Audrey Latsko is on top of her game. The rest of the Orangewomen are still searching for theirs.

Latsko stopped a combined 25 shots in the Syracuse field hockey team’s final two regular season games, but SU still lost to William & Mary, 3-1, on Friday and Richmond, 1-0, on Sunday in three rounds of penalty strokes.

“I’m not really worried about my record and save percentage,” Latsko said. “(Not being worried) just helps relieve nervous energy.”

“Audrey was phenomenal over the weekend,” SU head coach Kathleen Parker said. “We’re just having trouble putting the ball in.”

Syracuse couldn’t score, partly because they didn’t shoot. William & Mary and Richmond combined to outshoot SU, 42-6.

“We need to control the ball more on offense,” Parker said. “We have to get better at converting our scoring opportunities.”

William & Mary’s Ann Ekberg had no trouble doing that.

The senior slipped a shot past Latsko just before halftime on Friday for her 18th goal of the year.

Later in the game, Kristen Southerland and Jill Hocutt each scored a goal to seal the victory.

“William & Mary beat us, period,” Parker said. “They beat (No. 9 James Madison) on Sunday. Obviously they’re a very good hockey team.”

Aronowicz scored SU’s lone goal of the weekend with help from Ann-Marie Guglieri and Meredith Gettel.

“It’s hard to find an answer when things aren’t working well,” Aronowicz said. “(Scoring) just seems to be one thing that suffers from it. We’re not working together.”

Syracuse faced the same struggles on Sunday, spending most of the game on defense. Richmond fired shot after shot at Latsko, who made 16 saves.

After a scoreless overtime and two rounds of penalty strokes, Richmond’s Jess Stern finally scored to end the game.

“I know it sounds crazy because I know they completely outshot us, but we held our own,” Parker said. “The name of the game is putting the ball in the goal. They couldn’t beat our defense, and they couldn’t beat Audrey.”

Still, Richmond beat the Orangewomen.

Latsko has recorded a career-high seven shutouts this season, but the Orangewomen have been blanked five times. Syracuse was shut out just twice last season.

Before the Big East tournament begins this Friday with a showdown against rival Connecticut, the Orangewomen have a lot of work to do, Parker said.

“We’re going to do most of our work (on offense),” Parker said. “We have to maintain possession of the ball a better on attack.”

This and that

Before last weekend, Syracuse had never faced William & Mary or Richmond. The teams were added to the schedule to prepare for the Big East tournament, Parker said. … Aronowicz’s goal against William & Mary puts her four points away from becoming Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer.

Published on November 5, 2002 at 12:00 pm