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Jannemijn Deutman wasn’t used to being noticed. Through years of playing field hockey in the Netherlands, she never received individual recognition for her skills. But after a stellar freshman season in Syracuse’s backline, a month ago, Deutman earned Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. She didn’t even know the All-ACC team existed at the time.

“I was not prepared for it,” Deutman said. “A lot of friends on social media told me congratulations and I was like ‘huh, what are you talking about?’”

Deutman’s career began at the age of 7 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the world’s top field hockey nation. She played for one of the best U18 teams in the country, HC Rotterdam, and since then, Deutman has blossomed into one of the best defenders in the ACC.

In her last season playing for HC Rotterdam, Deutman led her team to a Dutch National Top Competition Winter championship. The title game was decided by a penalty shootout, where Deutman converted on her shot.

“Her whole career built up to that moment,” said Floriske, Deutman’s mother.

Deutman held onto her medal after moving to Syracuse, using it as a reminder for “what it feels like to win.” Her desire to win was comparable to Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley, who wanted Deutman to help SU win another national championship. Floriske said Deutman felt a connection to Bradley and SU right away.

“Jannemijn came downstairs and she said ‘this is it, I have such a good feeling.’” Floriske said.

Deutman was drawn in by how well Bradley’s squad played cohesively. Bradley was struck by the talent Deutman displayed during the recruiting process, and thought Deutman’s impressive “size, speed and athleticism” would mesh with Syracuse’s play style.

“The way we play, you need to be able to run,” Bradley said.

While dealing with the struggles of moving countries, it was important for Deutman to gain a strong bond with her teammates early on. 11 SU players are Netherlands natives, so these struggles are common. Deutman said the team helps each other by simply talking about some of their respective struggles being far away from home.

“We had a lot of talks with the whole team, and that really helped me out,” Deutman said. “Everyone says how they feel, and you kind of know that everyone struggles.”

After arriving at Syracuse, Deutman kept in touch with friends and family via facetime every single day. But at times during the season, she felt a bit off. Her teammates got her back to her usual form.

Deutman’s parents were also worried about their daughter’s adjustment to a new country. They didn’t know if she had enough time to settle in, but they were advised to have Deutman come to Syracuse in the early summer to get started on classes.

“It was the best decision to send her to school in the summer to get her adjusted and make her feel at home,” Floriske said. “It was really good for her to have the summer period to get adjusted.”

Once she adjusted, Deutman took off in 2022. With her ability to play multiple positions, she was easily plugged into the lineup. Her willingness to switch directions and take on different challenges helped SU replace injured players.

“She moved around from left back, center back, even left mid at times,” Bradley said. “From the beginning of the season she was just so flexible and was able to be a utility player for us.”

Deutman’s speed and close-down ability made her an integral part of SU’s defense.

“I mean, you see what she did,” Bradley said. “Second Team All-ACC as a freshman defender, that says a lot.”

Deutman is slated for an increased role next year as she becomes more experienced. Despite being one of the younger defenders on the team, Bradley is not worried about how she will respond to the challenge.

“I have all the faith in the world in her,” Bradley said.

Published on November 28, 2022 at 12:13 am

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews