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Natalie Smith had a huge opportunity in front of her.

Ahead of Syracuse’s game against then-No. 1 North Carolina last April, Smith had been integrated into the lineup as injuries plagued the midfield. The game would be the team’s first without midfielder Emma Tyrrell, who tore her ACL, and the Orange had already lost Sierra Cockerille earlier in the year.

The team relied on Smith to take on a bigger offensive role. Her teammates and coaches had told her all week that her unique ability to dodge would be key in exposing the Tar Heel defense. Everyone told her to keep shooting, and she did. After missing her first two, Smith’s next three shots found the back of the net for the first hat trick of her collegiate career.

“That game was my confidence change,” Smith said. “It just took my mindset to the next level. It showed me that I can take the ball to net and score against the best defenders in the nation.”

Smith has started all 11 games so far for the Orange in 2023 after just four last season. She’s scored three times more goals and has taken double the amount of shots. Coaches, teammates and Smith herself say this all started with building up her confidence, which sparked in 2022.

“Halfway through, more towards the end of last season, she started to step up for us,” head coach Kayla Treanor said. “For her, it’s just working on setting goals and more confidence. This year, she’s just hit the ground running.”

Syracuse began recruiting Smith when she was in ninth grade at St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island. Smith loved Syracuse lacrosse as a child, and when she received a call from then-head coach Gary Gait during her junior year, she knew it was “meant to be.”

Joining Syracuse ahead of the 2021 season, she knew she’d have a small role to start. During her freshman year, a veteran SU team utilized its experience to build up a run to the NCAA championship game, before losing to Boston College.

But, despite only appearing in six games that season, Smith said that older presence helped her learn and acclimate to college lacrosse. Many key players graduated after the 2021 season, which opened up spots and “fired up” Smith. She knew the offseason would be critical and took advice from her older teammates. She crafted a rigid workout schedule, creating separate sessions for lifting, running and lacrosse drills throughout the week.

Smith was also motivated by the team’s coaching change. Once Gait took on the men’s coaching job and Treanor took his place, it inspired Smith to work harder. Growing up, Treanor was someone who Smith idolized as a child.

“(Treanor) really found a lot more in me that I didn’t see in myself and has really helped me develop my skills,” Smith said. “My confidence has really grown, which has also helped me with my leadership.”

Smith’s improvement heading into her sophomore season earned her significantly more playing time in 2022. She played in every game that season, starting four and served as a defensive midfielder at the beginning of the year. But once a rash of injuries in the midfield hit the Orange, the team needed Smith to play more of a two-way role.

After not recording a single point as a freshman in 2021, Smith notched an assist against Binghamton in the second game of the year. She slowly began to become a bigger part of the offense, but couldn’t quite get the elusive first goal of her Orange career.

Six games later, in an away matchup versus Florida, Syracuse trailed by four to the then-No. 13 ranked Gators. Smith held the ball at the top of the 12 meter, matched up on a one-on-one. She dodged hard towards the net, falling to the ground while releasing a shot toward the net. It snuck past Florida goalie Sarah Reznick. Smith had finally grabbed goal number one.

“It definitely boosted my confidence to show me ‘I just scored on a Division-I goalie. I’m meant to be here and I can do great things,’” Smith said. “It just encouraged me to keep doing that and keep shooting.”

Smith had only registered five shots in 2022 before that goal, taking another later that game and four in the next two contests. She slowly started to believe in her offensive ability, but a season-ending injury to Emma allowed her a chance to play more.

Syracuse faced UNC in one of its last games of the regular season — a matchup Smith had been looking forward to. Back in elementary school, Smith used to train with Tar Heel goalkeeper Taylor Moreno. The thought of coming up against a familiar face put her at ease entering the game.

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Smith’s first goal evened up the contest at 5-5. Her second gave Syracuse a 7-6 lead in the first half. Then, with three minutes remaining in the game, she made it a one-point game. Treanor said this was one of the first games she noticed where Smith had no fear attacking.

Although SU would later lose, Smith’s game against North Carolina was a turning point for her confidence and production. In the 12 games before, there was only one game where Smith recorded more than one point. In the eight ensuing matchups, she tallied five multi-point performances. Smith started totaling 2.5 shots per game after facing UNC, as opposed to her one a game average beforehand.

“Her confidence is something that I really look up to and just how much determination she has. It was really inspiring to me,” midfielder Maddy Baxter said. “For her to just come out of her shell and really go to net was something that we really needed.”

Smith’s change from a defensive midfielder to more of an offensive one helped her discover a “newfound love for lacrosse.” It made her want to work harder to become a more well-rounded player for Syracuse in 2023. Baxter saw Smith’s belief in herself continue to grow even more during the offseason, specifically her drive to go to the cage.

Smith said she hasn’t played her best yet this season. Even though she’s finally reached her goal to be a starter for the Orange, Smith doesn’t think she’s peaked, Treanor said.

“I still think she can play even better,” Treanor said. “She has so much potential, but she’s starting to hit her stride and starting to get going. She’s already been a huge impact player for us.”

Published on March 26, 2023 at 11:05 pm

Contact Matthew: [email protected]