The Daily Orange

Looney brings toughness to Syracuse women's lacrosse lineup

By Edward Paik

Posted: 2/24/09, 1:04 AM EST Section: Sports

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Media Credit: Will Halsey

Bridget Looney established herself as one of the toughest players on the women's lacrosse team. After tearing her ACL early last season against Virginia, Looney looks to lead the Orange back to the National Championship. The team is currently 3-0.

For her stubborn aggression, Bridget Looney was found tangled between bodies and sticks three games into last year; found between the Virginia women's lacrosse team's fortitude to add to its lead and her own refusal to give up.

So what of the then-No. 2 Cavaliers' growing lead at its Klöckner Stadium. The co-captain of the then-No. 4 Syracuse team saw her chance at a loose ball and went for it.

After all, to fall in a tussle for possession would show heart in the senior from Waldorf, Md. That she had taken from growing up wrestling with three older brothers. That taught Looney about lacrosse and determination and applied that grit into her game - scrapping the worn meshed strings of her stick on turf as if to remind herself - until she won every possession.

"I just go hard every time," Looney said. "And hope it works out in my favor."

It's in that logic Looney recorded an Orange high of 33 forced turnovers as a junior and found herself with a torn ACL and the rest of season to sit on the sideline last year. The same logic that the redshirt senior returned with and recorded a point in all three games this season, because Looney is bound to the way she plays.

"It probably started with our parents and their values and morals," Looney said. "It probably started with my brothers."

Billy Looney, the oldest of six siblings, didn't want to play baseball, Looney said. He was awful at it. So lacrosse became his sport. Second-born Steve Looney would join him, then Brendan Looney followed. And each brother, like their parents, stressed support for one another, Looney said, to strive.

"We were very close," Looney said. "We motivate each other to do our best and be our best."

After the season opener, Looney spoke to Steve, who noticed that for the five shots Looney had shot against Le Moyne, she scored one. "'Yeah, Bridget sucks,'" Looney recalled her brother saying, with a laugh.

Continued...

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