The Syracuse men’s lacrosse team’s much-hyped offense has looked half the time as if it’s going at half speed, barely able to finish two halves. But there might be an obvious explanation for the team’s half-hearted play – for almost the entire first half of the season the team has been practicing on a half field.

Working around the basketball court inside the Carrier Dome and dealing with bad weather on Coyne Field has resulted in the Orange (2-3) having to practice on a 55-yard field through its first three games of the season. And despite returning to a regulation-size field before facing Georgetown, it seems the effects of the shortened practice surface is lingering with the SU offense.

Conditioning woes and mistakes in transition have proved costly for Syracuse in its three losses this season. SU appeared to find its rhythm in its victory over the Hoyas and GU’s half-field offense, but last weekend the Orange was dominated up and down the field again by a team better conditioned to transition across the field – Johns Hopkins.

‘When you’re used to running from this end to that end and you can’t get it, I don’t care how many 40-yards sprints you do, it’s different than running 110 yards,’ head coach John Desko said.

Syracuse hopes to prove its offense is back in shape Saturday as it faces a young Binghamton team at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

SU midfielder Steve Brooks admitted the half field had an effect on the team’s endurance for a while, but for the rest of the season he no longer believes it will be a factor. Brooks noted leading up to this week the team ran two miles in a practice and everybody finished with strong times. Brooks expects the offense to come out running and gunning against the Bearcats as SU demonstrates it’s in the best shape of the season.

Desko concedes the trouble with finding a full field frustrates him.

In past years it had not been as glaring of a problem because fair weather permitted the team to practice outside on Coyne Field, but heavy snowfall through February took away that option.

Also with the addition of field turf to the Dome’s floor, Desko noted it takes longer to change the hardwood back to turf after a basketball game. And while basketball season has ended, Desko worries about competing with the football team for practice time now that spring football has started.

Carrier Dome manager Pat Campbell agreed there’s a problem with practice facilities but stated there are few immediate solutions for practice field conflicts.

‘It’s very difficult,’ Campbell said. ‘At the end of the basketball season, obviously it’s a very important time for the team to practice and to be uninterrupted but the same could be said for the start of the lacrosse team. And we can’t (accommodate both).’

Campbell estimated the lacrosse squad only has five opportunities to practice on a full field during the first 40 days of the season.

Campbell and Desko agree the eventual creation of a new basketball practice facility will help remedy the situation. Former Syracuse basketball star Carmelo Anthony donated $3 million for the funding of the new facility in November.

‘Building something for basketball will help basketball, but it’ll help us by being able to get out here more,’ Desko said.

The facility remains one long-term answer, but not even that will totally solve the problem. Campbell said once the new arena is built, it does not mean SU’s basketball teams will completely give up practicing in the Carrier Dome.

Desko discussed other ideas, such as having a bubble for the Orange to practice outside in during the winter.

Sophomore Matt Abbott noticed the midfield felt the effects of practicing on a half field, which was highlighted by mistakes in the team’s clearing and transitioning.

Nevertheless, Abbott is just happy to have the luxury of the Dome in the first place. And now that the team is practicing in the Dome in its entirety again, he wants to focus on a bigger issue.

‘We haven’t played up to our capability,’ Abbott said. ‘And half field, full field it doesn’t matter at this point of the season – we have to get ready to play every game. We haven’t put together a whole game yet.’

Published on March 21, 2007 at 12:00 pm