When Chase Scanlan told John Desko he planned to decommit from Syracuse in 2016, Desko had one message.

“If you want to come back, our offer stands.”

Three years later, Scanlan faced the same uncertainty. He entered the transfer portal on June 19 following a 43-goal freshman season at Loyola. He didn’t know when the portal would open or where he’d end up. Desko, on the other hand, was compliant watching out for his former recruit. 

So when he was officially cleared, Desko was the first to call. 

Scanlan was recruited by Virginia, Cornell, Rutgers, Maryland, among others, to continue his collegiate career. As one of the most prized players on a team that competed for a national title in 2019, he spent the last two weeks under coaches’ watch in a box lacrosse tournament in Ontario. And on Tuesday, Scanlan picked Syracuse — the first No. 22 for the Orange after they didn’t give it out for two seasons.

“Off the bat, they weren’t my first choice,” Scanlan told The Daily Orange. “But when I started getting into what I wanted to do academically, Syracuse offered what I wanted the most.”

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Scanlan wasn’t getting first-team reps in practice a week prior to Loyola’s opener against eventual national champion Virginia. The midfielder ended up starting opening night. The next game, he posted four goals and two assists against Johns Hopkins. 

Working alongside eventual Tewaaraton Trophy winner Pat Spencer, Scanlan became one of the Greyhounds’ most consistent threats on their way to an NCAA quarterfinal appearance. And he led the nation in goals for a midfielder.

“It’s crazy,” Scanlan said. “I learned I could dominate after this year.”

But off the field, he didn’t fit in socially. Thoughts of transferring from Loyola crept in his mind even before the season, he said. 

“My teammates weren’t welcoming outside the field,” Scanlan said. “That’s another part of college. I didn’t feel like I fit in with those guys. I kind of felt alone most of the year.”

Scanlan called himself “blue-collared,” something he originally told Lax Sports Network when explaining his decision to transfer. He thought players on Loyola put money first. On top of not having the same interests, most kept to themselves: “If it doesn’t help them out, they don’t care,” he said.

Scanlan only committed to Loyola because his options were limited after a “late” decommitment from Syracuse, he said. A native of Irving, New York, Scanlan looked up to Cody Jamison, Jeremy Thompson and Sid Smith, other Native Americans that starred for the Orange. 

Playing for the Road Warriors, a club lacrosse team in Buffalo, his coach, Gene Tundo, told Scanlan he was going to get Syracuse coaches to watch him. After one game, SU assistant coach Lelan Rogers asked the then-freshman if he was interested in playing for Syracuse.

Scanlan changed his initial commitment because of his concerns with the Haudenosaunee Promise Program, which guarantees free tuition for Native Americans who reside on a Nation territory. 

“I felt because they didn’t have any money invested in me they (wouldn’t) feel obligated to giving me a chance,” Scanlan said. 

He spent his final two years of high school at IMG Academy under former head coach Mark Burnam, a member of the Syracuse 1983 National Championship team. Soon, Burnam became Scanlan’s mentor.

When Scanlan decommitted, Burnam helped him get in contact with teams who were willing to give him a scholarship. And throughout the last two weeks, he’s helped his former player find a college to transfer to. 

While Scanlan said he hasn’t been in contact with Desko since high school, Burnam has “passed messages” between the two, Scanlan said. After Desko’s call, Scanlan saw the head coach watching him during a box lacrosse tournament in Ontario. 

“For Desko to drive five hours to Ontario to show that he’s interested in me means a lot,” Scanlan said. “Because I know Desko doesn’t always do that.”

A couple of days before Scanlan’s official commitment, Rogers texted him.

The message read: “No. 22 is there if you want it. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want it.”

“It was pretty surprising, really a big deal,” Scanlan said. “I took it as an honor for him to put that on the table.”

Now, he’ll don the iconic number.

Published on July 3, 2019 at 8:04 pm

Contact KJ: [email protected] | @KJEdelman