Bobby Eilers

Senior, Simsbury, Conn.

Bobby Eilers ascended to the top of the ranks in Syracuse’s midfield in no time.

The former second-liner was selected in the 2012 Major League Lacrosse Draft and was named team captain to start the season.

His breakout moment came in last season’s New England Lacrosse Classic, when Eilers notched his first career hat trick in a 13-3 win over Providence. And entering this season, Eilers has emerged from the thick of the midfield competition to serve as the team’s anchor in the position this season. He will likely play on the starting midfield line with Hakeem Lecky and JoJo Marasco.

But Eilers was not willing to admit he had even secured a spot in head coach John Desko’s starting lineup.

‘There’s a fresh slate for every midfielder coming in here,’ Eilers said. ‘Every midfielder has a chance to start, so we really got after it in the fall, and we’re still getting after it everyday because no spot is secured yet.’

Eilers leadership abilities make him a prime candidate to lead the first line as Syracuse enters the season. He registered eight goals on the second midfield line a year ago and is helping develop some of the young midfield talent as well.

‘We have some very intricate plays here at Syracuse, but coach Desko teaches them well,’ Eilers said, ‘and sometimes the younger kids need to be refreshed and instead of going to the coaches they can come to us. … They’re never scared to ask, and we like when they ask because then we’re getting the plays right and everyone is on the same page.’

Hakeem Lecky

Redshirt freshman, Nantucket, Mass.

Hakeem Lecky is ready to go. After spending a year at prep school and redshirting last season due to a wrist injury, Lecky will finally get a chance to take the field for Syracuse this season.

‘I’m even more hungrier than I was last year because of the injury,’ Lecky said. ‘I’m excited to be back, just trying to work even harder than I did last year around this time that I got injured.’

The redshirt freshman was rated the No. 30 overall prospect by Inside Lacrosse coming out of Duxbury (Mass.) High School in 2009. He then spent a year at Avon (Conn.) Old Farms School before finally landing at Syracuse last season, when his college career was delayed another year.

Now, Lecky heads into the 2012 season as a part of SU’s first midfield line after the Orange lost its entire starting midfield line from a year ago. SU head coach John Desko said he planned to build the second midfield line around Lecky and to give him some time with the first line before he got hurt.

JoJo Marasco, who will play alongside Lecky on the first line, said Lecky is an explosive player who has worked hard to adapt his game coming off the injury, putting himself in position to become one of SU’s top playmakers this season.

‘He’s changed his game in the past couple years and really shows he’s a top middie in the country,’ Marasco said. ‘And he’s just a great player.’

 

Steve Ianzito

Redshirt junior, Clay, N.Y.

Steve Ianzito could finally relax out on the field. After notching his first career goal last year against Virginia, the midfielder started looking to make plays rather than avoiding mistakes.

Ianzito spent the first two games of the season trying not to lose his spot on the second midfield line. But when he got on the board against the Cavaliers, he realized he needed to stay aggressive to stay on the field.

‘Every game after that, I either had a point or was making big plays,’ Ianzito said. ‘So after I got that first goal, I definitely got a lot more confidence and built more confidence out there.’

Ianzito emerged as a key contributor on SU’s second line in 2011, recording a point in six of the Orange’s final 10 games. He played in all 17 games and finished the season with eight points on five goals and three assists. With that experience under his belt, the junior enters this season with confidence anchoring the second midfield line.

With the loss of the entire first unit from last season, Ianzito and his teammates will play a crucial role to give the offense a boost when called upon.

After last season, Ianzito knows what to expect. And after establishing himself as a playmaker on that second line, Ianzito said he plans to keep the same attacking mentality to make something happen when he’s out on the field.

 

Scott Loy

Sophomore, Toledo, Ohio

Scott Loy earned playing time as the 2011 season progressed, and he impressed his coaches along the way. Now, with a year under his belt, Loy is going to be expected to put that experience to good use as a member of the second midfield line.

The sophomore played in 15 games last season and scored three goals and had one assist. Compared to the amount of playing time he’ll see this year, that experience is fairly limited.

Still, Syracuse head coach John Desko has repeatedly said he likes what Loy can bring to the midfield. Along with Steve Ianzito and Henry Schoonmaker, the second midfield line could pack a significant offensive punch.

Though his playing time was somewhat limited, he still enters the 2012 season as one of the most experienced midfielders. Loy said that will only help when it comes to allowing the younger midfielders to have time to mature and develop.

When Loy began 2011, he said he was hesitant on the field because of a constant focus on avoiding mistakes. Once that hesitation faded away, though, Loy became a solid contributor.

And now in 2012, that’s the way he wants to play immediately.

‘Coach even told me last year in the beginning that I was playing a little tentative, trying not to make mistakes,’ Loy said. ‘He pretty much told me: ‘Start playing your game, don’t play reluctant.’ I think that’s really helped my confidence and my game in general.’

Henry Schoonmaker

Redshirt freshman, Portland, Ore.

Henry Schoonmaker jumped into the discussion of who he would step up to play in Syracuse’s midfield lines seemingly out of nowhere. The redshirt freshman was a relative unknown heading into fall practice, but after impressing the SU coaches with his abilities, Schoonmaker earned himself a spot on the second midfield line.

The Oregon native scored two goals in Syracuse’s scrimmage against the Alumni All-Stars back in October, proving his standout performances weren’t only in practices and essentially solidifying his role on a line. 

‘I think the biggest thing was just getting confidence,’ Schoonmaker said. ‘And obviously I just tried to work in the offense and the defense and show that I’m going to try to be a two-way middie and try to play some defense and do whatever they want me to do, try to work inside the offense, try to get some pass back and try to get some assists and goals.’

Schoonmaker redshirted his freshman season since the midfield lines were hammered out before practices ever began, and he likely wouldn’t have had much of a role. One season later, that’s all about to change. He’ll be on the second line along with Scott Loy and Steve Ianzito. 

While his college lacrosse experience is limited, the Oregon native boasts an impressive high school resume. Schoonmaker was a 2010 U.S. Lacrosse All-American and Oregon State Player of the Year. He also scored an astounding 68 goals while picking up 35 assists during his senior season. 

 

Kevin Drew

Senior, Katonah, N.Y.

Kevin Drew’s future on the lacrosse field is still uncertain.

The senior defensive midfielder was reinstated for classes at the beginning of the semester after a hit-and-run accident that occurred Oct. 24. Drew did not play in SU’s dual scrimmage against Hofstra and Le Moyne, but he is practicing with the team.

And despite the unsettled future, Drew is happy he still has that opportunity. As one of the few seniors on the team, Drew has used his defensive prowess to help teach some of his younger teammates.

‘I’ve been playing since my freshman year, so just letting the other guys know what to do at practice every day and how to get better,’ Drew said. ‘Just defensive stuff like teaching them when to slide and when to play hands and stuff like that.’

Last season, Drew was a rock at the defensive midfield position, playing in each of the Orange’s 17 games. He scored six goals and was third on the team with 14 ground balls.

It has yet to be seen how Drew will contribute this season, and with a young midfield in place, any contributions will surely help. Each player at the position has bigger responsibilities, but Drew knows they are capable of rising to the challenge.

‘We’ve got some kids that have been playing since they were little,’ Drew said. ‘… Everyone’s got to step up. We lost a lot of guys, but everyone has been playing at practice pretty good, so we’ll be all right.’

—Compiled by Ryne Gery, Chris Iseman and Andrew Tredinnick

Published on February 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm