The Power of 3: Strong chemistry helps trio of Dove, Rowan, Quillinan lead powerful Syracuse attack
When Katie Rowan, Christina Dove and Halley Quillinan first heard they were all named to the Tewaaraton Trophy watch list, an award given to the top collegiate lacrosse player, the trio couldn’t control their laughter in the locker room.
They didn’t know how else to react. The three offensive stars on the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team had never been accustomed to competing against each other. Throughout their careers at SU, they always practiced as a cohesive unit, firing shots past opposing defenders.
Now, a month removed from the announcement, the Orange’s triple threat has embraced their competitive spirits. Dove, a junior midfielder, didn’t attempt to disguise her feelings as she discussed the ongoing rivalry with her teammates.
‘Of course, I want to win it,’ Dove said. ‘But I just want to have the mindset to do anything to win for the team, and if the individual accolades come, then that’s cool with me.’
For the last two years, the Orange’s top-three scorers have been able to juggle both tasks, raking in the individual awards while propelling Syracuse near the top of the women’s lacrosse rankings. The trio has combined for 94 goals and helped Syracuse to a No. 7 ranking this season.
The Orange finished the 2008 campaign leading the nation in total goals and scoring average, averaging 18.01 goals per game. In the process, Rowan, Dove and Quillinan developed into the cornerstones of SU’s potent offense, combining to score 211 of the team’s 380 goals.
And it was a career season for each player. They posted three of the four highest single-season point totals in Orange history with Rowan, Dove and Quillinan adding 142, 100 and 77 points, respectively.
‘It’s a true testament to how the program has really developed at Syracuse,’ Quillinan, a junior attack, said. ‘It’s a true testament to how (Syracuse coach) Gary (Gait) has tried to create our offense. A defense can’t really key in on a certain player because we have a lot of depth. We pick each other up.’
The trio’s success has continued this season. Through 10 games this season, Dove reigns atop the SU scoring leaderboard with 34 scores. But Rowan, a senior attack, only trails her teammate by three goals. And due to her counterparts’ success, Quillinan’s 29 goals have flown under the radar. They combine for nearly 60 percent of SU’s offense.
‘It’s nice to have them all have the opportunity to step up at different times,’ SU head coach Gary Gait said. ‘We try and spread it out among the entire team, but certain players just get hot. I’m waiting for the day when they’re all scoring, all shooting well, and all bearing their chances. That’ll be a huge day for Syracuse when that happens.’
Still, it took several years for those players to develop that chemistry. Prior to joining the Orange, Quillinan and Rowan collectively honed their skills at Bethlehem (Pa.) Central High School, under the tutelage of current SU assistant coach John Battaglino.
Battaglino recruited Rowan, then a basketball player, to maximize her athletic prowess and provide his lacrosse team with depth. Throughout her first season, Battaglino noticed momentary glimpses of talent.
A year later, Battaglino provided Rowan with a sidekick. He paired his newfound pupil up with Quillinan, a transfer student, hoping to generate consistent team chemistry. Together, they developed into a dynamic duo for the Eagles, leading the squad to consecutive Section II championships.
‘I told them at the time that I could’ve sat on a lawn chair on the sidelines, done nothing, and they still would’ve beaten every team by 20 to 25 goals,’ Battaglino said. ‘They knew how to play and get it done.’
Battaglino didn’t savor the fruits of his labor much longer. During Rowan’s senior season, he bolted to SU to accept an assistant head coaching position. Despite leaving his two protégés prematurely, Battaglino continued to maintain steady communication with each.
The Orange eventually benefited from the pair’s deep-seated relationship with the assistant coach. While Rowan and Quillinan entertained scholarship offers from competing universities, they ultimately committed to Syracuse to reunite with their former coach.
‘I envisioned something for them and wanted to build the offense around them,’ Battaglino said. ‘I don’t mean to be a prophet, but I knew what I had then and I knew what I was fortunate enough to get when they came here. I had no doubts.’
Dove, on the other hand, was initially reluctant about joining the duo. The midfielder, who was part of the 2006 recruiting class that featured Quillinan, had some concerns about her role on the team during her freshman year.
‘When we came together, I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit in with them since they played together for so long,’ Dove said.
Dove’s hesitance didn’t make for an ideal first impression on Quillinan. During their preliminary encounter at summer orientation, she remembered thinking that Dove was ‘quiet and shy.’
But the tension would only last a couple of days. Rowan, a sophomore at the time, served as a liaison between the two incoming freshmen, mending their relationship by organizing off-the-field activities.
As a result of Rowan’s devoted efforts, the trio eventually developed one of the strongest bonds on the team. They constantly phone each other, discussing everything from hectic class schedules to their social lives.
‘Christina’s really come out of her shell to become one of my best friends,’ Quillinan said. ‘Katie has continued to grow on and off the field. She has a big heart and has become like a big sister to me.
‘We’ve just grown tremendously. We go running together. We work out together. We go pass around and shoot together. I wouldn’t be on the (Tewaaraton Trophy) list without them.’
In addition to spending time in Syracuse, Rowan, Dove and Quillinan have also jointly convened throughout the past three summers to play in a summer lacrosse league. It’s a club league composed of collegiate women’s lacrosse players from around the nation.
This past summer, all three players received the unique invitation to work out with the U.S. women’s national team. The distinctive experience with the team has been invaluable to the players’ relationship.
‘Our communication has definitely grown,’ Rowan said. ‘We’ve been working together for like the past three years. Over time, (our communication) just keeps growing and we’re able to know each other’s strengths and tendencies.’
And that’s proven to be a nightmare for opposing coaches. Each player boasts a different strength in their respective playing styles, making it tremendously difficult for coaches to game plan against the Orange.
Despite defeating SU in five consecutive matchups, Virginia head coach Julie Myers still hasn’t discovered a strategy that could contain the Orange’s three-headed monster. During their recent 14-11 loss against the Cavaliers on Feb. 27, Rowan, Dove and Quillinan negated Myers’ game plan, combining to tally eight goals against the stingy defense.
‘I’m not so sure that we have the answers on how to stop them,’ Myers said. ‘They’ve all got the ability to score at will. You really don’t know who to focus in on other than whoever’s playing hot that day. We just really try to limit some of their touches and make it hard for them to score. It certainly makes Syracuse a hard team to play against.’
That’s exactly how Gait wants to position the women’s lacrosse program. He wants his team’s opponents to quiver at the thought of competing against the Orange. And the emergence of his three Tewaarton Trophy candidates will undoubtedly bring Gait’s team closer to that goal.
‘What I love about these kids is that they’re all on the same page as the rest of the team,’ Gait said. ‘It’s one goal for the team and that’s to win a national championship. Everything else that comes along for them individually is just gravy.’
