Halley Quillinan walked gingerly off the practice field Tuesday, tired and sore from two tough wins on consecutive days the weekend before. Working mostly on the Carrier Dome FieldTurf, the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team could not fully prepare for the effect of 120 minutes of action on harder AstroTurf fields.

‘Playing on that surface two games in a row was really taxing on our bodies,’ the freshman Quillinan said. ‘But it’s going to get us ready for the tough games down the road.’

Even though the team was still recovering from the back-to-back games, Syracuse head coach Lisa Miller conducted a more rigorous week of practice than usual with the No. 1 team in the country looming.

No. 8 Syracuse (6-3, 2-1 Big East) visits Evanston, Ill., today to take on No. 1 Northwestern (5-1) in a battle that pits the country’s best attack against the best defense.

By beating Connecticut and Harvard during the weekend, the Orange extended its winning streak to four games and earned a ranking better than No. 10 for the first time this season. A light day to recuperate would be reasonable for the already exhausted team’s first practice since returning to campus.

Instead, Miller told her defense to work harder and longer than on days when everybody is rested, trying to simulate the kind of Northwestern’s defense. The Orange offense scored 41 goals during the weekend, but Miller challenged her high-powered attack unit to improve – scoreboards do not show the 29 turnovers.

Practice ran more than 30 minutes late, most of the extra time devoted to a lengthy half-field scrimmage at game speed.

The entire workout was quicker and much more physical than normal.

‘Our defense was playing a lot more aggressively in practice,’ Quillinan said. ‘We’re just trying to take care of the ball, be poised and not get too distracted by Northwestern’s aggressive style.’

Averaging almost 13 turnovers per game, the Orange has shown it can win despite sloppy play. But it’s not always so easy to overcome silly mistakes. Against the best team in the country, recovering from turnovers might be impossible.

Syracuse leads the nation in goals (143) and goals per game (15.89). The two-time defending NCAA champion Wildcats allow 5.5 goals per game and have surrendered only 33 on the season – eight more than Quillinan’s 25. Syracuse’s sloppiness plays perfectly into Northwestern’s intricate pressure scheme that looks to create turnovers and turn them into easy scoring chances.

‘They are dangerous all over the field, especially their goalie and defense,’ Quillinan said. ‘It’s really going to be a battle out there for both teams. They haven’t seen an offense like us, but we haven’t seen a defense like them, either.’

Northwestern alternates between an aggressive back zone and high-pressure man-to-man throughout games, never letting its opponents become comfortable in its offensive set. Both defenses rely on double-teaming the ball carrier to force bad passes and groundballs. Most teams are thrown off their rhythm and do not have the personnel to handle that kind of pressure.

But like a full-court press in basketball, the Wildcats’ system leaves attackers open in front of the net if Syracuse can advance the ball past the aggressive double-teams. Sophomore attack Katie Rowan said the offense needs to pass more and run with the ball less to keep Northwestern’s defense moving. If a player holds on too long, she will likely be trapped.

‘We have to stay poised and keep finding the open person,’ Quillinan said. ‘Someone will be.’

Syracuse will utilize its depth to try and tire out the Wildcats. The Orange is the only team in the country that boasts three players – Quillinan, Rowan and senior Ashley Pike – with at least 20 goals. Miller will use many substitutions to constantly keep fresh legs in against Northwestern’s pressure.

‘Northwestern’s defense is so tough to play because it is exhausting,’ Miller said. ‘If you can make good decisions under pressure, they’ll back out of it.’

Despite the intense practice regiment, Syracuse’s defense cannot simulate what Northwestern will throw at the offense today. Even in its current four-game winning streak, the Orange has not allowed fewer than 10 goals.

For the first time all year, the Orange may need to grind out a win against the team most likely to stop an offense that has averaged 18 goals per game during the streak.

‘We’ll just have to, won’t we?’ Miller said. ‘We always talk about just finding a way. What are our other options?’

Published on March 29, 2007 at 12:00 pm