For the past two seasons, JoJo Marasco hasn’t been settled in one position.

He’s shifted back and forth from attack to midfield throughout his freshman and sophomore years. But this season, Marasco expects to remain exclusively in the midfield.

‘He’s in great shape, and if we get caught going offense to defense, he’s a very good athlete,’ SU head coach John Desko said. ‘He’s very quick, very fast, so it’s just a matter of practicing and he should be a good defensive midfielder, and if he comes up with the ball going the other way, he’s going to be a real threat.’

With the departure of SU’s entire first midfield line and four All-Americans at the position, Desko has made the decision to play one of SU’s biggest assets in the center of the field. It’s an opportunity that the player clad in the No. 22 jersey relishes and freely accepts.

‘Now, transitioning back to midfield again, I just feel more comfortable up there, and I have a lot of space to dodge,’ Marasco said, ‘and I kind of feel like I’m dodging downhill a lot, which helps a lot.’

But he knows there are going to be challenges in his increased role at midfield this season. Marasco will likely be charged with the responsibility of trying to beat the opposing team’s longstick midfielder on a nightly basis.

Marasco scored 23 goals and tallied 18 assists in split time between positions last season.

Marasco is looking forward to the prospect of a more free-flowing approach to dissecting opponents’ defenses. In fact, he hopes SU will get back to a more transitional approach to combat teams like Johns Hopkins and Maryland, which slowed the ball to excruciating lengths to contend with SU’s offense a year ago.

‘A lot of teams I believe are going to try and stall the ball on us again and run zone defenses, so if we can push the ball right off a save from the goalie, it’s really going to help us,’ Marasco said. ‘… Hopefully I can use my speed and help our team push the ball.’

Marasco has taken advantage of his relationships with numerous former players during their time with the Orange. He would watch film with players like former Syracuse midfielders Jovan Miller and Chris Daniello to try to absorb all of their wisdom regarding the position.

Miller finished his SU lacrosse career with two All-American nods. He was known for his evasive dodging ability and a wicked shot. Daniello, like Marasco, split time between midfield and attack and had a knack for quarterbacking the offense. Daniello was also known for being an instrumental leader on the 2009 national championship squad.

It will be those qualities Marasco hopes to hone in on in his junior season.

‘I’ve been behind a lot of great midfielders,’ Marasco said, ‘from Jovan Miller and even Chris Daniello, who played at midfield a couple times, and I’ve watched a lot of film with these guys, so it’s really helped me in my transition from playing up top.’

Marasco will serve as one of the team’s four team captains entering his junior season. He will join SU defender Brian Megill as one of two juniors to take on the leadership position.

In the midfield, Marasco and senior Bobby Eilers, also a captain, will anchor a youth movement in the middle of the field. And their experience is going to be paramount to the growth of the younger players.

‘JoJo Marasco’s been playing his entire career, and he’s back in the midfield from attack. It doesn’t mean anything,’ Eilers said. ‘He’s still a natural leader out there, and we’re just setting the tone for all the young guys, and hopefully they’re going to follow suit and continue doing well.’

The learning curve won’t be as difficult for Marasco, who has split time in both positions. He said the opportunity to play at attack and midfield gave him a new perspective on viewing the field.

And if that’s the case, Syracuse will benefit from one of its best players exploiting defenses night in and night out.

‘I’m just trying to learn the defenses and the offenses from up top, which is a little bit different, but it’s given me a great opportunity,’ Marasco said. ‘It’s really given me a chance to help the team any way I can.’

adtredin@syr.edu

Published on January 31, 2012 at 12:00 pm