversation with the officials regarding the legality of both Treanor’s and Devon Parker’s draw sticks. The officials ruled the sticks to be illegal as they determined it gave the Orange an unfair advantage due to the stringing. Treanor used a different stick for the draws in the second half when she won 9 of 16.

“We have a rulebook full of interpretations and it was just a matter of the officials making a call on their interpretation of the rule,” Gait said. “Our sticks meet all the specs.”

Treanor led the Orange in scoring, netting four goals and adding one assist. Halle Majorana had four assists while adding three of her own goals and Nicole Levy ended the day with a hat trick. Eight different players scored for the Orange, once again proving their depth as a team.

“All their key people stepped up,” Amonte Hiller said. “Treanor is unreal. Majorana. They all played really really well and they played together and they have seven threats. They really deserved to win.”

Sheila Nesselbush led the Wildcats in scoring with four goals followed by hat tricks from Christina Esposito and Kaleigh Craig, who also added an assist. Northwestern’s top scorer, Selena Lasota, was face guarded by Syracuse’s Alexa Radziewicz who held her to no points.

Syracuse played its most aggressive game of the season thus far, tallying 53 fouls and giving eight free position shots; Northwestern only scoring on three. Northwestern gave up three free position shots; Syracuse capitalizing on each. Syracuse began the second half down two women for two minutes (unreleasable) for the stick infractions. The Orange only gave up one goal during that two minute span of being down players. The Orange caused eight turnovers and turned the ball over 18 times. Northwestern had 13 turnovers and caused six.

Allie Murray played the full 60 minutes for the Orange, saving four of 16 shots on cage. Murray made a great save in the first half and when rolling the ball back into the cage to clear, accidentally rolled it into her own goal. Mallory Weisse played the full 60 minutes for the Wildcats, saving seven of 23 shots on cage.

“I think [Murray] played a great game,” Gait said. “She made them miss she made them hit the post I think she did a great job of putting pressure on the shooters.”

With the win, Syracuse improves to 5-0 on the season while Northwestern falls to 1-2.