UPDATED: July 4, 2017 at 11:54 p.m.

Joe Trimboli did not expect his son to touch the field his freshman year, let alone start in a game.

“I thought maybe (Syracuse) would even redshirt him,” Joe Trimboli said. “He was a true freshman at 18, so I didn’t know what to expect.”

Yet, in Syracuse’s seventh game of the season, Jamie Trimboli’s face popped up on the big screen, announced as a starter against Duke. One game earlier, he had the game-tying assist at Johns Hopkins. Trimboli’s quiet consistency prompted the line change, swapping the freshman with redshirt junior Matt Lane on the first midfield line.

In Trimboli’s first start, he took the biggest shot of his young career. On Syracuse’s first possession in overtime, Sergio Salcido turned and passed to the top of the offense. Trimboli jumped up and caught it. He turned and saw open space. Rather than passing with the game on the line, he didn’t hesitate, wound up and stuck it top shelf from 15 yards out.

Trimboli is one of the few freshmen who has steadily contributed for the No. 2 Orange (7-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast). The former second-line midfielder worked his way up the depth chart, earning the starting job alongside Salcido and Brendan Bomberry. He’s started in two of SU’s biggest games — Duke and top-ranked Notre Dame — as the only freshman in the starting rotation.

“You don’t get many opportunities,” Trimboli said. “You’ve got to stick them.”

Syracuse’s best freshman was built in the backyard of his then-Greece, New York, home. He and his brother, Joey, played until dark, mixing in goofy trick shots with actual skill development. Despite being six years apart, the two brothers were inseparable and best friends, their dad said. Playing with someone six years older gave Jamie maturity. At age 7, he was invited to play SweetLax, a local club team, with kids one and two years older than him. Years later, he started on varsity as a high school freshman.

Joey notes the most notable improvement was Jamie’s ability to go left. He worked on running with both hands in high school after moving to Victor (New York) High School his sophomore year.

“He’s very good at going down either alley,” SU head coach John Desko said, “which makes him more dangerous.”

Though his sophomore year ended in a loss in the state semifinals, Trimboli’s career topped off with back-to-back state championships. Soon his ability to shoot left and right made him Victor’s top offensive option. His senior year, he had the game-tying goal in the state championship. The year before, Trimboli poured in three goals in the first quarter en route to a blowout win.

In high school, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound midfielder dodged and let off a shot with ease. He received interest from Duke, Harvard, North Carolina and current No. 1 Penn State — but there was more to develop. He had to be more than a shooter.

At Syracuse, Desko and assistant coach Kevin Donahue have worked with Trimboli on evolving his offensive game, becoming selfless and knowing when to take a smart shot versus when to pass and restart the offense.

“Instead of being just a dodge and shoot guy,” senior attack Jordan Evans said, “(he’s) understanding if the slide comes from the top where he needs to move it and vice versa.”

Trimboli is not Mariano, who poured in four goals against UND on Saturday. He’s not Salcido, an All-American and leader on the midfield. But that’s not what Syracuse needs out of its freshman. The Orange needs him to grow into the player who next year will take over an offense that sports three seniors.

He’s Syracuse’s No. 1 recruit out of the 2016 class and 34th overall on Inside Lacrosse’s freshman rankings. That’s why the coaches are making Trimboli take extra shots after practice, developing his game even further.

The future has slowly become the present for Trimboli. His first score came in a decisive one-goal victory over Albany. In every game since, save for St. John’s and Notre Dame, Trimboli has at least one point, a testament to his uptick in production. Especially during Syracuse’s stretch of seven straight one-goal games, each score becomes as crucial as the next.

“Trimboli’s being a real threat, Desko said. “(He’s) playing really well as a freshman.

“He should be a big part of our future.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the caption for the dominant photo describing Jamie Trimboli’s spot in the Orange’s starting lineup was misstated. Trimboli is the only freshman starter for Syracuse. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Jamie Trimboli’s role during Victor (New York) High School’s state championship game was misstated. Trimboli had the game-tying goal in the state championship, not the game-tying assist. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on April 3, 2017 at 10:36 pm

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