Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMLAX | All eyes on defense, midfield in season-opening scrimmage
By Tyler Dunne
Posted: 2/1/08, 12:43 AM EST Section: Sports
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"This weekend, baby, this weekend!" one SU player shouted.
It can't come soon enough for the Orange. Saturday at 11:30 a.m., Syracuse hosts Hofstra and Le Moyne for an informal, yet highly anticipated opening scrimmage. The Orange's 2007 record of 5-8 has clung to the eight-time national champions for 10 months. The players are exhausted talking about it, yet can instinctively reel off last season's harsh numbers as quickly as their phone number.
"Everyone knows how it was our worst season in 30-some years and the first time we didn't make the playoffs in 25 years," junior Matt Abbott said. "It was a long, long offseason."
Dan Hardy provided the punctuation.
"I'm sick of answering questions about '07," he said. "We just want to get out and start '08."
They will this weekend. Hofstra and Le Moyne will duel first, followed by the Orange and Hofstra. City rivals Syracuse and Le Moyne will play last. The tri-scrimmage is open to the public.
Amongst the team, there is almost no debate as to what Syracuse must improve on to reclaim its elite status. A renewed commitment to defense has been the team's focus throughout a never-ending offseason. From 2002-06, the Orange held its opponent under 10 goals 30 times. Last season it happened only four times. And while it's easy to point the finger at goalie Peter Coluccini and his '07 goals against average of 11.27, the cure may lie in the middle of the field rather than the hyped, three-way goaltender sweepstakes.
Syracuse's deep crop of midfielders is full of various sizes and skill sets. It's just a matter of who fits in where. That's what the scrimmage is for.
"Oh yeah, (the coaches) have been preaching all preseason that defensive midfield is what can bring us back," Hardy said. "Most of the old guys have been working a lot on defense. … It will be good to see who can run together. I'm sure there will be a bunch of different groups running out there."
Hardy played midfield throughout his high school career for Tully and during his freshman year with the Orange, but moved to attack for most of his sophomore season. That was until head coach John Desko slid him back to midfield against Cornell. After former-middie Greg Niewieroski scored five goals in that 16-15 loss, the position swap stuck. The burly, 6-foot-4, 225-pound, Hardy enters 2007 as a preseason All-American, along with fellow midfielder Steven Brooks and attackman Mike Leveille.
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