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With final home game approaching, Orange seniors aim for No. 1 seed

The seniors on the women’s lacrosse team are confident heading into the postseason. But they almost don’t want that portion of the season to come.

 
For these seniors who were instrumental in taking this program to the next level, the final games at the Carrier Dome mark the end of an era.
 
‘Going into this last game, it’s a little bittersweet,’ senior attack Halley Quillinan said. ‘I think I’m excited to be playing for the Big East championship, but I almost don’t want it to come yet. I’ve really come to love Syracuse. I love playing in the Dome and Saturday will potentially be my last game in the Dome. So, it’s a little sad.’
 
On Saturday No. 9 Syracuse (12-4, 6-1 Big East) will host No. 12 Georgetown (9-5, 6-0) in the Carrier Dome in its regular-season finale. In addition to it being Senior Day, Syracuse will have an opportunity to secure a No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big East tournament. Depending on how the NCAA tournament schedule unfolds, Saturday may very well be the last game that this group of seniors ever plays in the Dome.
 
This crop of Syracuse seniors has the Orange playing its best lacrosse of the season. SU has won five straight games, three of which were on the road, and currently sits second in the Big East conference standings, right below the Hoyas. And with a victory against Georgetown on Saturday, Syracuse will position itself nicely to secure a very favorable seed in the NCAA tournament. 
 
Senior attack and co-captain Jackie DePetris says the team is very excited about its chances to get back to the final four, but admits that for the seniors, this postseason will be a different experience altogether. The thought of their careers ending in defeat is a haunting one, and it will pose a new challenge for a class that has achieved a considerable amount of success for head coach Gary Gait.
 
‘I think that every senior playing for a championship has that chip on their shoulder and that edge because it’s your last attempt at winning,’ Quillinan said. ‘And so going into this Big East championship, I’d like to go out the way I came in. My freshman year we won the inaugural Big East championship and I’d like to leave that way, too.’
 
But with the Big East tournament a week away, these seniors have more on their minds. They want to win the Big East regular-season championship in their final home game. They want their fellow seniors to play their hearts out in front of the home fans that have cheered and supported them for four years.
 
They want the storybook ending. 
 
‘I’m really excited,’ DePetris said. ‘I think the energy right now is huge. It’s our last game and this game means a lot. I just hope that all the seniors play the game of their lives because at this point it’s going to mean that much to all of us.’
 
SU’s seniors said that over the past four seasons they have formed a very close relationship and a tight-knit bond. It is noticeable on the field. It is noticeable on the sidelines.
 
But in addition to the camaraderie among teammates, Gait said he has gained a true appreciation for this class of seniors. Gait was named head coach in their sophomore season, and they helped ease his transition back into Division I lacrosse.
 
As soon as Gait’s tenure began, their talent propelled Syracuse into the upper echelon of women’s lacrosse. Gait recognizes what a special group this is, and it may be just as hard for him to see these players leave as it will be for them to go.
 
‘They’ve played a huge part in taking this program from a top 20 program to a Top 10 program consistently,’ Gait said. ‘It just shows what type of players they are, what type of people they are, that they have the skills, the leadership and the personalities to make that happen here at Syracuse.’
 





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