When she needs to clear the ball out of her zone, goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan defers to Taylor Bennett. Bennett winds up, swings and pummels the ball 60 yards downfield. It’s a skill that got her to this point in her career. It’s also one she’s looking to stifle.

Bennett has relied on her ability to drive or serve the ball far across the field. It’s a staple of her game. Now, to fit head coach Phil Wheddon’s philosophy of short passes for Syracuse (5-3-2, 0-1-1 Atlantic Coast), she’s working to offer shorter passes to bolster SU’s transition game.

“My philosophy is very much in possession and keeping the ball,” Wheddon said. “I think any time you put the ball in the air and play a long ball it’s a 50/50 ball. I’d rather keep the ball on the ground and keep it moving.”

Growing up in Dryden, New York, about 40 miles south of Syracuse, Bennett made varsity as a seventh grader.  Her mother, Janine, doubled as her physical education teacher and soccer coach. Her sister, Leighann, owns Dryden High School’s single-season goals record.

Bennett loved to score. She practiced the timing and precision needed to launch the ball high and far, and it began to yield encouraging results. She flourished by putting the ball in the air above young goalkeepers who couldn’t block the upper parts of the net. She grew into a larger frame and diversified between shooting, serving and driving off her right leg.

Bennett was recruited to SU as a defender, so she shifted her focus away from goal-scoring and toward defense. She moved positions under her mother’s coaching on the Syracuse Development Academy. Instead of firing balls on net, she worked on kicking them across midfield out of her zone.

Last year, Bennett started in all 19 games. Her leg was an asset on free kicks. It also gave Wheddon a layer of versatility. She scored against Cornell on Aug. 31 after an early foul in the box gave Syracuse a penalty shot from close-range.

“We can connect with one or two touch-passing,” Wheddon said. “But also (have) the ability to play that longer ball when needed.”

This year, Syracuse shifted to a three-back system, placing more pressure on Bennett and the rest of the defense to get stops shorthanded and start a counter attack.

For Bennett, that meant playing wider on her section of the field, positioning herself while organizing players and kicking fewer long balls.

This season, SU has turned over balls immediately after getting stops when opposing teams cut in between its defense. The long ball can quickly move it out of the zone, but it becomes readable by defenses who drop back to track and fight for the ball.

“You have to pull it out, play short around them and play some balls in on the ground at player’s feet,” Bennett said, “so that I give my own players a rest and they don’t have to run all the time.”

On Sunday against Clemson Bennett set up several opportunities for the Orange by looping balls from the midfield on set pieces into the goal area.

On passes, she’s looking to bend the ball around defenders and keep the ball on the ground. The goal is to not rely on the long ball for advancement. Her power jump-started her career early in her life. Now she’s adjusting to keep pace.

“We’re challenging Taylor to play with more diversity,” Wheddon said, “and play penetrating balls on the ground and link passes and combine more.”

Published on September 25, 2017 at 10:50 pm

Contact Bobby: rpmannin@syr.edu