SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Junior Megan Mosenson (Malvern, Pa.) led the Orange with a career-high three goals, and sophomore Halley Quillinan (Glenmont, N.Y.) set a new career best with three assists in a 19-7 loss to the three-time defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Northwestern Wildcats Monday night at the Carrier Dome. The game was played in front of 1,696 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a Syracuse women's lacrosse game in the Carrier Dome. The loss snaps Syracuse's five-game winning streak and gives the Orange a 7-2 (2-0) mark on the season. With the win, Northwestern improves to 8-0 (1-0) and extends its winning streak to 29 games.

"Our team learned how deep and how hard you have to work and the total team effort you need to be a national champion," Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said. "Northwestern did a great job of demonstrating the confidence and the poise it takes to be the best."

For the first time in six games, Syracuse surrendered the first goal of the contest when Northwestern's Hilary Bowen put a shot past Syracuse keeper Liz Hogan (Victor, N.Y) just 54 seconds into the game. In the contest's first five minutes, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage. Following a Syracuse timeout, the Orange responded with a 3-0 run of its own to tie the game. During the run, Mosenson scored two straight and Christina Dove (Bel Air, Md.) added another, her team-leading 33rd of the year.

The teams traded goals before the half, with sophomore Jackie DePetris (Radnor, Pa.) putting in a shot with the assist from Quillinan for the second tie of the game. The Wildcats scored with 1:56 remaining to enter the break with a 5-4 lead.

The Orange came out of halftime and knotted the game at 5-5 when DePetris scored her second goal of the game on the assist from junior Awehiyo Thomas (Six Nations, Ont.). The Wildcats' Hannah Neilsen gave Northwestern the lead for good with a goal at the 26:16 mark. Neilsen's goal sparked Northwestern on a 10-0 scoring run to take a 15-5 lead with 7:45 remaining in the match. Nielson put in three and Danielle Spencer added two for the Wildcats during their run.

Thomas and Mosenson scored back-to-back goals with just less than seven minutes remaining to cut the lead to 15-7. That was as close as Orange would get, as Northwestern answered with a four straight goals for a final score of 19-7.

Mosenson led the Orange with three goals, while DePetris finished with two. Thomas and Dove also added goals for SU. Bowen and Katrina Dowd led Northwestern with four goals each, while Spencer and Nielson added three apiece.

The Wildcats outshot the Orange 31-25, and the Wildcats won 16 controls to Syracuse's 12. Syracuse collected 14 ground balls to Northwestern's 11. Hogan had six saves for SU to bring her season total to 57. Northwestern goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop had nine saves.

No. 6/6 Syracuse is back in action next Saturday, when the Orange travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats at 1:00 p.m.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Wildcat teammates Hilary Bowen and Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) made the most of their New York homecoming, each netted four goals to lead top-ranked Northwestern to a 19-7 victory over sixth-ranked Syracuse in front of nearly 1,700 fans at the Carrier Dome. NU remains unbeaten on the year at 8-0 and increased its overall winning streak to 29 games, two shy of the program's all-time record.

"We have a young team, and this was their first real test of the season," said head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "I think they did a great job of responding and making adjustments. We did a lot of things well, and now we need to build on those things."

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2008-03-25