Syracuse’s first midfield line is one of the youngest in the country.

The most experienced player, Jamie Trimboli, is a sophomore who didn’t start until the sixth game of his freshman season. Then there’s the two freshmen. Tucker Dordevic, who was playing Oregon high school lacrosse less than a year ago, has started all 11 games. Brendan Curry, the son of SU legend Todd Curry, has started the last six.

Though the three haven’t played together long, they still complement each other well, they said. Trimboli provides elite shooting ability, Dordevic employs power and Curry utilizes speed.

Since Curry joined the top group against Rutgers on March 18, the top line has combined for 31 points, accounting for roughly 30 percent of Syracuse’s offensive production in its last six games. No. 9 Syracuse (7-4, 4-0 Atlantic Coast) has won four of the games, with its two losses coming to Rutgers and Cornell, which are both currently ranked in the Top 10. As the regular season enters the homestretch with the Orange hosting No. 14 Navy (8-4, 7-1 Patriot league), SU’s first line is only improving.

“I think at this point, age isn’t really a number anymore,” Curry said. “We are playing. So you just kind of have to step up.”

Last season, Trimboli’s 10 starts marked the first time a freshman SU offensive player reached double digit starts since 2006. Trimboli entered 2018 as the expected leader of the midfield. And with two freshmen likely to breach 10 starts as Trimboli did a year ago, Trimboli has been the mainstay.

He’s tied for third on the team in goals (16) and solely ranks third in assists (9) while tallying a point in every game this season. He’s had multi-point games in nine of 11 games, including five games in which he tallied three points.

“He has taken somewhat of a leadership role,” SU head coach John Desko said. “He knew his role coming in. He’s going to have to be the guy in the midfield, especially when he has freshman as bookends on either side of him.”

Trimboli’s breakout moment didn’t come this season. It couldn’t. A game-winning goal in his first ever start again Duke in 2017 covered that. His linemates, however, have emerged throughout the season.

Against then-No. 3 Virginia, Dordevic took over. He scored three goals in the first three quarters, two of which came off roll dodges and the other on a spot shot. With less than 20 seconds left in the game and Virginia streaking on a four-goal run, SU’s drawn up play failed.

Instead, the ball ended up in Dordevic’s stick at the top corner of the restraining box. He charged at the UVA defender, leveraged his body with a fake left and spun back to his right. Out of the roll dodge, Dordevic scored on the run and sealed the game for SU.

“You know Tuck, he’s kind of a wild card,” Trimboli said. “He goes wherever he wants. When he’s going down one way you can’t follow him and get in his way because you know he can stop on a dime and come back any time.”

A little more than a month later, the group’s newest member, Curry, had the hot hand. Last Saturday against North Carolina, Curry matched his season-high with three points. He put up the same numbers against then-No. 3 Duke in March, but the game against UNC was different.

In his sixth start of the season, the freshman midfielder scored twice in the final two minutes, sending the game to overtime. Both goals came from raw speed.

First, Curry took off from the midfield and sprinted straight down the alley, leaving a defender behind around the 25-yard line and scoring on the run. On his second goal, Curry utilized the space outside the hash marks, accelerating into the top-side of UNC’s defense before tying the game. In both cases, the Tar Heels failed to account for his speed.

On SU’s first possession in the extended period, UNC overcompensated. As soon as Curry gained half a step on his defender, a UNC defender hedged, leaving a hole on the crease which Brendan Bomberry filled and subsequently finished the game-winner.

“Brendan likes to use his speed and sweep around the end,” Trimboli said. “So you want to get through all the way to the end and put yourself to the back side.

“It’s just chemistry. We’ve been playing for a couple weeks now.”

Published on April 18, 2018 at 11:45 pm

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