Hang in there, Mel. Game time is around the corner.

After the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team’s victory over Binghamton Wednesday night, junior attack Melody Agnew said the next few days would last forever.

You can’t blame her. Virginia, the defending national champion and current No. 1 team in the country, visits No. 12 SU at noon on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

The annual encounter between the Orange and the Cavaliers has become a fierce yet one-sided rivalry. SU has upset a higher-ranked UVA team three years in a row, all in games that came down to the final minute. Not that the Orange’s recent success against the Cavaliers means a whole lot.

‘It’s hard to say you’ve had somebody’s number when you’ve had three games decided by four goals,’ said SU head coach Lisa Miller.

Five of the past six years, this contest marked the season-opener for SU. This season, the Orange enters with a pair of tune-ups under its belt, defeating Albany and Binghamton by a combined score of 37-5. The game is the first of the season for UVA.

‘I think it was better this year in particular to get our kids on the field,’ Miller said because of SU’s youth. ‘So at least we don’t have pregame jitters before we play Virginia.’

Still, you can’t blame the Orange if it does. The Cavaliers return nine of 12 starters, including the 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy recipient Amy Appelt, who led the nation with 90 goals and 121 points last season. The Cavaliers are known for an explosive run-and-gun attack, an offense Inside Lacrosse Magazine projected as the country’s best this season.

Not to be forgotten is the extra motivation for Cavalier seniors. They don’t want to go a whole career without a win over SU.

‘We keep telling ourselves, we need to beat Syracuse,’ Appelt said. ‘It’s been four years. It would mean a lot.’

The one question mark for UVA is who will start in goal. With the graduation of Andrea Pfeiffer, last year’s NCAA Tournament MVP, the position is up for grabs between junior Ginger Miles and freshman Kendall McBrearty. According to UVA assistant coach Colleen Shearer, the team has not named a starter for the game.

Since offense is the strength of each team, and the last three games came down to who had the ball last, possession time will play a leading factor in this contest. Miller stressed ball control from the beginning of preseason practices, and said she was pleased with what she has seen so far this year.

‘Since the fall we’ve been preparing for them,’ said Gaddy Fortune, a sophomore midfielder. ‘Virginia this, Virginia that. That’s all we’ve looked forward to.’

Even though SU wants to keep the ball out of UVA’s hands, pressure still falls on SU’s defense. The young unit, which has played well this season, will be tested for the first time. Appelt is the obvious target, and SU will witness the unveiling of her expanded repertoire. Remarkably, she dominated last season with only one trademark move – sweeping around from behind the net. This season, she said she plans to attack from all angles with brand new moves.

SU must also contend with the return of UVA attack Cary Chasney. Chasney and Appelt were supposed to team together as the nation’s leading duo last season, but the 2003 first-team All-American suffered a season-ending knee injury against SU.

‘I definitely want to make a statement,’ Chasney said. ‘A lot of eyes will be on me. I want to come out and prove that my injury means nothing.’

The Orange hopes to counter on offense by continuing a balanced approach. Fortune, Agnew, Monica Joines and Caitlyn Dragon all have at least five goals this season.

The Cavaliers will be without their head coach, Julie Myers. She gave birth to her third child, a boy, on Thursday morning. Assistant coaches Shearer and Heather Dow will share the coaching duties.

Appelt said only doctors stood between Myers making the trip. No doubt the coach wanted to be on hand for what could be another classic, although surely she wants a different outcome this time.

‘Clearly, Syracuse is on their agenda,’ Miller said. ‘But I also think that this is a game where we always rise to the occasion.’

Published on March 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm