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Net loss
Lone wolf
Sofya Golubovskaya has struggled with adjustment to doubles since joining SU tennis. See page 12
Early returns
Check out all there is to know about North Carolina State before the 9 p.m. start Wednesday. See dailyorange.com
S PORTS
Eunice Boateng joined Syracuse track in January and has had immediate sprinting success. See dailyorange.com
dailyorange.com @dailyorange feb. 14, 2018 • PAG E 16
isolated When SU lost fall seasons to mumps, players struggled to fill the lacrosse void
By Michael McCleary asst. digital editor
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illustration by sarah allam head illustrator
he excited screams could be heard from inside the tunnel. From the moment the Orange women’s players stepped on the field, they couldn’t erase the smiles on their faces. They screamed so loudly their voices cracked, and players skipped with every stride. When the buzzer sounded, signaling the start of the game, SU experienced the growing pains it didn’t have a chance to deal with already. The struggles weren’t a sign of the future, but rather a reminder of the past. Going to the locker room at halftime having already allowed eight goals, SU head coach Gary Gait addressed his team and told them the next time they stepped on the field would be different. “That was fall ball,” Gait said of the Orange’s first half, “I hope you enjoyed it.” Last fall, due to an outbreak of the mumps that affected more than 100 people on Syracuse University’s campus, including members of the varsity men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, SU suspended the teams’ fall seasons. During the suspension, players were barred from athletic facilities and, without the opportunity to meet up and practice with their teams, spent most of their newfound free time by themselves. An SU spokesperson said in an email that the decision to suspend the fall season was “isolated,” adding that only the lacrosse teams were considered in the decision-making process since they were the only teams with confirmed mumps cases. The suspension of the seasons was met with confusion by some involved in the Syracuse lacrosse programs, with players and coaches forced to figure out how to cope with the lost time. “It was kind of just crazy, we were getting into it and we were having a good time,” said Morgan Widner, a sophomore draw control specialist on the women’s team, “(then)
see mumps page 14
OCT. 6
MID-NOVEMBER
JAN. 6
JAN. 21
FEB. 9
FEB. 10
SU suspends all team activities due to mumps
Syracuse men’s lacrosse is granted access back into SU Athletics facilities
SU women’s lacrosse arrives in Florida for its first official practice since the cancellation
Syracuse men’s lacrosse participates in its first scrimmage since the fall
Syracuse women’s lacrosse plays its first regular season game against Connecticut
Syracuse men’s lacrosse plays its first regular season game against Binghamton
ice hockey
men’s basketball
Grossi seeks more after milestone SU’s guards use height to advantage By Eric Black
asst. copy editor
On the bus after a 6-0 victory against Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday, Stephanie Grossi did what she does after every game: texted her parents. After talking a little bit about the contest, Grossi ended a text with the same phrase she’s been using for years. “Next, the CHA championship,” she typed. Little was discussed about the fact that Grossi had just set the all-time scoring record for Syracuse (11-17-2, 10-5-1 College Hockey America) with an assist in the second period against the Tigers. It was the 113th point of her career, one more than former teammate Melissa Piacentini and 17 more than the third-place mark, where Grossi began the season. Grossi see grossi page 14
By Matthew Gutierrez senior staff writer
STEPHANIE GROSSI (8), pictured on Nov. 10, became the all-time top scorer in SU history on Saturday. phil bryant staff photographer
Frank Howard has been watching a lot of film lately, and he developed a startling conclusion: He should play bigger. Smaller guards force him to be “over-quick,” the 6-foot5-inch tall Howard said. What he means exactly is that smaller guys can speed him up. They can more easily jab, hop back and forth and they try to get lower than him to pick up a steal. Howard can see above smaller defenders when shooting and creating offense, but shorter players may sneakily get a hand on the basketball in the lane.
“With me attacking, I need to start using my size again,” Howard said. “Put defenders on my hip, try not to do too much to totally beat them. Just use my size advantage, try to incorporate that.” Howard and fellow backcourt mate 6-foot-6-inch Tyus Battle have the double-duty of both anchoring Syracuse’s (17-8, 6-6 Atlantic Coast) offense and the top of its 2-3 zone. Oftentimes, they match up against guards a few inches shorter, which means they both almost always defend and shoot against players who physically look up to them. Both Battle and see guards page 12