Brett Bucktooth is used to the pressure. After all, when you play for the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team, pressure never really escapes you. Twenty-two straight trips to the Final Four bring about high expectations.

Bucktooth, a junior attackman, is used to it by now. But he can’t help but feel a little extra pressure heading into this season. After two years of playing midfielder, SU coaches switched him to attack during fall practices. More pressing, though, is Bucktooth, along with fellow starters Brian Crockett and Mike Leveille, will be expected to compensate for nearly 70 percent of SU’s offense which was lost to graduation.

SU’s offense will find out just how well it has adapted when the Orange hosts Army in each team’s season opener on Saturday night at 7:30 in the Carrier Dome.

‘I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on the attack, having lost a lot of exceptional scorers from last year’s squad,’ Bucktooth said. ‘There’s a lot of pressure to pick up the scoring where they left off.’

The junior from nearby Onondaga Nation is ready to assume a greater scoring role. Last season, he played on SU’s second middie line, scoring 14 points. But with the graduation of two starting attackmen, including SU’s all-time leading scorer Michael Powell, Syracuse’s coaches found themselves with two open attack positions.

One spot went to Leveille, a freshman from Albany. During fall practices, SU assistant coach Kevin Donahue let Bucktooth try attack. It proved a good fit and Bucktooth earned the other starting spot.

Syracuse head coach John Desko also liked Bucktooth because he played attack in high school. Desko said although Bucktooth spent two years away from the attack position, he made an easy transition.

‘He’s got very good stick skills and a great game sense,’ Desko said. ‘He’s one of the players we would like on the field for 60 minutes.’

Bucktooth’s strong game sense should also help his adjustment. Syracuse plays a motion-oriented offense, meaning the midfielders and attack are both involved in the offensive attack.

Because of the motion, SU plays fast-paced and attempts a lot of shots, something Bucktooth said he’s excited about.

‘The way our offense is set up, everyone knows both positions,’ Crockett said, ‘so that’s why I think he’s made an easy transition.’

In SU’s two scrimmages, Bucktooth – and SU’s offense – have had mixed results. In a 13-13 tie against Navy, Bucktooth finished with a team-high five points on a goal and four assists.

But in a 14-7 loss to Maryland last Saturday, turnovers and sloppy possessions hampered Syracuse’s offense. Bucktooth also slowed, notching only a goal and an assist.

Heading into Saturday’s season opener, though, Bucktooth and Crockett aren’t concerned. They said as long as SU cuts down on its turnovers, the Orange shouldn’t have any offensive problems.

‘Offensively, we have a lot of weapons to score a lot goals,’ Crockett said. ‘We just need to be smart and execute.’

And if all those weapons pan out, some of the early-season pressure may fade.

‘The pressure’s tough and it’s always going to be there,’ Bucktooth said, ‘but I think we’re going to deal with it pretty well.’

Published on February 23, 2005 at 12:00 pm