On one end of the field, the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team of experienced athletes transitioned into defense, like most of them had in previous seasons, like they always did here at their Carrier Dome.

And crossing over, Cornell defenseman Deirdre Lafferty – a rare senior on a team with three starting freshmen – didn’t care about experience. Lafferty circled behind the net, and found what she had been looking for. There was a chance, so she took a shot. No good. But her shot offered a rebound off the top of SU goalkeeper Liz Hogan’s stick, and Lafferty capped it in to tie the game. Then fists rose from Cornell’s bench like a symbol of defiance.

It spread from Lafferty’s celebration: the possibility that No. 18 Cornell (7-5) could top the No. 8 Orange (11-3). And all Wednesday night, the belief that a team of maturing youth that had struggled midseason might beat the experience of Syracuse gave Cornell a shot.

Youth was the factor between a win and a loss. Even as the seconds winded down on SU’s 11-8 win, that chance provided motivation.

Until the end, fists were held, after every goal and every influential play. ‘We were indicating to each other that we were going to come back together,’ Cornell’s head coach Jenny Graap said. ‘It’s kind of an empowerment. It’s a symbol we’ve adopted midway through the season, to try to help us in those times where we need strength.’

On a day Syracuse’s seniors would play their last in the Dome, it was the first for most on Cornell’s team. And the Big Red’s youth was put on display. During an SU timeout after Lafferty’s goal, the huddle of Big Red drew close together – like a crowd whispering secrets – lifting their sticks in encouragement and emotion. On the other end, Syracuse head coach Gary Gait stood encircled by a wide group of players. No yelling, no cheering. The Orange would simply listen and execute. Ten minutes in, redshirt senior Bridget Looney grabbed a drop pass at the 8-yard line, and knowing her shot would hit at least the net, she swung. And the 5-2 margin at the middle of the first half seemed to prove that experience always mattered.

But youth has its benefits. Cornell took chances. In a span of three minutes of Orange possession, the Big Red warded off opportunities to score, in a scramble of feisty and risky moves that forced Syracuse into mistakes.

First chance: On Cornell’s half of the field, SU attack Halley Quillinan dropped the ball. Second chance: Cornell defender Kelly Hansen kept pushing on Katie Rowan’s stick, until Rowan was forced to make a faulty pass. Third chance: Midfielder Christina Dove fell to Cornell’s pressure and dropped the ball, stumbling on the field. But youth has its flaws.

Despite the opportunities, in that span of three minutes the Orange held possession, and after three chances, the Big Red began to show holes. Open alone and by herself, Quillinan found an easy goal after three minutes of impenetrable defense.

‘They didn’t show any inexperience out there,’ Quillinan said. ‘I was impressed with their play.’ It took a half for the young Cornell team to find its patience. And for more than 15 minutes, Cornell scored five goals.

‘We had a few mental lapses,’ SU defender Bridget Hamm said. ‘A mental breakdown.’ But for the opportunities Cornell had, that kept it with a couple of goals from leading, the inexperience of its team became transparent. On chance at goal, Cornell attacker Jessi Steinberg dropped a pass in front of a lone Hogan. Cornell’s crowd voiced its disappointment.

‘She’s a freshman and she’s working really hard out there, but she was probably nervous a little,’ Graap said. ‘But it’s OK. It’s the experience that counts.’ edpaik@syr.edu

Published on April 15, 2009 at 12:00 pm