Ashley Fry never sat on the bench in high school. But she didn’t know what to expect at Syracuse when she arrived at field hockey practice with four other freshman recruits. Fry didn’t want to sit, but she knew it was a strong possibility.

She’s been pleasantly surprised. Fry has received significant playing time, appearing in all eight Orangewomen games thus far. She’s one of three freshmen that have gotten significant playing time.

Fry will rack up some more minutes when SU visits No. 17 Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

‘When we recruit players, we think that the majority will have an impact,’ Syracuse assistant coach Mary McCracken said. ‘We tell freshmen not to have any expectations because they’re too many other factors at play.’

Fry visited SU (3-5, 0-1 Big East) for the first time in 10th grade for a field hockey camp. When she came back on her recruiting visit she immediately liked the team, making Syracuse an easy choice.

The transition from high school to college was easier for Fry because of her freshmen teammates, forward Meg Ryan, midfielder Meg Ricker, back Jess Wreski and goalie Marie O’Brien. It’s a group which Fry says is very close. The five fraternize together and help one another through the tough adjustments of college.

McCracken said that this year’s freshmen have made a significant contribution largely because of their offseason conditioning – something that has aided Fry immensely.

‘Ashley is very strong physically, so the transition to the college game was easier,’ McCracken said. ‘The college game is much more physical with more contact.’

Besides playing in every SU contest thus far, Fry’s other highlight came when she scored her first career college goal in an 8-1 win over Albany on Sept. 10. Although the goal came in the last 10 minutes with SU already leading, 7-1, Fry still took time to enjoy the moment.

‘The first goal is always the hardest to get,’ Fry said, ‘so it was exciting.’

Fry, who hails from Douglassville, Pa., shares the Pennsylvania bond with nine of her SU teammates, including Ricker, Ryan and Wreski. Fry met both Ryan and Ricker after the three had already committed. But she competed against Ricker in high school a couple of times.

The freshmen will have big shoes to fill when a senior class led by forward Ann-Marie Guglieri departs. Guglieri foresees a bright future for Fry and the rest of this year’s freshmen.

‘Whenever one of the freshmen comes off the bench it provides a new pair of legs,’ Guglieri said. ‘No one can tell if it’s a starter or a sub. Ashley provides added depth for the forward line, and good stick work and shot combination.’

McCracken said that she also sees a lot of potential in Fry’s game, especially in her power and quick wrists that enable her to make quick shots and passes. Still, she needs to work more on her field vision, McCracken said.

Fry also plays a large part in the Orangewomen’s balance. Head coach Kathleen Parker uses a rotation that includes up to 17 players. Depth on the bench is necessary for the pressing style of defense SU plays. It’s a style that it hopes will keep Boston College (5-3, 1-0 Big East) off the scoreboard.

‘This year there’s a lot more balance within the team,’ McCracken said. ‘There’s not as much of a drop-off in ability when we’re subbing as in the past.’

Published on September 25, 2003 at 12:00 pm