H

ead coach Kayla Treanor said the draw is one of the most unique parts of lacrosse. Former Syracuse attack Emily Hawryschuk, who also took draws, said it’s extremely technical and requires attention to detail.

SU’s Kate Mashewske, one of the country’s best at the position, has learned under both Treanor and Hawryschuk, two of the best draw-control specialists in Syracuse history.

“A lot of prep that goes into it,” Hawryschuk said of the draw. “I mean, it is unique because there is so much to go through and you could sit there and talk about it for hours.”

At Syracuse, Mashewske ranked sixth nationally in draw controls last season and doubled her per-game average from the previous year. In 2022, Mashewske recorded 178 draw controls, averaging 8.48 draw controls per game to rank third all-time on the program’s single-season record list. After developing her draw skills since fourth grade with her father, Tim, Mashewske has benefited from both Trearnor and Hawryschuk’s knowledge.

Mashewske attributes much of her growth at Syracuse to Treanor, who was SU’s draw-control specialist in 2016, when she broke the NCAA Division-I record for draw controls in a season with 217. That stood until 2019 but is still the SU single-season record. 

“I would say (Treanor) definitely has impacted my game to current day the most,” Mashewske said. “She is so skilled and so smart and just sees it (the draw) in different ways that I haven’t seen before.” 

Treanor described Mashewske as a “fearless competitor” at the draw. When Treanor was an assistant at Boston College in 2021 she was tasked with game-planning against her. Mashewke said that perspective has helped her understand how other opposing coaches view her. 

“Kate’s a sponge,” Tim said. “She loves coach Treanor and, from being at that position and being very good at that position, she’s able to really dissect Katelyn’s game and help her.”

Tim, who was Mashewske’s travel lacrosse coach for six years, said that it’s been “amazing” to see her progress at Syracuse, saying that he could “only get her so far.” Treanor and Hawryschuk took it from there.

“Kate is extremely determined to be the best draw-taker in the country,” Treanor said. “She has really become, for lack of better words, fluent in it, and she really understands it.”

Mashewske got to this level by devoting herself to winning. In fact, her teammates even make jokes with her because “she is so competitive all the time,” Treanor said. Treanor relates to being the most competitive person on the field, saying that Mashewske will “absolutely” be aiming to have the most draw controls in the NCAA this season. 

Hawryschuk, who’s now an assistant coach at Niagara, overlapped with Mashewske for three seasons. The two formed a close bond on the draw team together, with Hawryschuk taking a mentorship role. They watched film together and worked on their craft to “perfect all the intricacies of the position,” Hawryschuk said.

But during practice, a few days after the 2021 season-opener, Hawryschuk suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her fifth year, which meant Mashewske saw her playing time increase as a sophomore. That bond only got stronger as the pair spent hours simply talking about the game and technique.

Hawryschuk remembered sitting on the bench during one game shortly after her injury when Mashewske went in for the draw – afterward, Mashewske sprinted down the field to Hawryschuk at the end of the bench to check if she had made the right play. They conversed back-and-forth a few times before Mashewske went back for the draw. Hawryschuk said that moment was typical of Mashewske, always looking to get better.

Similar to Hawryschuk’s injury, during her 8th grade year, Mashewske was on a fast break and cut left past a defender – her right knee buckled. She had torn her ACL. Mashewske had been brought up to varsity lacrosse in 8th grade at Rush-Henrietta High School (NY). It was right before the first game of sectionals, where the team would later lose without its top draw-control specialist.

Rather than going to the hospital, she stayed glued to the bench, tears rolling down her face while she cheered on her team. Mashewske told head coach Tom MacMillan that she would be back, and she’d be better than ever.

Mashewske made a full recovery within just seven months. When she returned, she was better than ever, MacMillan said. 

“Usually for your ACL, your first season back, you kind of baby that mentally,” MacMillan said. “That didn’t really happen to Kate. She came back and I truly believe that made her stronger and more determined than ever to be even better.”

Mashewske is always looking to improve on the little things to become the best, just like Tim taught her all those years ago rehabbing from her ACL tear, she said. The daily exercises and tedious tasks made all the difference. Rather than being deterred by the injury, she described it as the catalyst for her career. 

Mashewske continued to grow on the field, quickly becoming a top player nationally. She earned the No. 30 ranking on Inside Lacrosse’s class of 2019 before committing to Syracuse. 

This season, Mashewske, a senior, will be taking more of an offensive role in transition, whereas last year she played more defensively off the draw. Treanor said Mashewske has worked on stickhandling and athleticism to be ready to push the ball off the draw. Hawryschuk said Mashewske will “crush” that role, as she came into SU as a true midfielder as well as a draw-control specialist.

“Now, she has the ability to push transition a little bit more and feel confident going to the cage,” Treanor said.

Treanor remembered a game against Florida last season where Syracuse was down big early after six unanswered goals from the Gators in the first half. But Mashewske kept her foot firmly on the gas, winning several key draws to help the Orange fight back. The Gators won 14-10, and although Mashewske had nine draw controls in a hard-fought game, she was furious at the loss, as it was the team’s second in four games.

Mashewske’s personal goal is simply to “keep improving to make my team successful,” she said. After last season’s exit in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, Mashewske’s sole intention for this season is to win a championship. 

And while Treanor and Hawryschuk harped on the possibility of Mashewske reaching the top of the NCAA in draw controls this season, Tim said Mashewske has never cared for individual accolades. 

“I’ve always told her that individual accolades in a team sport mean nothing, stay humble,” Tim said.

Photo is by Trent Kaplan | Staff Photographer

Published on February 2, 2023 at 12:04 am

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu