Peter Coluccini’s hoarse voice croaked as he spoke following the 5-3 and 9-7 victories over Fairfield and Le Moyne, respectively, on Sunday.

But he just kept talking. The redshirt freshman is currently competing for the starting spot with sophomore Jake Myers. And one of the qualities he’s trying to bring as a goalie is communicating well.

As Coluccini and the rest of the defense worked on its schemes last week in practice, Coluccini called out the defenses and tried to direct his team. As it turns out, Coluccini talked a little too much and lost his voice.

Splitting time with Myers at the goalie position in the Orange’s two scrimmages, Coluccini did not try to save his voice box. Instead, he called out plays as he saw them.

‘Sometimes it’s difficult for a young goaltender to be telling juniors and seniors what to do on the field,’ Syracuse lacrosse head coach John Desko said. ‘They have to adjust to it. They have to forget that they’re underclassmen playing with upperclassmen and call out the defenses. If there are unsettled situations, tell them where to go and how to get there and be in control.’

Looking back at fall ball and the first week and a half of practice, Desko said at Media Day on Jan. 28 it was premature to determine who would replace four-year starter Jay Pfeifer in goal. Desko said the players who often stand out in practice don’t continue that success in games.

After Sunday’s scrimmages, Desko didn’t think either of them stood out in expense of the other. He also said he may or may not announce the starting position before the season starts. It all depends on the goalies’ performance.

Although Coluccini and Myers split time evenly throughout the course of the day, Coluccini played the more high-profile minutes. The freshman started and played the first and third periods against Fairfield before playing the first period against Le Moyne. Myers played in the second period against Fairfield and then the final two periods against Le Moyne.

‘We were going to reverse it in the second scrimmage and start with Jake first,’ Desko said. ‘The problem I think we had was we would have way too much time that Pete would have been sitting then.’

Both players showed their ups and downs throughout the two scrimmages. Despite the inexperience, Coluccini and Meyers didn’t show any hesitancy to attack shots. Fairfield and Le Moyne, particularly during their fast starts at the beginning of the games, exploited the SU defense on transition points. Desko, Colluccini and Myers think they need to improve on stopping shots and clearing balls.

Against Le Moyne, Coluccini looked to clear the ball but attack Tyler Hill posed as a barrier. Coluccini launched the ball down the left sideline but midfielder Alex Bily intercepted the pass. Bily then zipped the ball to attack Brian Cost. He gunned the ball near the goal, but Coluccini worked his way back in time to knock the ball away.

‘That was my fault,’ Coluccini said. ‘I should’ve gotten in a better situation. I couldn’t see anyone open. I should’ve launched that, but I just turned around and backed up to the goal. Luckily enough, I was there.’

Both goalies have similar expectations to become an all-encompassing player. Myers hopes not only to make saves but to establish himself as a leader of the defense. Coluccini, meanwhile, wants to work on his clears and saves while also working on his communication skills. He even phoned Pfeifer, who also redshirted his freshman year, for advice. He told Coluccini to have fun and not take things too seriously.

That’s why neither say they are too concerned about who starts. They have more fun bettering their performance than worrying about who starts.

‘In practice, it’s harder to pick your goalie,’ Myers said. ‘You have to pick your spots. That’s the point of these scrimmages. They’re setting their bidding lines up. It helps to see who’s stepping up in a game situation.’

Published on February 5, 2006 at 12:00 pm