By now you’ve heard all about the so-called heroes of the Syracuse field hockey team. You know about Kristin Aronowicz, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year. You know her sister Michelle, second in the team in scoring and MVP of the Big East Tournament. You’ve read story after story about goaltender Audrey Latsko, who turned away 21 shots on the final day of the season.

But here is something you probably don’t know. While the efforts of the three aforementioned players certainly helped put the Orangewomen (16-4, 7-0 Big East) to the top of the Big East, it was the players you’ve never heard of, the players who you might not find at the top of the stat sheet, who led the Syracuse charge to the NCAA Tournament.

‘There’s so many on our team,’ Kristin Aronowicz said. ‘That’s been the story of our team – unsung heroes.’

Scanning the SU roster, it would be difficult to find a player that has not scored a key goal or made a clutch defensive play at some point of the season.

The Orangewomen were a comeback team right down to their come-from-behind, 2-1 overtime victory against California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. One or two players cannot take all of the credit for Syracuse’s six comeback wins.

Many of the anonymous heroic performances came from first-year players. Redshirt freshman Ann-Marie Guglieri tops the list of players who’ve succeeded outside of the spotlight. After surviving a presason scare when she injured her knee in practice, Guglieri tore through Big East defenses this season, finishing with 21 points, good for third on the team.

If it wasn’t for Guglieri’s diving deflection to score the winning goal against Rutgers in the first round of the Big East Tournament, SU’s season may have ended a week earlier.

‘No one is a star on this team,’ Guglieri said. ‘It takes everyone to make someone look good. A game-winning goal will start with our keeper.’

No freshman knows game-winning goals better than back Joanne Lombard. The freshman scored two game-winners this season, including one on a last-second penalty corner to beat Massachusetts on Oct. 10.

The freshmen heroics don’t end there either. In the first NCAA Tournament game against California, Meredith Gettel scored with 3:28 remaining to force overtime. The freshman did not start a single game this season but finished fourth on the team in scoring.

Perhaps the most overlooked freshman was Lindsay Kocher. She started 20 games this season, stabilizing the Orangewomen defensively.

‘She hasn’t really gotten any press,’ Kristin Aronowicz said. ‘Joanne gets more press because she is the big hitter and she takes some corners, but Lindsay Kocher has acted like she’s a senior player.’

As a whole, the freshmen showed maturity beyond their years, Aronowicz said. On the field, Aronowicz found herself taking orders from freshmen, something she would have had a problem with in the past.

Not this year though.

‘I don’t know if it’s appreciation, but we’re not seen as the freshmen,’ Lombard said. ‘We’re seen as equals on the team. At least that’s how I take it. They don’t treat us like we’re first-year players.’

It’s not just the first-year players who succeeded in anonymity. Senior Caylyn Dicruttalo started 18 games this season, registering six points. Her contributions, while meager on the stat sheet, show up in the win column.

Dicruttalo would be Guglieri’s choice for the unsung-hero award.

‘She’s just been great,’ Guglieri said. ‘I can remember some games where I’m just keeled over and dying, and I look at Caylyn. I think, ‘Ok, if Caylyn is doing it, I can do it. Let’s get going.’ ‘

So now you’ve met the rest of the Orangewomen, the ones you won’t find mentioned at the awards ceremony. The athletes who don’t hang around after games signing autographs for little girls.

The players who quietly led the Orangewomen to the realization of their goal.

‘One of my major goals, one of my last goals, was to win the Big East, and we did,’ Aronowicz said. ‘If we achieved that, it makes it a pretty successful season.’

Published on November 14, 2001 at 12:00 pm