Every fall the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team takes part in fall practices. For each of the past three years, senior Jarett Park hasn’t been there.

Instead, soccer called Park’s name, as he started three years at forward and earning accolades that made it seem he’d never give up the sport.

But this fall, Park has done just that. He’s abandoned his two-sport status and decided to concentrate solely on lacrosse.

Instead of traveling to Albany on Wednesday with his soccer teammates and losing, 1-0, Park worked on his offensive lacrosse game. Instead of going to Morgantown, W.Va., to face West Virginia on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. with the soccer team, Park will prepare for two fall lacrosse tournaments.

‘Jarett has always wanted to try it at the offensive end of the field,’ Syracuse men’s lacrosse head coach John Desko said. ‘With all the graduations we had this year, we knew he’d be interested in that.’

Park earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors in soccer his freshman year and continued to impress. Park is ranked fifth in career points per game for the Syracuse men’s soccer team. In 47 games, Park has 48 points. His .43 assist-per-game average is second only to Steve Morris, who played in the late 1980s.

But that wasn’t enough to convince Park to remain a member of the Orange soccer squad. The chance to earn a larger role on the defending national champion Orange lacrosse team outweighed the opportunity to return to a soccer team that hasn’t made Big East postseason play since 2000.

The graduations of numerous offensive players, including Michael Powell, helped convince Park that now was the right time to focus solely on lacrosse.

In order to see his role grow larger, Park knew he had to concentrate solely on lacrosse.

Fall is the time when a lot of the offensive work, especially the installation of the offense, is done in lacrosse, Desko said.

In previous years, Park would always miss this time. While he was still able to make an impact on the team, leading the team with 62 groundballs this spring and doing the same each of the past three seasons, Park’s offensive role wasn’t as large.

His immeasurable value as a wing on face-offs always gained notice and distinction from opposing coaches, but now, if Park grasps the offense better, Desko thinks it’ll only make the lacrosse team stronger.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the soccer team.

‘I’ve seen him around campus,’ backup soccer goalie Alim Karim said. ‘But I haven’t really had a chance to speak with him.’

Park’s offensive role has been sorely missed. The team is averaging less than a goal a game (.81) through its first six games and is struggling to find the right connections on offense. It’s been shut out in two of its last three games and only scored two goals once.

‘He’s not behind now,’ Desko said of Park. ‘He’s got the fall. It’ll be a bonus for us if he can handle the offense. If not, his other roles are extremely important.’

His first fall tournament opportunity is Oct. 2 at the Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament in Owings Mills, Md. A day later, the soccer team plays Georgetown.

‘(Park) is playing some offense now in practice and he’s doing a good job,’ said Danny Brennan, a sophomore on the lacrosse team. ‘We’ll see how he does in the scrimmages.’

On Wednesday afternoon, Park practiced in the field behind Syracuse Soccer Stadium. He was only a few steps away from the field where he used to spend many fall days. The soccer team only wishes Park had been inside the stadium, rather than outside.

In some ways, Park couldn’t have been farther away.

Published on September 23, 2004 at 12:00 pm