When Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon needs a boost of energy from his bench, he calls on “bulldog” Maddie Damm.

Like in the Orange’s season opener. Trailing Hofstra 2-1 in the 71st minute, Damm took a pass from Stephanie Skilton and fired a shot into the back of the net from 12 yards out.

“Maddie isn’t going to quit, she’s just going to latch on to something and keep going,” Wheddon said. “She’s relentless, kind of like a bulldog on a chew toy.”

Damm, a freshman center midfielder has served as a sparkplug of sorts for Syracuse (4-7-1, 0-5-1 Atlantic Coast), coming off the bench in seven of 12 games while starting the other five. Her aggressiveness and physicality have drawn rave reviews from even her veteran teammates.

They understand and embrace her simple philosophy.

“Putting in tackles, chasing down players, and winning balls,” Damm said.

Maddie’s father Greg Damm was quick to comment on the style of play his daughter has brought to the field since her youngest days on the pitch.

“Maddie is intense, highly motivated. She’s got a die-hard style and is constantly on the go,” the elder Damm said.

Damm’s teammates didn’t hesitate to echo her father’s words or her “bulldog” mentality. Sophomore forward Erin Simon said Damm is hard to push off the ball and is one of the best on the team at winning 50-50 balls.

Sophomore midfielder Jackie Firenze said she’s one of the loudest people on the team, too.

“Whenever she’s on the field, anyone can hear her,” Firenze said. “I love having her on the field because she brings a voice and a different sort of presence to the game.”

The words “physical” and “loud” were two commonalities among Damm’s teammates’ descriptions of her.

However, “energy” appears to be another focal aspect of Damm’s mentality on and off the field. Wheddon emphasized how difficult it is to bring that energy from the sidelines in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.

Damm’s father elaborated on how as a person, the lines between the soccer field and everything outside of soccer have blurred.

“Her lifestyle, whether it be with friends, school or sports she’s so focused when it comes to [everything],” the elder Damm said. “Whatever she sets out to do it’s all or nothing.”

And so far at Syracuse, she’s approached everything full throttle.

“When we need someone to control the midfield physically she’s someone that can do that,” Wheddon said. “To get into the game and pick it up quickly is a challenge, but Maddie seems to have adjusted to that quite well.”

Published on October 2, 2013 at 1:05 am

Contact Connor: cgrossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman