John Desko knew there was a lot to replace and didn’t know who would step up. He knew finding that out would take time. So when his offense was still developing, he never panicked.

Throughout the season, the Orange has evolved. A team that lost four out of five in the middle of the season turned into one that’s won four straight, including an Atlantic Coast Conference championship, which clinched an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

“It’s been a challenge for us to figure out who we are … and trying to piece some things together at the offensive end of the field,” Desko said at media day on Jan. 11. “… I think as we go forward, you’re going to see changes during the season as we figure out our players and guys tend to rise to the top.”

With wins over North Carolina and Duke this past weekend, No. 5 SU (10-4, 2-2 ACC) has re-emerged as a contender to return to championship weekend for the first time since 2013. And a big reason behind it is Syracuse’s offensive fluidity in which the ball zips in and out of seams in opposing defenses and players use their skill sets to capitalize on cushions of space.

 

Hannah Wagner | Staff Photographer

The Orange’s first-line midfield of Sergio Salcido, Nick Mariano and Derek DeJoe boasts three players with the ability to snipe every open shot from as far as 15 yards out. Opponents have to make a decision: get burned by the midfielders on the perimeter or open up the core in front of the net for attacks like Dylan Donahue to sneak through.

The offense ranks 11th in the country with an average of 12.6 goals per game. During Syracuse’s current four-game win streak, it’s averaging a fraction fewer than that with 50 goals in that span. With the NCAA tournament set to begin in less than two weeks, the Orange’s offense is finally rounding into form.

“You have to peak at the end of the year,” Donahue said. “You don’t want to peak at the beginning of the year.”

Emma Comtois | Design Editor

One of the only things Desko could count on a few months ago was that Donahue would be the quarterback. Who would be catching, shooting and scoring after his passes was still unclear. But Mariano and Salcido have become the primary beneficiaries of Donahue’s savvy play.

Through the first 10 games of the season, Salcido averaged of 1.6 goals per game. In the past four, he’s averaging two goals per game. Mariano also bumped up his scoring averages from 2.2 in the first 10 to 2.5 in the last four. Three of the last four games came against teams ranked in the top 13.

“I think it takes a little pressure off (Donahue) that the midfielders are doing a little more than we’re used,” Mariano said.

With five and a half minutes left in the second quarter against North Carolina on Friday, the Orange showed why its offensive has become so dangerous. Donahue (yellow rectangle below) carried the ball behind the net as Mariano (blue rectangle in second and third photos), a lefty, set up on the left wing.

Courtesy of ESPN3

Courtesy of ESPN3

As soon as Mariano caught the ball, two UNC defenders (red circles below) shifted their attention and their bodies toward him. That opened up space (white rectangle) for attack Tim Barber to have a wide-open chance on the crease.

Courtesy of ESPN3

“Any time you get the defense to pressure out, it leaves so many openings underneath,” Donahue said. “It’s kind of like basketball with 3-point shooters. If a team’s shooting real hot, it leaves everything else open, too.”

On Sunday against Duke, Mariano capitalized as a scorer while Donahue (yellow rectangle) drew the defensive attention. About three minutes into the third quarter, Donahue carried the ball behind the net. As he curled closer and closer to goal-line extended, a second Blue Devils defender (red circles) shifted his eyes toward him.

Courtesy of ESPN3

So Donahue dished the ball to Mariano (blue rectangle) standing near the restraining line with several feet (white rectangle) to crow-hop before shooting. Seconds later, the ball was in the back of the net.

Courtesy of ESPN3

Courtesy of ESPN3

“Having (Donahue) draw the slides for us, we try to help him and can our shots whenever we can,” Mariano said, “because he’s doing all the work and that’s us paying it back to him.”

Poetry in motion. Clicking on all cylinders. Locked in a groove. Any cliché would work.

What was unknown four months ago is now nearly a surefire lock.

Published on May 3, 2016 at 1:47 am

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds