It’s a blunt observation: The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team runs one-on-ones. It finds space from where defenses lapse, drives through the middle, gets a shot or draws a foul.

So in practice this week, Syracuse focused on one-on-ones. ‘We know the things that Notre Dame does, so we try to do what they do to help out,’ (reserve) SU attack Megan Mosenson said. ‘Most of the time it’s one-on-one.’ Ten yards away from the net on a practice field behind Manley Field House, Mosenson picks her player and presses forward. It’s what Notre Dame – the third seed in the Big East tournament – would have done. So Mosenson imitates and readies the defense.

The second-seeded Orange will take on the Fighting Irish in the tournament semifinals Friday in Washington at 5:30 p.m.

For Mosenson, and the rest of the Orange offense, to apply Notre Dame’s strategy into practice is crucial.

It’s easy to say that Syracuse (12-3, 6-1 Big East) and the Fighting Irish (12-4, 5-2) are familiar with each other. The two met two weeks ago at the Carrier Dome, when the Orange secured a 14-13 victory. In the final seconds, Mosenson observed that the game came down to defense, and that’s what mattered now.

Rushing to the net, one-on-one at practice Wednesday afternoon, Mosenson tried to act like Notre Dame. What would the Fighting Irish do? She drills through the middle of the field. Practice makes perfect. Throughout this season, Syracuse’s defense has been its biggest question and perhaps its biggest focus. Last year, it was its defense that kept the Orange out of the NCAA title game. SU lost to Northwestern in the final four. Head coach Gary Gait knows it, too. Throughout this season, Gait has made adjustments to his defense. The defense has had injuries, he said. It has made improvements.

But is it up to the head coach’s standards? ‘I think so,’ Gait said. Senior defender Bridget Hamm believes there’s still room for improvement. But this defense has already improved in many ways, she said. The Orange has shown that this season by defeating opponents it didn’t expect to beat. Notre Dame was ranked No. 8 when it lost to the No. 9 Orange. The defense pulled one through. ‘Some of their girls really drive it hard,’ Hamm recalled. ‘They’re not afraid to take it hard, to get the foul call, the free-position shots.’ And against a one-on-one team, like the Fighting Irish, Hamm said her defense would have to rely on position. ‘Focus on using our feet, and not going for the check.’ To have the Orange offense replicate the Notre Dame strategy requires mental preparation, Hamm said. It’s what Gait has been talking about in his pep talks throughout the week. Gait was standing over Mosenson’s one-on-one attack from the midfield line at Wohl Field Wednesday afternoon, with an umbrella in his right hand and a lacrosse stick in his left. The sky was clustered with clouds. But Gait was prepared. As to how far the Orange’s defense has come? ‘We’ll find out,’ Gait laughed. edpaik@syr.edu

Published on April 24, 2009 at 12:00 pm