Roos Weers protected a slow-rolling ball as she turned 270 degrees around a Stanford attacker. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma Lamison 60 yards up field, breaking loose from a Cardinal defender.

Almost blindly, Weers smashed a pass across the center line and toward Lamison, watching as the ball connected with Lamison’s stick mere feet from the Stanford goal.

Lamison’s shot skirted wide, but the ending was irrelevant. Weers had just turned a play that looked like a defender’s scenario into a counterattack constructed of offensive genius in under five seconds.

All it took was one quick move.

Weers’ ability to spur SU’s counter attack from the defensive end has been one of the primary factors in No. 1 Syracuse’s (6-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) early season success and could be once again when the Orange visits No. 11 Wake Forest (4-2, 0-1) on Sunday at noon. The sophomore defender has a team-leading six assists and has also scored three goals on the season. With Weers as a key defender, SU has allowed just six goals all year, averaging only one per game.

Weers showcased her blistering abilities against Stanford in the first half Sunday along the bleacher-facing sideline of J.S. Coyne Stadium, snatching balls from defenders and whisking passes effortlessly up field. As Weers shifted positions, midfielders Serra Degnan and Laura Hurff helped fill her spot and let her push the offense.

“The midfield makes it possible for (the defenders) to move up for the counter,” Weers said. “Then the midfielders can stay back and help us play defense.”

During a timeout Sunday, Weers walked to the sideline and called midfielder Erin Gillingham over. Gillingham had just entered the game as a substitute. Weers began coaching her up, gesturing with her arms and hands as SU head coach Ange Bradley started talking to the rest of the team.

“Last year was her first year here, and she was coaching players just like that,” Lagerweij said. “That’s just something natural that she’s really good at, she’s really a leader for us.”

On Friday against Boston College, Weers snagged a stray ball after a BC penalty corner and made a split-second decision to send it up the field. While the rest of the Syracuse defenders chucked away their corner-masks, Weers lasered an 80-yard pass through the heart of the field to a running Elaine Carey.

“It’s not really something you see all the time,” Hurff said. “Most defenders don’t take the ball confidently into the circle, but Roos’ confidence in the circle is something that you just don’t see very often.”

Carey scooped up the ball and slotted it past BC goalie Audra Hampsch before several Eagles defenders even reacted to the pass. It was the epitome of a counter, and it was all thanks to Weers.

This weekend, Weers’ defending and counterattacking will be relied on heavily as the Orange travels to Wake Forest, a team which has scored 10 goals on the season. She will again have to be a wall on defense, but also a facilitator on offense — all while likely playing almost all 70 minutes of the game.

But for Weers, playing both sides and excelling is just another part of the game. It’s a role that she has assumed, and a role that won’t be changing any time soon.

“It’s not common, it’s special,” Bradley said of Weers’ skillset compared to other defenders. “And it’s really beneficial to us.”

Published on September 15, 2016 at 12:00 am

Contact Matt: mjfel100@syr.edu