Pat Farmer thought his team’s difficult early-season schedule would make Syracuse stronger later in the year. But after dropping its second consecutive home game, SU’s head coach is filled with uncertainty.’We’ve tried all sorts of things,’ Farmer said. ‘Maybe I have to rethink who we have playing where … I’m looking for the answer.’Colgate came into Syracuse with a 1-8-1 record all-time against the Orange, but the Raiders did not repeat the past on Sunday at Syracuse Soccer Stadium. An early goal by freshman Jessica Bitsack gave Colgate all the offense it needed in a 1-0 victory.Farmer changed the Syracuse lineup before and during the game to inject life into his team. Freshman Sami Hirsch made her first career start in goal and classmate Chelsea Berry started the game on defense before moving back to her usual position, forward, in the second half. Berry’s versatility allowed Farmer to make adjustments during the game. He realized the team needed help on offense and moved the freshman to forward in order to use her speed more effectively.’We brought her here to be a forward to penetrate and get behind people,’ Farmer said. ‘Because of some injuries she’s gone to the back and she gets forward a lot from the back, but finally I just said, ‘We need to get her more up front more often.”Farmer said Berry is one of the fastest players on the field for the Orange and her speed gives her an advantage over other defenders. She has the ability to make runs at the goal from 60 or 70 yards out, giving the offense a spark.Berry’s aggressiveness is a strength and a weakness because she can wear herself out early and leave the rest of the defense vulnerable when she takes off downfield.’Sometimes I get caught up in the game and I just want to push forward all the time but I have to get in the mindset to hold back,’ Berry said. ‘It’s a big change, but it’s definitely a good feeling to know they are relying on me.’At the beginning of the year, Farmer said all three SU goalies would have a chance to play during the season. He said the coaches would not pick a consistent starting goalie unless one emerged as the clear No. 1. Farmer’s scouting reports told him Hirsch would be the best goalie to play against Colgate on Sunday.’I thought there was going to be a lot of in-the-box stuff,’ Farmer said. ‘She’s the quickest keeper for us so I thought this would be a good matchup for us.’Hirsch recorded 10 saves and allowed one goal in her first game. Colgate took advantage of confusion in Syracuse’s defensive end 11:31 seconds into the game. The Raiders played a cross into the box and the Orange was unable to clear the ball before Bitsack found the back of the net. Hirsch took the blame for the goal, saying the confusion was a result of miscommunication. ‘I thought I was going to get the ball so I was calling for it and my defender hesitated to clear it out,’ Hirsch said. ‘It was partly my fault.’Farmer had to change his lineup during the game because of injuries. At the end of the first half, senior captain Molly McManus was limping on the sideline. A leg injury kept her out of the beginning of the second half while the Orange tried to mount a comeback.After 24 minutes on the sideline, Farmer couldn’t keep McManus off the field any longer. ‘She is an absolute trooper,’ Farmer said. ‘She’ll make sure she stays on the side far away from me so I can’t see her limp around.’The team responded immediately with its best scoring opportunity less than two minutes after McManus re-entered the game. Berry pushed the ball to the end line, drawing the defenders toward her and leaving Lauren Jentzen wide open inside the box. Jentzen fired a shot on goal but it rang off the corner of the crossbar for no goal.The loss brings the Orange’s record to 1-6-1 this season, enough to demoralize the team and its coach.’They’re feeling pretty quiet and they’re not very happy with me,’ Farmer said. ‘I’m feeling pretty disappointed, bordering on discouraged, which is a word I don’t normally use.’