Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Preseason Profile: Midfielders
8/13/2018 6:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse women's soccer is one day closer to the start of its regular season. The Orange host La Salle at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 inside SU Soccer Stadium to begin the year.
Up until kickoff, head coach Phil Wheddon and his staff continue to work around the clock inside Manley Field House to put the finishing touches on this year's squad. Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the home opener. Read part one of the Preseason Profile series, featuring the Orange's goalkeepers, here and part two, highlighting the defenders, here.
GETTING TO KNOW THE MIDFIELDERS
Junior Sydney Brackett is expected to drop back into the midfield this season and provide the offensive fireworks for the Orange. As a forward last season, the native of Hollis, N.H. led the squad in scoring with five goals while also leading the team in points (11) and shots (29).
"Syd is one of these players that you hope for great things," Wheddon said. "She's athletically very gifted, she has pace, she gets behind people. Now, she needs to be more of a finisher. She scored six goals in 11 games over the summer with her summer team, so we're looking for her to get those similar opportunities for us this year."
Wheddon said Brackett is likely to man the right side, where she will be in better position to create scoring chances for herself and her teammates.
"In the preseason, we've been really trying to help her combine with people and not just rely on pace," Wheddon said. "Combining with forwards, combining with central players to create more opportunities for herself and for the forwards, as well. I'm really hoping she can provide us with a number of assists and, with her pace, get herself in front of goal and finish for us."
Alongside Brackett, junior Georgia Allen is expected to take on an expanded role this season. Allen started 10 of Syracuse's 18 matches last season and led all Orange midfielders with four points.
The Orange, however, will open the season without Allen, who is representing her home country of England at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in the Brittany region of France. England went 2-0-1 in group stage play, defeating North Korea and Mexico and settling for a draw against Brazil. The Young Lionesses advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the Netherlands at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17.
Brackett and Allen's supporting cast in the midfield is made up of three underclassmen and one upperclassman. Sophomore Mackenzie Vlachos, freshman Meghan Root and junior Victoria Hill will see opportunities in the middle, with sophomore Kate Donovan on the left side.
Vlachos was one of two freshmen to have started in all 18 games for the Orange last season. She tabbed her first career shot against Cornell (8/31) and finished the season playing a season-high 110 minutes at Virginia Tech (10/26).
Root, an Arcade, N.Y. native, is another talented freshman recruited under Wheddon's watch. She joins the Orange from Pioneer Central High School, where she tallied 45 goals and 13 assists as senior, leading the team to the Section 6 Class A Championship. She finished her high school career with 126 goals and 64 assists.
Hill, from Newtown, Pa., appeared in four games for Syracuse in 2017. She recorded her first shot on goal on the season against Fairfield (9/3) and played a season-high 45 minutes at NC State (10/14).
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Syracuse opens the 2018 regular season against La Salle at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at SU Soccer Stadium.
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
Up until kickoff, head coach Phil Wheddon and his staff continue to work around the clock inside Manley Field House to put the finishing touches on this year's squad. Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the home opener. Read part one of the Preseason Profile series, featuring the Orange's goalkeepers, here and part two, highlighting the defenders, here.
GETTING TO KNOW THE MIDFIELDERS
Junior Sydney Brackett is expected to drop back into the midfield this season and provide the offensive fireworks for the Orange. As a forward last season, the native of Hollis, N.H. led the squad in scoring with five goals while also leading the team in points (11) and shots (29).
"Syd is one of these players that you hope for great things," Wheddon said. "She's athletically very gifted, she has pace, she gets behind people. Now, she needs to be more of a finisher. She scored six goals in 11 games over the summer with her summer team, so we're looking for her to get those similar opportunities for us this year."
Wheddon said Brackett is likely to man the right side, where she will be in better position to create scoring chances for herself and her teammates.
"In the preseason, we've been really trying to help her combine with people and not just rely on pace," Wheddon said. "Combining with forwards, combining with central players to create more opportunities for herself and for the forwards, as well. I'm really hoping she can provide us with a number of assists and, with her pace, get herself in front of goal and finish for us."
Alongside Brackett, junior Georgia Allen is expected to take on an expanded role this season. Allen started 10 of Syracuse's 18 matches last season and led all Orange midfielders with four points.
The Orange, however, will open the season without Allen, who is representing her home country of England at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in the Brittany region of France. England went 2-0-1 in group stage play, defeating North Korea and Mexico and settling for a draw against Brazil. The Young Lionesses advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the Netherlands at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17.
Brackett and Allen's supporting cast in the midfield is made up of three underclassmen and one upperclassman. Sophomore Mackenzie Vlachos, freshman Meghan Root and junior Victoria Hill will see opportunities in the middle, with sophomore Kate Donovan on the left side.
Vlachos was one of two freshmen to have started in all 18 games for the Orange last season. She tabbed her first career shot against Cornell (8/31) and finished the season playing a season-high 110 minutes at Virginia Tech (10/26).
Root, an Arcade, N.Y. native, is another talented freshman recruited under Wheddon's watch. She joins the Orange from Pioneer Central High School, where she tallied 45 goals and 13 assists as senior, leading the team to the Section 6 Class A Championship. She finished her high school career with 126 goals and 64 assists.
Hill, from Newtown, Pa., appeared in four games for Syracuse in 2017. She recorded her first shot on goal on the season against Fairfield (9/3) and played a season-high 45 minutes at NC State (10/14).
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Syracuse opens the 2018 regular season against La Salle at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at SU Soccer Stadium.
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
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