By Kristen Shilton
Contributing writer
Talk about a homecoming.
After a month on the road, the Syracuse University women’s lacrosse team returned home Saturday to square off against Big East rival Rutgers in the Carrier Dome. It was a physical, fast, back-and-forth affair, and in the end the No. 2-ranked Orange defeated the Scarlet Knights 15-10.
The win improved Syracuse’s record to 8-2 (3-0 in the Big East. Rutgers fell to 7-5 (2-2).
From the first draw, Syracuse lagged. The Orange tried to take control early with junior attacker Michelle Tumolo working the ball through the Scarlet Knights defense. But her shot, which beat goaltender Lily Kalata, couldn’t beat the crossbar.
The Orange would not be so lucky, as Rutgers senior midfielder Ali Steinberg threw down a shot that hopped right past goalie Alyssa Costantino. Another senior midfielder, Lauren Sbrilli, rifled a point-blank shot next to put SU in a 2-0 hole.
The Orange women had to find some energy. They did in senior midfielder Katie Webster, who finally put SU on the board with a shot through traffic that fooled Kalata. The junior goalkeeper from Smithtown East made a highlight-worthy save on a subsequent point-blank shot, but freshman attacker Devon Collins pounced from a free position to tie the game with 19 minutes left in the half.
“We looked a little tired in the first half,” head coach Gary Gait said. “The first half was more about mental errors, throwing the ball to uncontested players. (The players) were taking turns making mental mistakes — making mistakes we wouldn’t normally make.”
That’s not to say there wasn’t plenty of physicality still — from both sides.
Rutgers’ midfielder Erin Turkot was checked so hard to the ground that she lost a shoe. There were several instances of sticks to the head, and Megan Clements of the Scarlet Knights earned a yellow card for a cross check.
The squads traded goals until Rutgers junior midfielder Stephanie Anderson took a beautiful feed pass and knocked it home to give Rutgers a 5-4 advantage.
But the Orange were about to start something. Senior attacker Alyssa Murray busted out to get her first of six goals on the day — five in the second half. She was recently named to the Big East weekly honor roll for her five-point performance against Harvard.
Syracuse led 7-6 at the half and pulled away in the game’s final 30 minutes.
Both defenses opened the second half playing tight, but Tumolo finally broke the stalemate with a long bomb that whizzed by everyone. Down by two, Anderson brought Rutgers within one with a quick shot past Kelsey Richardson, who had replaced Costantino in net.
Then Murray really started showing off. She scored back-to-back goals that put Syracuse back up 10-7 as the Scarlet Knights looked winded by the Orange’s speed. Tumolo, who had a four-point day, was especially quick, flying around the field as her assigned defender tried to keep up.
By midway through the half, the intensity was high once again. Both sides earned another yellow card or two, and even Rutgers goalkeeper Aimee Chotikul got a taste of it when she left her net and was brought down by Orange players.
In the end, Syracuse won a battle of wills, and that was just fine with Gait.
“Right now, we’re just happy with the W.”