Alexa Radziewicz was in her South Campus apartment on Feb. 27, nervous about the next day’s game. After Syracuse got off to a quick 4-0 start on the season, sweeping two doubleheaders against largely inferior opponents, the Orange was set to face its toughest challenge to that point, then-No. 7 Northwestern.

The SU freshman was tasked with shadowing the Wildcats’ Selena Lasota, who had scored seven goals and taken 25 shots in only two games.

All of a sudden, her phone lit up. It was a text message from SU defender and senior captain Mallory Vehar, telling her that she was going to do a great job the following day.

“It meant a lot that she texted me and let me know that she was there for me,” Radziewicz said.

Syracuse won that game, 16-12. While the game was a largely back-and-forth contest, Lasota was a total nonfactor, as she didn’t manage to get off any shots.

Inside Lacrosse ranked Radziewicz as the 19th best incoming freshman. Her play has improved as she’s gotten more comfortable and she’s helped No. 3 SU (7-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) strengthen an already formidable defensive unit that’s been the backbone of the team this year.

Radziewicz always had a strong support system at home with her parents and her older brother, Cody, who now starts for Johns Hopkins at midfield. The two would practice together, with Cody trying to dodge and his younger sister trying to stop him.

“He would help me with my stick skills … my footwork, moving laterally, side to side. He’s been a big part of why I love lacrosse,” she said.

The coaches have noticed Radziewicz’s skillset, praising her top-level speed. Gait singled her out when asked about defenders who had stepped up recently.

The upperclassmen have noticed her quality of play, too. Junior Kaeli O’Connor has been impressed with the rookie’s athleticism and confidence, and cited the Northwestern game as an impressive performance by any defender, let alone a freshman.

“We’ve asked her to shut off plays and she’s done that, we’ve asked her to clear the ball and she’s been great,” Gait said.

Radziewicz said the team has embraced her so far and that her teammates are helping her feel at home.

The one area that she wants to improve on moving forward is being more vocal on the field. Gait has said that his team’s defensive success is due to the unit’s fantastic communication, and O’Connor said that the biggest difference from last year was how much better they were at talking together as a team. But as Radziewicz continues to get more and more comfortable, that part should come too.

Published on March 21, 2016 at 10:54 pm

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer