For the Syracuse women’s soccer team, a preseason camping trip wasn’t about learning plays. It was about gaining trust — an important component for such a young squad.

So when SU started five freshmen and four sophomores in the opening game this season, the players knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses as a result of that trip.

‘I think you can’t just learn something from the whole team,’ freshman Alyscha Mottershead said. ‘You have to learn what each individual likes. I feel like we’ve learned what everyone likes and dislikes, and everyone is very team-oriented. That alone makes us a very good team.’

Head coach Phil Wheddon has used a lineup consisting of predominantly freshmen and sophomores in every game this season. Wheddon knows these young players are capable of competing in the Big East. And they have proven him right.

Other coaches throughout the country have even complimented Wheddon on his lineup’s potential.

‘We are going to have immediate experience, and a lot of teams across the conference and the country are saying, ‘You know, you’re going to be good next year,” Wheddon said. ‘That’s not good enough for us. We want to be good this year. I think we’ve taken our lumps, and that is part of the experience. Learning on the fly is one of the drawbacks, but overall I think our team has done very well.’

With just one senior in the starting lineup, the Orange has already matched its win total from last season. The upperclassmen have had to mesh with a majority of sophomores and freshmen, but the body of talent on the roster has ensured a competitive product.

Wheddon has seen the benefits of consistently deploying a young starting lineup. Freshmen have not been playing roles as simple substitutes. They continue to get substantial playing time in a vastly competitive conference. For Wheddon, only good things can come of this.

‘It’s invaluable, and they know what to expect from day one,’ Wheddon said. ‘It’s not a case of just getting your feet wet, but they’re actually playing day in and day out. For me and for us, we feel that this experience is absolutely invaluable.’

The transition may be the hardest part for any incoming freshman, but a bonding experience, such as the camping trip in the second week of the preseason, has only propelled this team forward.

Freshman midfielder Rachel Blum explained that the game may be a lot faster than in high school, but the older and younger girls have been able to collaborate extremely well. The freshmen have been making the most of their early game experience.

‘It’s been a really easy transition,’ Blum said. ‘The older girls have made it really simple for us. They’ve taught us how the team works, and it’s been easy to slide right in, and we’re just trying to do our best to show that we’re here for the team.’

The younger players have been able to gain vital experience many other teams do not provide. Mottershead has been able to take what she has learned from the veterans and turn it into success for the team this season.

During Sunday’s game against DePaul, she made a run opposite of senior Megan Bellingham. Mottershead snuck in behind the defense and junior Casey Ramirez fed her the ball. All Mottershead had to do was tap the shot over the goalkeeper for a goal. She did just that.

The product was a direct result of knowing each other’s tendencies.

And for the newcomers, despite not knowing each other too well during that preseason camping trip, they’ve forged a bond that enabled the team to mature together.

‘We’ve really been molding as a team,’ Blum said. ‘We have a lot of dynamic players and a lot of girls that work really hard. So we can only go up from here.’

adtredin@syr.edu

Published on October 5, 2010 at 12:00 pm