Whenever Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley is asked about Carolin Hoffmann, Syracuse’s second-leading goal scorer, Bradley’s response usually has little to do with her offensive prowess.

“Her ability to defend as a forward is really good,” Bradley said when asked why she recruited Hoffmann.

No. 7 Syracuse (8-2, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) has not only benefitted from the freshman’s five goals but her ability to set the line of pressure for a defense which has allowed just five goals in 10 games.

Most often against its opposition, SU controls possession and works its way into the attacking third before the other team can retake control. When the Orange’s opponents win the ball back and look to move up the field, they must first bypass the Orange’s forwards, specifically Hoffmann.

Her work establishes the tone for the rest of the line. With her stick held in an outstretched right arm, Hoffmann sprints back and forth as the opposition’s backs swing the ball across the field. If there’s a misplaced touch, Hoffmann quickly goes from moving laterally to choppy steps directly on the ball.

“She fits really well into our system,” Bradley said. “The way that we like to run an offense as well as a defense.”

Back in Germany, Hoffmann played for HTC Uhlenhorst Mulheim, a highly successful club team. While Hoffmann was with the team, it was promoted to Germany’s top league. Bradley pointed out how impressive it was for a high schooler to be playing with Olympians, but Hoffmann remembered it also meant she didn’t always stand out.

“My old coaches always said that my defense is like my biggest weakness,” Hoffmann said.

That contrasts why Bradley recruited Hoffmann in the first place. The freshman credited practicing over the summer once she arrived in Syracuse as the reason behind her defensive improvement, also because Bradley emphasizes on-ball pressure when the other team control possession. Hoffmann also said she saw improvement because of the players around her.

“It’s not only the forwards, it’s also the midfielders, who structure us and tell us how we have to stand,” Hoffmann said.

That communication comes from Syracuse’s defensive third. Goalkeeper Borg van der Velde relays instructions to the the backs who advise the midfielders. As a forward, Hoffmann needs a lot of pieces behind her to click before fully understanding the defensive assignments.

And, so far this season, they have. Both of Syracuse’s losses have come in overtime, which forces teams to drop normal lineups of 11 players down to seven each. When playing in regulation, the Orange has succeeded mostly by keeping the ball pinned in the opponent’s end of the field. And the team’s second-leading scorer has keyed up that pressure.

Following Syracuse’s 5-0 dismantling of Bucknell on Sept. 2, Hoffmann was asked about what led to the success on that day. She pointed to the defense, even though she scored a goal. And when asked Sept. 20 about her defending, Hoffmann concluded her answer with a favorite line: “Defense wins championships.”

“Honestly, I don’t really think about like ‘I have to do this, I have to do this,’” Hoffmann said. “I’m just playing.”

Published on September 26, 2017 at 9:49 pm

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3