Martina Loncarica was supposed to be on an airplane headed home to Buenos Aires. Her father, who was anxiously anticipating Loncarica’s return from her sole recruiting visit in the United States, knew this. The free-spirited 18-year-old did not.

Rather than sitting 38,000 feet sky high that August 2007 day, Loncarica was busy sprinting up, and falling down, the local hills with her future Syracuse field hockey teammates at Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville, N.Y. on a team scavenger hunt. While her father’s calls were going unanswered back on campus, Loncarica was sustaining cuts and scrapes all over her hands and knees. It was a hint to the team of the still uncommitted recruit’s passionate personality that she exudes on and off the field.

Loncarica’s fun-loving way of life has enabled her to switch from the attacking style of play she has known her entire life to a more defensive role, as one of Syracuse University’s defensive center midfielders this year. As a freshman in 2008, Loncarica earned All-American accolades as one of the Orange’s primary scorers but has embraced and succeeded in her new position – arguably the most important role on the team.

‘It’s a huge adaptation to put structure and adapt that freedom, the freeness with which she lives,’ SU head coach Ange Bradley said. ‘I think she has embraced the fact that she likes controlling the center of the field and helping the team. And now she is able to play disciplined and combine individual flair. It’s just the best of both worlds.’

When Loncarica returned to campus from the team activity two years ago, twigs in her hair and all, she was notified of her father’s frantic calls. She proceeded to call him back.

‘He was like, ‘What are you doing’,’ said Loncarica, who teammates call ‘Martu.’ ”You are supposed to be on the plane right now’. And I said, ‘No, Dad.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah.’ But then I went to go pick up my itinerary, and he was right, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’

With that experience, Bradley figured out just how unique of a person Loncarica is.

Bradley already knew she was a tremendous attacking talent. In the coach’s mind, she was a ‘program changer’ that Syracuse had not recruited before.

With that on-field passion also come a zest for life, the flair that none of Loncarica’s future teammates had ever seen before.

‘Martu’s someone that I have never met in my entire life,’ said junior Maggie Befort, who was a freshman at the time of Loncarica’s visit. ‘Coach’s right: she loves filling new experiences. She’s not afraid in her own skin at all to do anything she wants. She’s a great player. She’s fun to watch, fun to play with.’

Eventually, Loncarica got her act together and found her way back home. Less than a year later, she made the trip back to Syracuse, this time for good. With that plane ride back to SU came that love for life. But more importantly for the team’s fortune that relentless Argentine playing style came along with it.

Loncarica’s 100-miles per hour, full-speed-ahead attack and mindset fit in well with the team in 2008, thanks in large part to All-American Shannon Taylor’s dominance over the defensive center midfield role.

‘We talked about it last year,’ Bradley said of trying Loncarica in a more defensive position. ‘We tried playing her there last winter. But she just didn’t have the discipline that was needed to play like Shannon Taylor.’

In the eyes of Bradley, Loncarica was a wild horse that didn’t need to be tamed. There was no need for the coach to pull in the reigns. But after Taylor’s departure this offseason, someone needed to fill that role. Despite Loncarica’s freeness, her raw talent and skills suited her for the slot – somewhat of a surprise to both her and Bradley.

‘I never thought she could play there,’ Bradley said. ‘She has been working so hard in practice and being able to get discipline into her game. Coming from Argentina there is a lot of passion, a lot of flair. A lot of individual flair. Coming to this culture especially in the role she is in now, requires a lot of structure and discipline, which has not been her forte with regard to playing styles. Not lifestyles.’

Talent and skill-set only carried Loncarica so far, though. The switch has been a struggle that has affected her statistics considerably. Last year, she was third on the team in goals (17) and first in assists (31). This year, she has only tallied one goal and nine assists, which is still good enough for the team lead.

‘It’s the first time I’m not really attacking in field hockey,’ Loncarica said. ‘It’s been a process. I’m usually very impatient, and I like to attack. But with time and game experience you tend to realize that it is not that bad, and you just have to settle and know the game a little bit more. It’s been a lot of work.’

Loncarica’s role became even more magnified less than a month ago when her partner who she has been splitting time with in the defensive midfield role, freshman Amy Kee, suffered a concussion against Michigan. The injury sidelined Kee for four games and threw Loncarica into an even greater role defensively.

Kee returned this weekend, though, and Bradley doesn’t know for sure how she is going to use Loncarica heading into the stretch run. For the third-year head coach, the switch has worked out well, and Bradley feels Loncarica has grown as a player. But SU (13-1, 3-0 Big East) can always use that Argentine attack, that free mindset.

‘For the last five games she has been doing a really solid job opening up our attack,’ Bradley said. ‘But we will probably mix up her role for the remainder of the season and even further down the line. It depends what we are playing against and depends on how other pieces of personnel fit.’

No matter where Loncarica is on the field, history suggests she will make the most of it. She always seems to.

Case in point: That trip with her future teammates to the state park in upstate New York, or a voyage across the country.

She did, after all, make a trip out to California last year for spring break with three of her friends from Argentina, including former SU field hockey player Mariana Vernet. Four people who knew next to nothing about the country.. They flew to Nevada, rented a car and drove south on famous California State Highway 1 through San Francisco, all the way to Los Angeles, and eventually to Disneyland.

Perhaps a suitable ending point for the lively Loncarica.

Said Bradley: ‘Wherever she is, things work out for her.’

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on October 13, 2009 at 12:00 pm