Matt Pratt never really entertained the notion.

Playing for Syracuse would be a dream, but it seemed out of reach. A lack of interest from Division-I teams, including the Orange, dispelled the possibility of one day playing on the Carrier Dome turf.

But two standout seasons at Onondaga Community College changed all of that.

‘Going to (OCC) was one of my only options,’ Pratt said. ‘But then, going to Syracuse, obviously being from Binghamton and being from the area, as soon as they talked to me it kind of opened my eyes, and it was like, ‘Wow, this would be great.”

In each of his two seasons at OCC, Pratt helped lead the Lazers to national championships. He also earned himself National Junior College Athletic Association All-American twice. He did it all in the shadows of the Carrier Dome, out of the spotlight and off the college lacrosse radar. After his first season at OCC, the SU coaching staff began talking to him about the possibility of joining the Orange. It became official during his second year. Pratt would play for Syracuse for his junior season. When he completed his two years at OCC, Pratt moved up the road to SU, earned himself a spot on Syracuse’s third midfield line and showed his ability quickly — on national television — when he scored his first SU goal against No. 1 Virginia last Sunday.

Pratt will look to help Syracuse (2-1) rebound from its 14-10 loss to the Cavaliers when the Orange plays St. John’s in its first Big East game Saturday at 1 p.m. in Queens, N.Y.

‘He’s won two championships at OCC, and it shows when he steps on the field,’ junior midfielder JoJo Marasco said. ‘He can play with anyone.’

Although when he started high school, Pratt didn’t think so.

The Binghamton native wasn’t recruited heavily going into college. And Pratt wasn’t interested in the schools that did call. So he chose to attend OCC for two years before moving to another program.

When it comes to junior college lacrosse, OCC ranks near the top. In the two seasons Pratt was with the Lazers, they won national championships, NCJAA Region III titles and Mid-State conference championships.

In his sophomore year, Pratt scored 36 goals and notched 35 assists during OCC’s 19-0 season. And as it turned out, that was also his year of preparation for the Orange.

Once Syracuse started talking to him, Pratt said, his future was defined.

Pratt brought a versatile skill set to the SU midfield with the ability to play both offense and defense, something Marasco said is rare in college lacrosse. Most midfielders focus only on being proficient at one end of the field, but Pratt’s more than competent at both. He can clear the ball, ride, score and defend equally well.

‘He’s in there on defense, offense, he’s a great two-way middie,’ SU midfielder Ryan Barber said. ‘He really brings a lot to this team, so every game we play, the more he’s out there, the better his confidence is.’

Pratt received his first exposure to the increased level of attention that follows Syracuse lacrosse when the team played No. 1 Virginia last weekend.

In the second quarter, Pratt dodged Cavaliers defender Matt Lovejoy from the left of the crease and took a hard shot into the upper part of the net for a goal.

The line of Pratt, Barber and midfielder Luke Cometti has produced six goals so far this season, giving Syracuse plenty of production on the third line.

Barber said Pratt’s ‘underrated’ speed keeps opposing defenses moving, which creates open space for the Orange’s scorers to shoot or feed off to someone else.

‘I think it was just him getting comfortable with who he’s playing with and the offenses we were running,’ Barber said. ‘But he really stepped in and jumped right into contributing right away.’

Pratt’s seeing increased time on the field every game, especially with the way his line has been playing. And the more he plays, the quicker he’ll get to the high level he was playing at during his time at OCC.

‘His confidence is rising every week, and he’s more and more comfortable with that line, and he’s getting a lot more runs,’ Marasco said. ‘I think that’s huge for him, and he’s starting to play like he did at OCC, and he’s bringing it to a higher level now at Syracuse.’

cjiseman@syr.edu

Published on March 7, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman