Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMLAX | Evolution of a man: Brian Crockett's goals are down but his contributions are up
By Mark Medina
Posted: 5/10/06, 7:58 PM EST Section: Sports
|
There's no denying it. Brian Crockett's numbers have dropped drastically this year.
But to suggest Crockett's role this season has decreased is taking the easy way out. The midfielder scored three goals in Syracuse's 17-8 victory over Colgate last Saturday. But comparing the senior midfielder's 35 goals last season to his 15-goal output this year could lead some to conclude Crockett isn't the player he used to be.
That sure is the case, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Syracuse hosts Harvard on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson earned its first postseason appearance since 1996 and last faced the Orange in 1986, a 13-9 SU victory.
Crockett may not be the leading scorer on Sunday, but the senior will provide experience as the most seasoned midfielder in a relatively young unit.
"It's not like he really decided he was going to switch (roles) this year," freshman midfielder Dan Hardy said. "He just does whatever he needs to do to help, I guess. Our midfield has done all the other little things to help us out. His points aren't as high as it used to be, but I think six in a row we won, five in a row, something like that. He's been a huge part of it."
This season, two events propelled Crockett to work more on developing the midfield than reemerging as a major scoring threat, although he has done so at times with a hat trick and two two-goal performances.
This year, SU (8-4) is seasoned at attack with Joe Yevoli, Brett Bucktooth and Mike Leveille, scoring 67 of 124 goals for the Orange this season. With season-ending injuries to seniors Greg Rommel, Stephen Brooks and sophomore Greg Niewieroski at midfield, Crockett stood as the lone senior in the first midfield line.
Initially, SU head coach John Desko thought Crockett tried to do too much, placing the burden on his shoulders to contribute offensively as well as train the likes of Hardy, Pat Perritt and Matt Abbott. But now Desko sees Crockett playing differently.
"Early in the year he'd take a bunch of shots in the game and maybe only come out with a goal," Desko said. "Now he's not trying to force it as much. He's taken three, four, five, six shots and coming up with a couple goals each game."
Crockett fired 11 shots against Georgetown and eight against Johns Hopkins and Hobart. Toward the end of the season, Crockett has been more selective, taking four shots against Colgate and Massachusetts and six against Albany. Since he has scored one goal in eight of SU's 12 games, the numbers suggest Crockett has been smarter and more accurate when firing at the cage.
Be the first to comment on this story