Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWLAX | Syracuse excited to make history at Notre Dame Stadium
By John Sutton
Posted: 4/24/08, 10:42 PM EST Section: Sports
The idea of playing in Notre Dame Stadium is not lost on Syracuse attack Halley Quillinan.
"I grew up a little Irish-Catholic girl so Notre Dame was the team I looked up to," Quillinan said. "I wanted to go to Notre Dame before I even knew what it was just because I saw the movie 'Rudy,' so I'm really, really excited to play there."
The giddy Quillinan will have her chance - she and the Syracuse women's lacrosse team hope to play two games in three days in the storied building during this weekend's Big East tournament. In fact, when the first-seeded Orange takes the field against Rutgers tonight at 5:30, it will be the first Division I women's sporting event ever played inside Notre Dame Stadium, which opened in 1930.
History aside, Syracuse will look to repeat as tournament champions beginning with its first-round matchup against fourth-seeded Rutgers. If SU wins, it will play the winner of the other semifinal between Notre Dame and Georgetown, on Sunday at noon.
The Orange won the inaugural tournament, held in the Carrier Dome, last season. SU (14-2, 5-0) was the regular-season Big East champion this year for the first time in school history.
Syracuse head coach Gary Gait was slightly less enthusiastic than Quillinan about going out to Notre Dame to coach in his first Big East tournament. Looking at the situation in a more realistic fashion, Gait still finds the experience to be a unique one.
"I think it's going to be fun," he said. "We can see all those empty seats, it'll be nice."
After completing the program's first undefeated Big East season, the Orange will enter the tournament as the top seed. In last year's victory, SU was the second seed, upsetting Georgetown in the tournament final in the Carrier Dome.
Notre Dame, the second seed this season, will also be able to enjoy the comforts of home. Although the experience of playing in Notre Dame Stadium is out of the ordinary for the Irish (which normally plays at Eck West Field on campus), everything else will be the same for Notre Dame this weekend.
"I grew up a little Irish-Catholic girl so Notre Dame was the team I looked up to," Quillinan said. "I wanted to go to Notre Dame before I even knew what it was just because I saw the movie 'Rudy,' so I'm really, really excited to play there."
The giddy Quillinan will have her chance - she and the Syracuse women's lacrosse team hope to play two games in three days in the storied building during this weekend's Big East tournament. In fact, when the first-seeded Orange takes the field against Rutgers tonight at 5:30, it will be the first Division I women's sporting event ever played inside Notre Dame Stadium, which opened in 1930.
History aside, Syracuse will look to repeat as tournament champions beginning with its first-round matchup against fourth-seeded Rutgers. If SU wins, it will play the winner of the other semifinal between Notre Dame and Georgetown, on Sunday at noon.
The Orange won the inaugural tournament, held in the Carrier Dome, last season. SU (14-2, 5-0) was the regular-season Big East champion this year for the first time in school history.
Syracuse head coach Gary Gait was slightly less enthusiastic than Quillinan about going out to Notre Dame to coach in his first Big East tournament. Looking at the situation in a more realistic fashion, Gait still finds the experience to be a unique one.
"I think it's going to be fun," he said. "We can see all those empty seats, it'll be nice."
After completing the program's first undefeated Big East season, the Orange will enter the tournament as the top seed. In last year's victory, SU was the second seed, upsetting Georgetown in the tournament final in the Carrier Dome.
Notre Dame, the second seed this season, will also be able to enjoy the comforts of home. Although the experience of playing in Notre Dame Stadium is out of the ordinary for the Irish (which normally plays at Eck West Field on campus), everything else will be the same for Notre Dame this weekend.
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