All within one weekend, the questionable outlook immediately transformed into a positive one.

The Syracuse field hockey team rebounded from its 1-4 start and plunged its way into Big East competition by picking up a 3-1 victory against Rutgers on Friday.

The intensity carried over Sunday as the Orange held off Hofstra for the 2-1 win in a penalty stroke-off.

What came out of the weekend’s games is more than encouraging. While attacking, SU finally succeeded on the offensive end. In previous weeks, the Orange’s chances were there, but never materialized.

The match ups with the Scarlet Knights and Pride posed a different story.

‘Both lines are pressuring other teams in getting opportunities,’ assistant coach Mary McCracken said. ‘Now they’re starting to take advantage when those opportunities arise.’

Indeed, SU did. Freshman forward Jess Lerew strung a pair of goals over the two contests to earn herself the Big East Offensive Player of the Week award.

Lerew has tallied three goals so far this season.

Her stick came in handy against Hofstra when SU was trailing, 1-0, deep into the second half. At the 54:05 mark, Lerew veered the ball past Pride goalie Jess Cowperthwait to tie the game. It wound up going into double-overtime, and the Orange prevailed in penalty strokes, 7-5.

‘(Lerew’s) in the right place at the right time,’ McCracken said, ‘but the whole team is setting her up to the cage.’

SU wound up trapping itself in a hole, allowing both squads to take the early lead. But the Orange fired back and made Rutgers and Hofstra relinquish control.

The Scarlet Knights got on top early when Jaime Fraser netted a goal off a pass from midfielder Courtney Hudson 14:35 into the game.

From there, though, the Orange hindered Rutgers from creating anything offensively. Forward Meredith Gettel tied the score at 29:21. Nearly five minutes later, junior Paige Sullivan brought SU the lead while Lerew cushioned it to 3-1 just before halftime.

No doubt, SU had to play catch-up. But the Orange shed new light by responding to the early deficits positively. In contests next week against Penn State (Sept. 22) and Boston College (Sept. 26), McCracken hopes it is her squad that takes control early. But for now, she is grateful the Orange didn’t let quick goals establish the tempo the rest of the way.

‘I don’t think it’s a habit we want to get into, but it’s a confidence-builder knowing we can score,’ McCracken said. ‘The team knows we can score. I’d like them to score first and get confidence early. What impresses me is that we didn’t lose our confidence when we were down.’

Published on September 20, 2004 at 12:00 pm