With 10 seconds on the clock against Binghamton, freshman Bella Recchion had the ball in her stick. As the clock ticked down, she wound her stick back and shot the ball. It flew past the goalie and hit the back of the net as the final buzzer echoed through the Carrier Dome.

In the final three seconds, Recchion snagged her first career goal.

Recchion was one of four players to have their first goal of the season for No. 5 Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) against Binghamton. In the first three games, 17 different players were a part of SU’s 52 goals scored. It’s that balanced, diversified attack that’s propelled Syracuse to three blowout wins thus far in 2017.

Head coach Gary Gait has let every player see the field at some point this season. Twenty-nine players saw the action in all three games, and 38 have made at least two appearances. With a majority of players getting field time, there are a lot of opportunities for more than just the top scorers to find the net.

“We always like to try and play everybody so when we can we give them the opportunity to learn from it. It’s valuable experience,” Gait said. “It’s part of the reason why I think you saw so many players that have limited experience step up on that field last weekend.”

When SU was down 2-1 in the season opener against Boston College, Devon Parker ran through a group of Boston College defenders and flipped the ball to Riley Donahue. Donahue, on the left side of the net, took aim and tied the game at 2-2.

Donahue’s goal was the first of her 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) so far this season. She is one of four players to have eight or more points after the first three games of the season. Nicole Levy (10), Emily Hawryschuk (eight) and Mary Rahal (eight) round out the top four.

“Our team is so great and we have so many people who have filled in and mixed in with our team,” Donahue said. “Believing in each and every person is just what’s going to work for us.”

Syracuse lost last year’s key scorers, Kayla Treanor and Halle Majorana. With the two impact players in the lineup last season, it took Syracuse three games and 14 minutes and 27 seconds of a fourth game to reach the 52 goals SU has so far in the season.

In the first 52 goals of last season, there were four girls with more than eight points, similar to this season. The difference between last season and this season is that 11 players this season have four or more points. Last season, there were only seven.

“We’ve got a lot of new players actually playing,” redshirt junior midfielder Taylor Gait said, “so we’ve really worked on our chemistry for each line.”

Out of the 17 players who has contributed a point, Kerry Defliese is the only one without a goal. She racked up an assist late in first half of the Binghamton game. Over the first three games, seven different players scored their first ever goal for the Orange.

“We’re going to continue kind of with that system,” Gary Gait said, “of giving kids time, giving them experience so that when it’s their turn to step up, they’re ready to go.”

Published on February 20, 2017 at 9:56 pm

Contact Kaci: klwasile@syr.edu