Lies Lagerweij and Roos Weers have not always been best friends. Before coming to SU, the two roommates battled head-to-head in club tournaments in the Netherlands. With Lagerweij at forward and Weers playing back, the now-teammates competed directly against each other.

“She was very skillful,” Weers said. “But she was always kind of lazy and my coaches would say, ‘just keep her in front of you and once you get past her don’t worry about her anymore.”

Both Weers and Lagerweij have progressed since their days in the Netherlands. The Dutch players left their rivalry overseas and learned to utilize each other’s skill sets. The two backs lead No. 3 Syracuse (12-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) in points. Lagerweij holds the top spot with 23 points coming on 11 goals and one assist, while Weers trails by just a point boasting eight goals and six assists on the season. The Orange travels to No. 13 Boston University for a game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Weers and Lagerweij use honesty to support each other on the back line. When Lagerweij doesn’t play to her abilities Weers lets her know it. Lagerweij also returns the favor and picks up the slack.

As often as they feed off each other when playing well, they also step up at different moments. In Weers’s two best games of the year, she carried Syracuse with four points against Duke and Cornell while Lagerweij failed to score a point in those two games. Similarly, against Bucknell, Weers failed to record a point while Lagerweij tallied five.

“You know I got you, it’s fine,” Lagerweij said to a struggling Weers against then-No. 11 Wake Forest. A simple gesture, but one that kept Weers focused while her teammate stepped up. Lagerweij scored the fourth and final goal of the game to seal the 4-2 victory for the Orange.

“We keep each other sharp in practice when one of us isn’t playing well,” said Lagerweij. “… We are really hard on each other I think and very honest with each other.”

The two backs have learned to rely on each other in key situations. Weers is a more power defender. She lacks the close stick handling ability of Lagerweij, forcing her to rely on strength to clear the ball.

With one stroke of the stick, Weers can launch a ball soaring through the air 70 yards downfield. Lagerweij prefers to dangle through defenders sometimes maneuvering through two or three before finding open space.

“(Lies) is one of the most skillful players in the country. I am not the skillful in the small area,” Weers said. “So when there’s full pressure I just give her the ball and she will come out of there.”

After starting all but one game together over the last two seasons, Lagerweij and Weers have devolved a deep bond. When faced with adversity, the two frequently find each other as a bail out to avoid trouble.

A quick glance was all it took for Lagerweij to know what Weers was thinking in a 4-3 victory over Bucknell on Oct. 2. As the field shifted to one side, Lagerweij and Weers locked eyes. Without any form of communication, Lagerweij shifted against the flow of defense, finding herself wide open for a rocket from Weers. The ball snuck in between defenders and landed on Lagerweij’s stick, who put the finishing touches on what would turn out to be the game winning goal.

“She’s really good at deceiving passes,” Lagerweij said. “But I just always know where she’s gonna go or where she’s looking to play.”

Published on October 19, 2016 at 11:03 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44