Three out of Syracuse’s four games this year have been blowouts. In the only close one, a 9-6 victory against Binghamton, All-Americans Kayla Treanor and Halle Majorana didn’t take the field. Other prominent offensive role players like Nicole Levy and Riley Donahue struggled to convert on offense.

In need of someone to step up, Kelzi Van Atta notched a hat trick, the first three goals of the sophomore attack’s career.

“Once we were able to pull away and succeed with goals and turnovers and all of that, it was definitely it was a good feeling,” Van Atta said.

Van Atta was the reason that Syracuse (4-0) managed to pull away. She worked hard before this season to convert into an attack after not playing much as a midfielder last season.

The switch started early on in the fall while Van Atta refined her skills with assistant coach Michelle Tumolo. As a midfielder, she had some experience playing in the opponents’ attacking zone, but the skill sets needed are a bit different.

“I guess on midfield a lot of it can be transitions and you still have to take the ball hard and know where to go,” Donahue said. “But sometimes on offense it’s knowing exactly where to be and clearing space more.”

Van Atta’s speed and athleticism, which directly relate to her dodging ability, will help her transition the most, Richard Curtis, her varsity head coach at Brighton (New York) High School, said.

On Sunday against Marist, Van Atta stood adjacent to the goal and sized up her defender. She took one explosive step to the right, curled all the way around and fired the ball in the net for her fourth goal of the season.

Van Atta also worked on her free-position shot before the season. Assistant coach Regy Thorpe praised her for going full speed in practice and putting in work after some players had already left the field. It paid off, as Van Atta scored two of her goals against the Bearcats on the free position.

As part of playing closer to the goal, Van Atta felt she needed to lean more on her stick skills, something she’d been able to rely on in the past. Those same stick skills were the reason Curtis called her up to play for the varsity team when she was in eighth grade.

Curtis said Van Atta will be able to make the transition to attack because she was a quick learner in high school. Whenever he told his versatile star to do something different, she did it.

“You didn’t have to shake things five different times, which was nice,” Curtis said. “You could teach it to her once and then she would get it.”

Some players need to fake a defender out, but Van Atta’s quick first step helps her blow right by them. Coupled with her stick skills, the two skills have helped Van Atta’s fit on SU’s second-line attack.

“We made the move in the fall, and we thought she stepped up and did a great job,” head coach Gary Gait said. “We’re excited that she did make the move.”

Published on February 24, 2016 at 12:51 am

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer