Starting off the season by losing the first two games by a combined score of 9-0 has the Syracuse women’s soccer team looking for answers. But the one thing the team is not looking for is a leader.

Molly McManus is one of only two returning seniors for the Orange this season and the Binghamton native has taken the team under her wing. McManus was the only captain selected by her teammates last year and her coach believes that is a reflection of her skills as a leader.

‘I think she’s been the best of the captains in my three years here,’ SU head coach Pat Farmer said. ‘We elected one captain for the spring — then they had another election — but they just wanted her.’

McManus will lead the Orange into W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., to play Wake Forest on Friday at 7 p.m. The Demon Deacons (1-1-0) are ranked 3rd in the nation, making them the second ranked opponent the Orange (0-2) has faced in three games.

Though Syracuse only has two seniors on the roster, the Orange is still an experienced team, returning eight starters from last year’s team. The experience has helped McManus adjust to her role as the only captain on the team.

‘There are only two of us seniors, so it’s kind of tough because our team is so young,’ McManus said. ‘We dealt with a young team last year, too, so the sophomores seem like upperclassmen now because we’ve had a whole year to play together.’

Offensively, the Orange has struggled to put pressure on its opponents. Syracuse only registered six shots in its first two games and failed to score in each contest while its opponents tallied 39 shots and scored nine times.

Farmer said McManus’ leadership has been spectacular this season because she plays many different positions and stays on the field even when she is injured, but her skills alone will not create the offense the Orange so desperately needs.

‘The way Molly plays isn’t going to lead her to be the leading scorer all the time; she’s more on the flank,’ Farmer said. ‘The team is still looking to find the go-to person who is going to be the high scorer on the team.’

That person may come from the freshman class, where two first-year players received the chance to start early in the season. Tessa McDougall and Chelsea Berry have added speed and aggressiveness to Syracuse’s offensive attack and Farmer believes they could help the team immensely as the season goes on.

The freshman class’ early success may be a product of McManus’ leadership skills, but the senior does not give herself credit for their development. She said the young players bonded quickly with the team just from practicing and spending time together early in the season.

‘A lot of them made the transition really easily,’ McManus said. ‘They played really competitive club soccer so they’re used to the competition.’

If the poor start continues for the Orange, the team may need McManus’ leadership more than ever. Farmer said the team is not panicking because the Orange has played well at times but has not sustained a high level of play to this point.

Farmer still has high hopes for the Orange this season but thinks the team must survive the tough early part of its schedule to reap the benefits later in the year.

‘I think we’re already better than last year,’ Farmer said. ‘I don’t know if at the beginning our record is going to reflect our quality, but I think eventually we’ll be fine. As long as we don’t get discouraged here early we’ll be OK.’

Published on August 30, 2006 at 12:00 pm