Last season, when Kerry Defliese prepared for her sophomore season, Regy Thorpe presented her with a change. Defliese had redshirted her freshman campaign due to a concussion. So while practicing defensive drills, the associate head coach approached her.

“Do you want to play defense?” Defliese remembered he said.

Defliese had a history with the position at Garden City (N.Y.) High School. And at SU, her oldest sister, Caitlin, helped Thorpe coach the defenders. Defliese, then a midfielder, welcomed the challenge. “Sure, I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” Defliese answered.

During her first season as a defender, Defliese, along with Alexa Radziewicz and Ella Simkins who also moved from midfield, anchored No. 3 Syracuse’s (10-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) defense, SU head coach Gary Gait said. The three started all 19 games for SU, and Simkins was first on the team in caused turnovers (18) while Defliese and Radziewicz were tied for second with 15 apiece.

But, the defense was Syracuse’s weakest link — ranked 91st in the country for scoring defense — in its first losing season in program history. Now, the defense is causing turnovers and keeping opposing teams from going on scoring runs. They’re the part of the team Gait attributes SU’s wins.

“Kerry and Ella both embraced their roles on defense,” Radziewicz said. “They made the transition very well.”

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Against then-No. 12 Notre Dame on Sunday, Defliese and Syracuse’s backline led the second-half comeback — Syracuse had let up eight goals and 13 shots on goal in the previous frame. At halftime, the defense talked about guarding Maddie Howe, the Notre Dame attack who had six first-half points. SU zoned in and limited Howe to just one in the second frame as the rest of the unit blanketed UND’s attack.

Three of Syracuse’s four starting defenders are juniors. And while Defliese and Simkins lacked experience, the unit developed together, Radziewicz said. They’ve built trust and stronger communication skills to know where each other are on the field at all times.

They’ve made some technical changes as well. The backline prioritized one-on-one situations and gauged when to charge a ball handler. The added pressure brought Syracuse from 96th in caused turnovers last year to 33rd.

Each of the upperclassmen brings something to the defense as well, Radziewicz said. Simkins gets backchecks and causes a lot of turnovers. She is tied for first in the team as a result. Defliese brings aggression to the field and is able to get good “bumps,” first contact with a ball handler. As for Radziewicz, she prides herself on the ability to handle any attack’s dodge.

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Against Notre Dame, Defliese’s aggression slowed the game late in the second half. The Fighting Irish cleared the ball and rushed the net, but Defliese switched to guard the immediate threat. Her gamble caused the player to run behind the net and toe the endline.

After most games this season, Gait’s credited his defense. After the eventual 10-9 win on March 24, he didn’t waver.

“(The defense) were the stars of the game today,” Gait said on Feb. 12 after beating Binghamton, 15-5.

“The defense had a great second half,” he said after it held Notre Dame to one goal in the second half of SU’s 10-9 victory.

“Again, my hat goes off to the defense who just played amazing,” he said once the Orange beat Virginia, 16-11.

A veteran group has bounced back after a 2018 campaign proved the defense as Syracuse’s weakest link. Now, the defense has in part lifted the Orange past five ranked teams and to their highest ranking since 2016.

Published on March 27, 2019 at 12:12 am

Contact Kaci: klwasile@syr.edu