Evan Brady stepped onto the field for the first time this season and was immediately disappointed.

From the sideline, Syracuse men’s lacrosse defensive coach Roy Simmons III heard the defenseman say, ”Hey, why aren’t we talking?’ Then I’ll talk. I’ll be the guy.’

When the Orange hosts Albany tonight at 7 in the Carrier Dome, Brady will continue to be the communicator on defense.

Against the Great Danes, a team that is ranked seventh in total offense averaging 10.8 goals, SU’s strong defense could determine an Orange win and a guaranteed .500 finish for the season. That would make Syracuse eligible for the NCAA tournament.

‘If you’re not talking to each other, you’re not really playing together,’ Brady said. ‘We have the talent and the athletes on the field. But we just had to get everybody working together. Hopefully I’ve helped bring them together and help them start talking to each other.’

Brady saw the defense struggle with opponents averaging 13.3 goals in the Orange’s first five games. Sure, Syracuse had an inexperienced goalie, Pete Coluccini, adjusting into the lineup. SU was also playing the likes of Virginia, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins – all top 10 teams.

But often the scores came off a single dodge. As Brady saw it, many of the Orange’s defensive lapses are rooted in team communication rather than talented opposing attackmen or a struggling Coluccini.

Originally, Brady played as a crease defender. But ever since SU’s game at Hobart on March 28, Brady has played close defender and called out offensive tendencies.

This shift in strategy, along with Coluccini’s improved play, has resulted in a defensive surge. During its four-game winning streak, Syracuse has given up 8.5 goals a game, a significant decrease from earlier in the year.

At the beginning of the season, junior defenseman Steve Panarelli played the same role Brady now inherits. Close defensemen play inside and can look out toward the whole defense and attack. It was a fitting role, since Panarelli is known for being one of the most vocal players on the field. With that trait, he could direct fellow defensemen on slides.

On the field, SU valued Panarelli’s chatterbox, but head coach John Desko and Simmons III figured it would be much better to use Panarelli at longpole to maximize his defensive and offensive versatility. Panarelli scored three goals after he shifted.

With that switch, a void was left inside. Defensemen like John Wright and Kyle Guadagnolo intimidate opposing attack and midfielders, but Simmons III doesn’t view the defensive duo as particularly vocal. Panarelli and Simmons III don’t consider Brady as very talkative, either, but when he steps out on the field he flips the switch.

‘It’s something that comes naturally,’ Brady said. ‘I don’t know about being low-key off the field. I’m friends with all the guys and we always hang out. I don’t know. Maybe I’m not the craziest one on the team.’

His communication skills stood out so much, it prompted Desko to go out of his way during postgame press conferences to compliment his performances, even though few reporters asked Desko about Brady. But he’s used to adjusting to that vocal role once he plays. It’s a responsibility he’s been comfortable with dating back to his play at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, N.J.

Brady’s presence has made fellow defensemen more comfortable as a result. Guadganolo thinks Brady was the ‘missing piece of the puzzle.’

‘It’s just having another brain on the field,’ Wright said. ‘The more people we have putting our heads together, the more successful you’re going to be. It’s just about switching people to see who’s going to fit best in that (position) and who’s going to communicate the best. Now we’ve found a group of guys who do that.’

Panarelli can’t describe a certain moment that made Brady stand out. He thinks Brady is always making the play. It’s hard to provide a perspective given Brady’s words aren’t audible to press row. But midfielder Pat Perritt can. Whenever he’s gone up against the defender in practice, Perritt’s sure he’ll suffer a body check from Brady. Perritt and Wright agree that despite Brady’s new role, he has been comfortable with it right away.

‘He’s not afraid to tell me to get to another spot or tell me what’s going on,’ Wright said. ‘He can communicate with me mutually. I think that’s what taught him the most. There’s a discourse that goes on the field with defensemen. He’s really fit into that with Kyle and I in the position that he’s been playing in down low.’

Duke update

Amid a published report indicating a Duke lacrosse player had interest in transferring to Syracuse, SU Director of Athletics Daryl Gross released a statement to the media via e-mail on Thursday night regarding the Blue Devils, which had its season canceled after sexual assault allegations resulted with the indictment of two players.

‘The situation at Duke and in the Durham community is unfortunate,’ Gross said in the statement. ‘Our heart goes out to those who are going through this. We believe and trust in due process. While we, as an athletics department and as a lacrosse program, will not exploit someone else’s misfortune; we always consider all students individually who show interest in the university. Our concern, at the moment, is to support the resolution of this matter.’

Published on April 20, 2006 at 12:00 pm