Syracuse, N.Y. -- Chase Scanlan will hit the Syracuse University campus next week, an arrival that’s a few days earlier than required.
Scanlan’s rush to pull on an Orange lacrosse jersey is understandable. He has a good sense of the welcome mat that awaits.
Scanlan, a sophomore midfielder who transferred from Loyola, already knows and likes many of his teammates-to-be. He texts with a group of them regularly. This weekend, he will run with SU players Brett Kennedy, Brendan Curry, Tucker Dordevic, Peter Dearth and Drake Porter on the Burning Orange entry in the Lake Placid tournament.
“I’m super excited. It’s kind of like a new start for me,” Scanlan said earlier this week. “A lot of my teammates have been reaching out to me. I already feel that warmth, that welcoming sense from the team. That means a lot.”
And Scanlan has the talent to more than keep pace with his new buddies as soon as he hits the field.
Scanlan, a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians Cattaraugus Reservation, posted 43 goals and 15 assists as a freshman for Loyola last year. That included two goals and an assist in a NCAA Tournament win against SU.
But Scanlan’s run with the Loyola program soured as quickly as it soared.
Scanlan said he was unhappy in a locker room that he described as chilly, at least toward him. He said he felt isolated as a newcomer and with few exceptions (like Tewaaraton Award winner Pat Spencer) teammates didn’t reach out to ease his transition to college.
“I didn’t feel welcome. I didn’t like that feeling,” Scanlan said. “I was just kind of excluded from everything. I saw a lot of splits in our locker room. I just made the decision it wasn’t the fit for me the next three years.”
A Loyola school spokesperson declined comment on Scanlan’s characterization of the team atmosphere other than to wish him well at Syracuse.
Scanlan originally committed to SU out of IMG Academy in Florida but then switched to Loyola when the Orange came up a little short on a financial aid package. When he hit the open market again, Scanlan said he narrowed his choices down to defending national champ Virginia and Syracuse.
Syracuse got the nod because Scanlan wants to work toward a degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications. He’s also getting help with his bills via Syracuse’s Haudenosaunee Promise Scholarship for Native Americans. And when it came to lacrosse, Scanlan already knew what he would be jumping into after the NCAA test against SU.
“Syracuse was a team you can’t look past, that’s for sure,” Scanlan said. “You can’t let up. They were a beast the whole game. They worked until the end. I caught on to that. Me, I never give up.”
Orange head coach John Desko sweetened the offer by telling Scanlan he could have the program’s revered No. 22. Scanlan said he would have come to SU even without that perk, but he happily accepted it. One of Scanlan’s favorite all-time players is Cody Jamieson, who also sported that number for Syracuse. It had gone unused the past two seasons since the departure of Jordan Evans.
“I just thought about it and figured, why not?” Scanlan said. “I’m going to take it and hopefully live up to the number. I’m not really worried about the pressure. I want to win for the team.”
Considering the amount of offensive potential returning for SU, Scanlan and the Orange could be doing a lot of that in 2020. Top scorers Bradley Voigt and Nate Solomon are gone, but the next five points producers (Stephen Rehfuss, Jamie Trimboli, Curry, David Lipka and Jacob Buttermore) all return.
Toss in the return of Dordevic from a foot injury that cost him all of last season and the addition of Scanlan (who might be moved to attack) and the Orange will have deep pool of game-breakers.
“Obviously, I want to make a big impact right away,” Scanlan said. “We have the talent. We have the coaches. They know what they’re doing. I think if we put it together, we’ll be fine. I’m going to come in and work my hardest and be a good teammate. That’s all it comes down to.”
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