During Syracuse’s first players-only practice this past August, Hugo Delhommelle gazed at SU’s new players. With his experience, he said, he’s been able to gauge the talent level of teammates from the way they handle the ball at their feet.

Delhommelle spotted Massimo Ferrin, a transfer from Alabama-Birmingham, who showcased his on-ball skill and accurate passing. Delhommelle looked over to SU head coach Ian McIntyre.

“Woah, OK coach,” Delhommelle said, “you’ve done a good job.”

Delhommelle’s endorsement dubbed Ferrin a player to watch from the start.

“I think we still haven’t seen the best out of (Ferrin),” McIntyre said on Aug. 26 after the Orange’s 2-1 loss in Portland. “But he’s a very good player. He’s gonna be a very important part of us moving forward.”

More than two months and 16 games later, Ferrin has developed into the playmaker Syracuse (7-5-4, 1-4-3 Atlantic Coast) expected him to be. He’s tied for third on the team in points (10) and third in goals (four). The Mississauga, Ontario, native has increased his production in recent games, tallying multiple shots in each game since SU topped Ohio State, 3-0, on Oct. 8. In that span, he’s added three goals and an assist.

“It’s continuous training,” Ferrin said of developing chemistry in his first season, “just making sure you’re getting more time with the guys in every practice. We’ve had the opportunity to do that more and more.”

McIntyre said the Orange’s offense works best when multiple forwards are getting on the scoresheet. In SU’s winless three-game stretch, its top scorers — Tajon Buchanan and Ryan Raposo — struggled with zero combined goals. As 10th-seeded Syracuse travels to Blacksburg, Virginia, to face seventh-seeded Virginia Tech (9-5-3, 3-4-1) in the first-round of the ACC tournament on Wednesday night, Ferrin will need to keep producing for an offense that’s only scored thrice in its last 310 minutes.

This past Monday, on the turf field in Ensley Athletic Center, Ferrin huddled with Delhommelle, Raposo and others after SU’s last practice in central New York ahead of the postseason. All season, Delhommelle and Raposo have routinely stayed late after practice to work on free kicks and corners. Of late, Raposo said, Ferrin has joined and worked on set piece-restart techniques.

For one rep, Ferrin anticipated Delhommelle’s corner sailing to the back post before scissor-kicking it into twine. Ferrin’s chemistry, especially as a forward, is predicated on his understanding of his teammates’ tendencies. Against the Buckeyes, moments after he lost his shoe, Ferrin slipped his cleat back on and corralled a pass. He then no-look passed it down the wing to a sprinting Sondre Norheim. The play resulted in a corner and a strong early offensive sequence.

“The more touches we get together,” Ferrin said, “the more time we spend playing together. I’m learning them and they’re learning me, so it’s important.”

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Ferrin was initially set to replace Delhommelle, the Orange’s most dynamic player, as an attacking midfielder, Delhommelle said. With Delhommelle’s placement as a defensive midfielder at the start of the season, the onus was on Ferrin to quickly settle into a new environment and act as the offense’s switchboard.

At first, Ferrin didn’t anticipate the position would limit his offensive production. He grew up playing as a false 9 striker, which meant he was a forward but roved the field as a midfielder. He called the positions “similar.” Syracuse used its midfielders — Ferrin, Jonathan Hagman and Delhommelle — to generate possession and chances. In his first 10 games, though, Ferrin scored only once, with it resulting from a penalty kick.

But then Buchanan’s knee injury moved Ferrin forward, and SU realized Ferrin’s style suits a more attacking-based mindset. Down the wing, Ferrin is allotted more time on the ball and can play off of Delhommelle, who’s also pressed higher in recent weeks.

“He also can play both positions, but you want to have him up front to score,” Hagman said. “He has those offensive qualities that he can get more out of if you push him up a little bit.”

Against St. Bonaventure on Oct. 16, a 7-0 blowout for the Orange, Ferrin impacted the game without finding the score sheet. He distributed the ball down the wings, acted as a outlet for the backline’s clearances and pushed forward in timely moments.

With Syracuse in control, Ferrin settled a cross-field pass from an SU midfielder and looked up to find Buchanan streaking down the left wing. A swing of Ferrin’s right foot and a Buchanan tip-in would’ve counted if Ferrin wasn’t called offsides.

Ferrin contributed the Orange’s last goal against Clemson on Oct. 23. With SU down two and pressing, Ferrin slotted a shot into the net after Raposo found him in the six-yard-box. Ferrin was in the right place at the right time. Syracuse, gunning for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, hopes it’s a sign of what’s to come.

“He’s a complete attacking player,” defender Kamal Miller, who knew Ferrin before he transferred to SU, said. “He just has to get comfortable, and then he lets it all loose.”

Published on October 31, 2018 at 12:05 am

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