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A week before Syracuse’s opening game against Northwestern, the four-person goalie unit went in for its weekly meeting with the coaching staff. That’s when head coach Kayla Treanor informed Delaney Sweitzer that she would start and play the entire game.

After transferring from USC ahead of the 2022 season, Sweitzer started the first five games of last season before being benched in favor of Kimber Hower. She never played a full 60 minutes, and averaged a .231 save percentage as a starter.

Sweitzer knew she had to play “very well” to keep the starting spot, so she went to the team’s new sports psychologist, Mark Glicini, to prepare herself. Glicini emphasized to Sweitzer the importance of having a quick memory.

“(Whether) the goal goes in or I make a play, I just need to reset and come back and stay neutral,” Sweitzer said.

Sweitzer heeded the advice and saved a then-career high 11 shots in a 16-15 win over then-No. 4 Northwestern. Since then, her save percentage has risen in all but one game, and she’s been one of the top statistical goalies in all of college lacrosse.

After SU’s 6-0 start, Sweitzer ranks fourth in the nation in save percentage with .592, and ninth in saves with 58. No one else with a top five save rate is within 10 saves of Sweitzer’s total on the season, and she has the highest percentage of any goalie with 50 or more saves. Her advanced metrics are even more dominant, ranking first in the nation in excess saves and second in excess saves per shot on goal, per Lacrosse Reference.

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Sweitzer, who has set her career high in saves three times this season, credits her success to mental preparation before and during games, aided by Glicini and Treanor.

Treanor brought in Glicini, a former Division-I lacrosse player, during the preseason to give the team ample time to adjust to his mindset training. Glicini now runs a program called “Mark Glicini Peak Performance,” delivering customized mental, physical and nutritional advice, as well as performance strategies to athletes from all different levels, per the program’s website.

“Pressure and stress become friends of those who engage in mental performance training,” according to the website.

Through Glicini’s instruction, Sweitzer said the whole team has been trying to implement a “neutral” mindset during games and practice. That means “not being so high or so low, it’s very in the middle,” Sweitzer said.

Sweitzer mentally recenters herself after every single shot, including the ones she saves. Goalie coach Jason Gebhardt said he sees a “noticeable difference” in her mental game.

“The way she reacts to goals is different, and the way she reacts to saves is different,” Gerbardt said. “She doesn’t let herself get down after a goal, but she doesn’t get too high after a save.”

Before Sweitzer had a clear picture of her mindset in goal, she built her skill set with Gebhardt. He has volunteered his time with the SU women’s program since 2019 after graduating from the Syracuse men’s program in 1998. His 265 saves in 1996 still ranks third all-time in a season in program history.

Gebhardt does specialized goalie drills with the “g-unit,” as Sweitzer called it, such as cross-crease and inside shots. He also runs them through off-the-wall reaction drills and other reactionary training, Sweitzer said. Gebhardt said that this season, he’s been working with Sweitzer on her reaction time to assisted shots.

“We really focused on getting all the goalies to tighten up movement in the goal,” Gebhardt said. “A lot of times, you aren’t just standing still and waiting on the shot. There’s a feed that comes and you have to come and have a quick reaction.”

With the defense that SU plays, Gebhardt said there are a lot of shots off of inside feeds, but that Sweitzer has done phenomenal handling them all season.

As a result of her mental and physical training leading up to the season, Sweitzer has anticipated opponents’ aim before the ball leaves their sticks.

On Virginia Tech’s first possessions of the second half, Paige Tyson received a pass inside the 8-meter. She took a few hard steps toward Sweitzer, but she saw her redirect back for a high shot and stuck her crosse out to meet it at the release point. The ball skipped off. Visibly frustrated, Tyson ran back to the Hokies’ sideline. SU grew its 8-1 lead to a 16-5 blowout, and Sweitzer recorded her career-high in saves for the third time this season.

Sweitzer saved 15 shots on a .750 save percentage in the win, which was Sweitzer’s second straight game with a 75% save rate. She also picked up two ground balls and forced six turnovers in what was “one of the best individual performances I’ve seen all year,” Treanor said

“I hope to break (my personal best) again. I’m ready,” Sweitzer said when asked about breaking the mark for a third time.

Gerbardt said the team has increased their practice reps on free-position shots from the 8-meter. And more shots for the position players translates for more reps for the goalies. That has paid off thus far for Sweitzer.

Against Maryland, Kate Sites stood at the wing of the 8-meter, her back foot twitching with anticipation. When the whistle blew, she sprang forward a few steps and then fired off the turf to the left of Sweitzer. Sweitzer swiped up with her stick, and the ball dropped inside the crease between her feet. She scooped up the ground ball with urgency to give SU possession.

That was her 11th save of the game, tying her then-career high. She went on to save 13 shots in a dominant win over then-No. 2 Maryland.

“She’s confident, and she’s in such a good mind place with her psychology, (and is) just seeing the ball really well,” Treanor said of Sweitzer. “She’s gotten a little better every game, but she’s been terrific for us all season.”

Published on March 9, 2023 at 12:40 am

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu