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Sierra Cockerille already had a goal and an assist 10 minutes into Syracuse’s 18-14 game against Notre Dame on March 11. After an ensuing high pass from the Fighting Irish hit the ground, the midfielder had the chance to make a defensive play as the ball rolled into her zone at the top of the 8-meter. 

Cockerille didn’t pick the ball up at first — she noticed UND attack Jackie Wolak inches away from trapping the ball with her stick. Instead, Cockerille chipped the ball over Wolak and caught it off the bounce before sprinting coast-to-coast and delivering a pass to SU’s attack waiting inside the 8-meter.  

As she lowered her stick to catch her breath, Cockerille was left wide-open as Notre Dame’s defense collapsed on Meaghan Tyrrell, Syracuse’s scoring leader. Cockerille raised her stick and called for a pass before shooting and scoring. In 15 seconds, Cockerille turned a defensive stop into a score almost all on her own. Now, she had a chance to catch her breath. 

By the end of the afternoon, Cockerille recorded three more goals, one assist, two caused turnovers, another ground ball and one draw control to top it off.

Cockerille has turned into a two-way weapon for the Orange (8-1, 5-1 Atlantic Coast) this season. After scoring 30 total points in her first two seasons at Syracuse, Cockerille has 26 in nine games this season and has points in all but one game. On the defensive side of the field, she’s fifth on the team with 12 ground balls and tied for third with 13 draw controls. Her biggest strength is her physicality, said her dad Todd, something she’s spent years developing.

A decade before she arrived at Syracuse, Cockerille started her lacrosse career grudgingly. She liked the physicality of boys lacrosse and was less keen on the no-contact girls version of the sport, Todd said. She idolized her older brother Shane — a University of Maryland football player — and was a starting running back in youth football. But her biggest talent was on the wrestling mat. 

Cockerille finished third at the 2010 FILA Junior Nationals, representing the state of Maryland. A few years later, a 14-year-old Cockerille placed third at the Maryland middle school state competition. Cockerille’s success was because she wasn’t afraid of being “physical” in youth sports, a mindset that translated into lacrosse, Todd said.  

“She almost looked like she was on the football field or wrestling mat the way she played (lacrosse),” Todd said. “She was always good for a yellow card or two because of her physical play.”

Cockerille still gets yellow cards — the junior has four this season — but her physical play allows her to succeed offensively. Against Stony Brook on Feb. 27, Cockerille fought off a Seawolves defender, holding her back with her stick at the 12-meter fan. She drove toward the goal, dodging two more defenders along the way and shooting past a fourth to give the Orange a two-goal lead.

Fifteen minutes later, she was surrounded by multiple defenders in similar fashion. This time, however, Cockerille kept her stick in the middle of her body, allowing Stony Brook’s Clare Levy to swipe the ball out. Her four goals on the night were mixed in with a career-high three turnovers. Cockerille is second on the team this season with 13 turnovers, and head coach Gary Gait said her physicality created the bad habit of keeping her stick exposed. 

“She’s had to clean up some turnovers,” Gait said. “We’re working with her to clean that up.”

Her physicality also helped her develop as a strong two-way midfielder. Her strengths were on the offensive side in high school, but Roland Park (Maryland) head coach Meg Miller felt confident using Cockerille anywhere on the field. Her size and speed — in addition to a high school basketball background — made her a strong defender. 

“Whether that was a stop defensively, we need a ball to draw, or a goal, she was ready,” Miller said. “She wanted to be in those roles and was successful in those roles.”

Sierra Cockerille has stepped up since Emily Hawryschuk’s injury as the Orange’s third offense threat. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports

But Cockerille didn’t get those minutes in her first two years at SU, finishing with 21 goals in 26 games. This season, however, with the loss of Emily Hawryschuk, Cockerille has stepped into those leadership roles like she did in high school. After Hawryschuk’s injury, Cockerille called her mom, Kristin, about how her role would increase on offense.

“She really took that to heart and realized that she needed to elevate and be where her potential is,” Kristin said. 

In her seven-point performance against Notre Dame, Cockerille played like Hawryschuk, making a presence inside the 8-meter and willing her way toward the goal for most of her scores. Syracuse had a five-goal lead a minute into the second half, and Cockerille went barrelling down the 8-meter looking for a pass. 

UND defender Kelly Donnelly tried to push away from the goal while Keelin Schlageter attempted to swipe the ball out of Cockerille’s stick. Neither defender was successful, as Cockerille found the back of the net, setting a career-high in goals scored. Cockerille fell while shooting, but she took both defenders down with her. 

Published on April 12, 2021 at 10:43 pm

Contact Anish: [email protected] | @anish_vasu