Spring Break
The Daily OrangeGraduating seniors discuss new crop to lead Orange
By Andrew Meola
Posted: 11/3/09, 2:21 AM EST Section: Sports
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With seven seniors graduating and leaving the team after this season, the task of rebuilding after a 3-15 season falls on the shoulders of the squad's younger players.
"The good news is there's a lot of guys, so there will be a lot of depth and a lot of competition for each spot," senior co-captain Pete Hill said. "There are some talented guys who didn't have a chance to be on the field."
Most of the familiar faces and many of the starters for the Orange will be gone next season, including the two senior captains, Hill and midfielder Hansen Woodruff, anchors on the team during the past four seasons.
"We're losing a lot of guys, so definitely it's going to have a big impact," senior Kenny Caceros said.
But Syracuse has several talented young players that will lead the Orange during the next few seasons, and a few of those players have already spent significant time on the field this year.
Freshman goalkeeper Ryan Jones played in 17 of the 18 games for Syracuse this season. He made 74 saves and posted one shutout, a 3-0 victory against Rutgers on Oct. 2.
On the offensive side of the team, freshman Mark Brode emerged as a mainstay in the Orange starting lineup. Brode played in all 18 games this season and finished with two goals, two assists for six points. He was also fairly accurate when he tried to score. Brode took 13 shots and put seven of them on goal - a .538 shot-on-goal percentage.
"You saw it tonight and all through the season," Hill said after Sunday's 2-0 loss to St. John's in the season finale. "Mark Brode, Ryan Jones, Charles (Schoening), guys who played solid minutes as younger guys will definitely get together and lead this team for the next few years."
Schoening, a freshman forward, did not record any goals or assists in the 2009 season, but he did play in 15 games for Syracuse and registered eight shots, two of them on goal. Fellow freshman forward Mawuena Agbossoumonde also played in 15 games.
Players with slightly more experience will also remain with the team next season. Sophomore forward L.J. Papaleo played in 14 games for Syracuse this season, tallying one goal, two assists and four points. Kevin Chan-Yu-Tin and Nick Olivetti, both sophomores, played in 11 and nine games for the Orange, respectively.
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