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For the first time since its opening game against then-No. 1 Northwestern, Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor made a change in the draw circle. Even though SU led 13-7, Treanor wasn’t satisfied with Kate Mashewske’s performance. The fifth-year senior struggled against UAlbany’s Haley Phalines and was replaced by Olivia Adamson starting at the 8:04 mark in the third quarter.

The change worked with Adamson winning five out of the six draws to end the quarter. With Adamson in as the main draw taker, Syracuse won nine and lost just three, helping it pull away in the second half.

“It’s just something that we saw and it was a great decision to go to (Adamson) and she was awesome when she came on,” Treanor said of the switch from Mashewske to Adamson postgame.

It was a mixed bag in the draw circle for No. 7 Syracuse (7-3, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) in its 20-11 victory over UAlbany (2-7, 1-0 America East). Despite winning her 400th career draw control against the Great Danes, Mashewske had one of her worst performances of the season. When she was replaced, UAlbany had controlled 15-of-22 draws. Adamson helped steady the unit as the Orange ended up with 16 while the Great Danes totaled 18. Despite SU’s inefficiency at times with draws, it wasn’t an issue as the Orange cruised to a third straight win.

When Mashewske went down with a season-ending knee injury on March 11, 2023, against Notre Dame, Adamson took over as the primary draw taker. She excelled in her new role, winning 107 draw controls across SU’s final 15 games, helping the Orange to a final four appearance. But when Mashewske announced her return to Syracuse for a fifth and final season, Adamson gave up her role, or at least was expected to.

Yet that wasn’t the case on Feb. 10 against Northwestern when Mashewski had a tough time against Samantha Smith. Mashewske had just three draw controls and Adamson was sprinkled in to try and stop the bleeding. But SU lost the draw battle 24-13 as its second-half comeback effort fell short.

Since then Mashewkse hasn’t been replaced and draws have largely been a non-issue until Tuesday. From the start, Phalines got the better of Mashewske, winning seven of the first eight draws. Phalines flipped the ball to herself on multiple occasions winning four draw controls, but she utilized her wings to pick up 50-50 balls after the initial clamp. UAlbany’s Katie Pascale controlled a game-high seven draws and gave the Orange fits in the first half.

“(Phalines) was just so dominant, to really get to where she wanted to be and her and her circle, you know, players just have such a great connection,” UAlbany head coach Katie Thomson said postgame. “They just had a great, great game plan and executed.”

Even with poor execution at the circle, it didn’t hurt Syracuse, as it kept the Great Danes offense quiet. The Orange were in cruise control for much of the game, leading UAlbany 6-2 at the end of the first quarter. A 15-minute scoreless run across the first and second quarters allowed SU to extend its lead to 12-5 at halftime. But goals from Pascale and Paisley Cook in the third quarter cut Syracuse’s lead to six before Treanor implemented Adamson in the circle.

On the first draw she took, Adamson simply flipped the ball in front of herself and picked up the ground ball before Phalines could react. After losing the next battle, Adamson finished the third quarter with four straight controls. Without using the wing players, Adamson took matters into her own hands, flipping the ball to herself each time.

Adamson explained that draws are all about focus and wanting to compete, so when she was called upon in the second half, that’s what she did.

“If they told me that I’m taking the draw that I just have to refocus and get my mindset, but I try to always be ready for anything,” Adamson said postgame.

After helping Syracuse build a 17-9 lead at the end of the third quarter, Adamson switched her tactics in the fourth quarter. She started to use her teammates to win draws. Adamson didn’t record a draw control win, but she helped Syracuse go 4-for-6 in the final 15 minutes as Katie Goodale, Emma Tyrrell, Lauren Call and Superia Clark all controlled draws.

Goodale explained that communication is key between the three players competing for the draw and it’s important to be on the same page. Syracuse’s dominance in the circle prevented UAlbany from building momentum as the Orange kept the Great Danes at arm’s length.

Even with Mashewske on the bench, it doesn’t mean Treanor’s confidence in her wavered. Treanor explained she still has “a lot of trust in (Mashewske) and that it’s great to have two good centers.

Mashewske remains SU’s best option in the draw going forward. With 53 games under her belt, she’s also one of the Orange’s most experienced players. But going forward if she ever is in a rough patch, Treanor can call on Adamson to come in and provide a different look.

“Whether that be offense defense or in the draw, it’s a team effort,” Treanor said. “Especially if somebody is a little off and needs somebody else to step up, and I thought (Adamson) was just really competitive tonight.”

Published on March 19, 2024 at 9:35 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22