With Joines drawing defnesive attention, SU finds other scorers
Furstenberg scored her first goal in the first half of SU’s only scrimmage as the Orange topped Pennsylvania on Saturday, 6-4. Syracuse won the first half 2-1, and the second half, 4-3. Scores were kept separately for each half and the scoreboard was reset following each half. Both Caitlyn Dragon and Gaddy Fortune netted a pair of goals, with Jill DePetris also sweeping one past the Penn goalie.
Penn struck first in both halves, but the Orange worked well from behind. SU scored quickly after the Quakers both times, and never rescinded the advantage.
‘We played pretty well in both halves,’ head coach Lisa Miller said. ‘We played solid defense, got the ball downfield safely. There were very few turnovers – a couple early, a couple late – but not a lot in the middle. We did a great job working the ball, which kept us ahead.’
Furstenberg and Fortune were two of the primary cogs in keeping SU ahead.
By all indications, Fortune showed a lot of improvement in her sophomore debut. Her speed bothered Penn’s defense. Both her goals came on plays where she left the defense tracing her footsteps. Fortune also had a third goal taken away because of a penalty.
‘I’m getting around the crease and getting my shoulders around to get off the shot,’ Fortune said. ‘I was sad to see (the goal) taken away from me. My momentum was carrying me.’
Miller was pleased with Fortune’s performance, noting the sophomore has dramatically improved her skills. With her athleticism and speed, Miller is eager about Fortune’s prospects and scoring ability.
When it comes to scoring, Furstenberg, a freshman, fits the bill. Miller described her as a ‘dodger and shooter,’ in reference to Furstenberg’s constant prowess around the net. She displayed it on Saturday, aggressively firing shots against the Quakers.
While Miller admitted that Furstenberg needs to work on picking up double teams, the freshman made an impression in her first game. Likewise, the collegiate level made an impression on her.
‘It takes time to get used to,’ Furstenberg said. ‘The defense is a lot more physical. But it’s fun to be working around people who are all so good.’
Both Furstenberg and Fortune benefited from a lot of defensive attention on junior Monica Joines. Joines didn’t score, but did distribute two assists.
‘They figured out I’m a one-on-one player,’ Joines said. ‘I got some good looks, but didn’t put any away. The rest of the team picked it up, though, especially the younger kids.’
The scrimmage gave the Orange game experience before officially starting the season against Albany on Feb. 27.
‘We need some consistency to play well over an hour-long period,’ Miller said. ‘There’s always something to work on.’
‘I was pleased with the aggression we played with,’ Joines said. ‘We didn’t come out timid in the first game. We wanted the ball, we wanted to possess and we did a good job. That’s all you can ask for in the first game.’
Published on February 13, 2005 at 12:00 pm
