Meaningful lacrosse is a long way off, but with students returning to campus, it’s a good time to think about who’s got next.
Does the Class of 2021 have a No. 22 within its ranks? Will a returning player be the next to wear the Orange’s fabled jersey? Or will it go unassigned in 2018?
Jordan Evans’ graduation in May made the jersey available for the first time in five years. And as Evans’ can attest, it’s no easy task pulling on the 22. When you’re compared to the likes of Powell brothers Mike, Ryan and Casey, Charlie Lockwood, and Gary Gait, among others to have worn the most famous number in college lacrosse, there are hefty expectations.
Syracuse coach John Desko said in April, toward the end of the 2017 season, it was already something he was thinking about, and at the time, the number hadn’t come up with anyone in the latest recruiting class.
The Orange dangled the number to recruit and land Evans, who was the top player of his class, but Desko indicated the coaching staff would wait and evaluate which player deserved it this time.
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“Sometimes, No. 22 is who wants to wear it. It’s a person that has the gumption or the confidence to go out and ask for 22. We’ll look at that also. I think you want to hand it out to the person who is ready to take it. We don’t always know if someone coming in the front door, if they’re ready to take that or not. So we talk about it, we’re going to evaluate it. We’re not in a hurry to hand it out to somebody right now,” Desko told Syracuse.com.
It wasn’t that long ago that a returning player earned the number. JoJo Marasco and Cody Jamieson were two recent examples of players wearing other numbers before No. 22.
So, who might get the honor—or burden—of the jersey come 2018?
A few of the options include:
- Nate Solomon. Junior, attack. Recorded 28 goals and eight assists in 2017. He also recorded eight goals and two assists in 2016.
- Brendan Bomberry. Senior, attack/midfield. Recorded 28 goals and 10 assists in 2017. Transferred to Syracuse from Denver, where he tallied 41 points his freshman and sophomore years.
- Stephen Rehfuss. Sophomore, attack/midfield. Recorded 12 goals and 13 assists in 2017.
- Jamie Trimboli. Sophomore, midfield. Recorded 13 goals and two assists.
- Lucas Quinn. Freshman, midfield. Ranked as the eighth best senior this past year by Inside Lacrosse. Recorded 106 points for Niskayuna, N.Y.
The fate of the fabled jersey will be just one of the many issues to watch as fall ball approaches and the team preps for its 2018 campaign.
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