Whenever a player goes down, teams constantly preach the next-man-up mentality. There’s usually a drop-off in production. But for Syracuse, two absences may have had the opposite effect.

Two weeks ago, before the Orange hosted then-No. 9 Army on Feb. 24, starting defender Tyson Bomberry and second-line long-stick midfielder Andrew Helmer were listed as out with injuries. Replacing the two were Brett Kennedy and Jared Fernandez, both without any real game experience.

But the difference was minimal, as No. 6 Syracuse (3-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) won both games on late goals. Kennedy and Fernandez were at the forefront on some of those game’s biggest plays, totaling 18 ground balls and five caused turnovers.

After wins against Army and then-No. 4 Virginia, both opposing head coaches mentioned the added defensive pressure Fernandez had provided. Army head coach Joe Alberici said the team wasn’t expecting him to be a pest on the defensive end.

“(Fernandez) gave them a lot of energy as the second pole,” Alberici said. “… He got into some people’s gloves, made some plays.”

Though he finished with one caused turnover, Fernandez constantly pressured opposing midfielders. Standing at 5-foot-7, he doesn’t have the height advantage on most players. So he compensates with speed and aggressiveness.

Syracuse head coach John Desko noted Fernandez’s quick recovery time. Fernandez said he likes to attack and be aggressive because it normally gets the opponents nervous and unsure whether to pass or try and dodge. If someone beats Fernandez, he sprints back and is quickly on his assignment. In those split seconds, the opposition rarely has time to shoot.

“If I’m a little bit late, I try to go full speed so that way I can make up for my time,” Fernandez said. “(It’s) something I’ve picked up playing fast-paced in college and high school.”

Fernandez’s aggressiveness has not only led to Desko giving him more playing time than he expected in the wake of Helmer’s injury, but he is normally one of the two wings on faceoffs.

When Virginia stormed back and tied the game at 11 on Sunday, faceoff specialists Danny Varello and Justin Schwenk knelt down to take what could be the deciding faceoff with 1:41 left on the clock. Fernandez stood on the far wing. Once the whistle blew, he broke toward the grappling faceoff specialists.

The loose ball was popped away by Varello before dribbling away from his feet toward SU’s defensive zone. He charged after it but Fernandez was already there. He scooped the ball and spun by UVA’s Ian Laviano and passed. A minute later, freshman Tucker Dordevic scored the game winner.

“He frankly is a pain, because he gets on you and is checking your stick, always bothering you,” Desko said. “… It’s really his quickness and athletic ability. He’s got great acceleration along with speed.”

Fernandez finished the game with five ground balls and a caused turnover. But shortly after winning that last ground ball of the faceoff, he dropped to the ground. He tried dragging himself off the field before being met with trainers a few feet away from where he fell. His status remains unknown ahead of SU’s game on March 10 against No. 17 Johns Hopkins.

Redshirt freshman Kennedy usually complements Fernandez on the wings for faceoffs. For the majority of the last two weeks, Desko has used two long poles on faceoffs and against UVA, it seemed to pay off — the duo combined for 10 ground balls against the Cavaliers.

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Kennedy’s biggest contributions, however, have come late in games. Though SU lost a physical presence in Bomberry on the defensive side, Kennedy has stepped in seamlessly.

As the clock ticked under 25 seconds against Army, the Black Knights’ Conor Glancy took the ball at the X. He dashed farside, causing Nick Mellen and Austin Fusco to slide over to the senior attack. They left Sean O’Brien wide open.

Glancy quickly turned and fired a pass. Kennedy saw the opening and closed in on O’Brien who tried to pass the ball to the top of the key. Kennedy knocked the ball out of the air and boxed out O’Brien before scooping the ground ball.

While Kennedy’s defense is the reason he earned the starting gig in replacement of Bomberry, his offense helped Syracuse jump out to an early lead against Virginia.

Most defenders don’t try and run in transition with the offense. But once a Syracuse player scoops a loose ball, Kennedy begins sprinting upfield. Four separate times against UVA, he found himself alone in the attacking third with the ball in his stick. Every time, he took the shot.

And twice the ball beat freshman goalie Alex Rode, making the defense pay for not sliding toward Kennedy.

“He’s got a nose for the ball,” Desko said. “… He was almost overly aggressive when he came here and now he’s got a much better feel for the game.”

Desko said Bomberry will likely be back soon and that Helmer is out for a while longer. And if Fernandez’s unknown injury is severe, then Syracuse will just do the same thing it did two weeks ago: use the next man up.

Published on March 7, 2018 at 12:03 am

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco