For years, Lisa Miller pushed Carrie Bolduc and Karen Healy, taught them everything they know about lacrosse. The Syracuse women’s lacrosse head coach drilled them for hours in the Carrier Dome, tirelessly turning them into smart enough players that they’d become two of the nation’s best coaching prospects.

Today, Miller will wish she hadn’t worked so hard.

Bolduc, now UMass’ head coach, and Healy, an assistant, both in their second year of coaching, will face the Orangewomen at 5:00 p.m. in the Carrier Dome tonight. They will try to avenge an 8-5 loss last year to their former coach and team.

Though the No. 9 Orangewomen (1-2) have faced three of the nation’s top 10 teams this season, they are preparing for unranked UMass (1-3) just like any other team.

‘There are way too many upsets in men’s and women’s lacrosse to take anyone lightly,’ SU head coach Lisa Miller said. ‘Teams are losing six and seven-goal halftime-leads all over the country.’

SU comes off a disappointing 10-5 loss to Georgetown, the second straight loss in which the Orangewomen fell behind by more than five goals in the first half. They will have to break the Minutewomen’s defense early to avoid a third.

‘Blame it on me for scheduling so hard early in the season,’ Miller said. ‘We have to get the ball down faster if we want to score and we have to work on breaking the trap.’

The tough opponents dealt the Orangewomen two losses, but they also prepared them for an easier schedule down the stretch. The Orangewomen only have three ranked teams to face in their final 12 games.

‘It teaches us a lot, playing a tough schedule right away,’ SU senior Leigh-Ann Zimmer said. ‘We see where other teams are at, and it makes us realize some of the things that we need to fix. It’s easier now knowing what we need to fix, coming into the gut of our schedule.’

It’ll start with a pair of familiar faces. Bolduc played two years at Temple before transferring to Syracuse in 1998, the inaugural season for the women’s lacrosse program. She captained the team her junior and senior years and earned a selection to the IWLCA Division I North Region first team All-America squad.

‘On paper we should beat them,’ Miller said. ‘But they’re used to the Dome. And they have a fairly balanced attacking unit.’

Healy graduated from SU in 2002. She was named to the IWLCA Division I North Region second team All-America squad in her freshman and sophomore years, and she was a second team All-Big East selection as a senior.

‘There’s definitely a little bit of a rivalry considering they’re Syracuse alumni,’ said Zimmer, who played two seasons with Healy at SU. ‘It’s always fun to play against her because we get to talk afterwards. Karen has that winning mentality and she definitely makes a competitive game.’

For the first time this season, the Orangewomen may be set on a starting goalie. Even with the two losses, sophomore Jennifer Kasel has played well. She made seven saves against Maryland and 13 against Georgetown, including two on free-position shots.

‘I think Jen has earned the start,’ Miller said. ‘She had nerves early against Virginia and Maryland, but she played out of her mind in the first half against Georgetown.’

The Orangewomen’s next six games are against unranked opponents, though they might be just as difficult as the first three.

‘Every team in the North is out for Syracuse,’ senior Jacquelyn Walker said. ‘If you’re ranked higher than someone else, they’re going to be out to beat you so it improves their ranking.’

Published on March 18, 2004 at 12:00 pm