Clarke Brown stood alone near the right sideline, an arm’s length away from her teammates on the bench. There were 10 minutes remaining in the first half of Syracuse’s season opener against Colgate, and Brown was five feet from head coach Nicky Adams, who repeatedly encouraged her to get up the field.

“We’re going to talk with Clarke at halftime about [using the space on the right side of the field],” Adams said in a mid-game interview on the ACC Network broadcast 15 minutes prior. “The ability and space she has can make us very dangerous.”

The ball had been on the opposite side of the field, but Georgia Allen’s switch of play to Mackenzie Vlachos brought it to the right side. In an instant, Brown swiftly darted up the sideline, flew past two Colgate players on the way to becoming SU’s furthest player forward. Seconds later, she was back in position at midfield.

In one 20-second stretch, Brown showed the ability that Adams is trying to squeeze out of her. Brown’s speed has always been her signature trait, but her new head coach knows there’s greater potential to unlock. After an average 2018 season defensively and zero goals or assists, Brown is expected to defend, attack and lead in her new role. Adams wants her “meek” junior defender to develop into one of the team’s vocal leaders, too. If she does, Adams believes Brown can be one of SU’s top players.

“As an outside back, she’s very dangerous,” junior left back Shannon Aviza said. “She is going to be a lot going forward, people haven’t gotten to see that much. But then she’s so reliable getting back on defense. She always makes an impact.”

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Although she’s in the process of becoming one of SU’s leaders, Brown has a history of being quiet. For the first few years of her life, she recalls “not talking to anybody but her cousin.” Growing up, her club teammates branded her the “silent killer.” The Los Angeles native admitted she isn’t confrontational and “never, ever comes off strong” like most leaders are expected to be. Coaches have screamed at her to be louder, and senior backline partner Taylor Bennett “always” tells her she talks like a little girl.

The SU coaching staff is trying to “get it out of her,” Adams said.

Brown does not consider herself quiet, but she knows there’s times where she should be more assertive. The junior doesn’t want to scream directions at her teammates, though, and feels she can lead in a calmer way.

“Even telling someone constructively what to do, that’s leading,” Brown said. “I feel like that is where my leadership is at right now and that’s what I’m comfortable with.”

There were just two seniors and five juniors on the SU roster last season, giving then-head coach Phil Wheddon no choice but to start and give significant minutes to underclassmen. In the Orange’s 2018 season opening 1-0 loss to La Salle, eight underclassmen started and two more, including Brown, came off the bench.

Adams has stressed the importance of a defense having experience together, saying an established backline is a team’s foundation. Adams, who was announced as Syracuse’s new head coach in February 2019, became impressed with several of SU’s defenders during her time as head coach at Rice University, including Brown.

“I had watched her play,” Adams said about Brown. “So I was very familiar with her and so excited that I was going to be able to work with her here.”

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Brown became Syracuse’s starting right back in the Orange’s second game last year and finished the season as one of six players and five underclassmen to start at least 16 of the Orange’s 18 games. The entire starting backline — Brown, Aviza, sophomore Jenna Tivnan and Bennett — is back in 2019 after bracing a 13-game losing streak to end their season.

“At this point, we know each other and how we all play,” Brown said. “We have a rhythm back there. That understanding has grown over the past two years and I think it’s at its best now.”

Adams said she immediately noticed Brown’s athleticism and liked her ability to recover quickly, track runs and get into position to make clearances. Despite Brown’s talent, though, Adams knew there was room to improve. SU’s defense conceded three or more goals 11 times in 2018, including six-straight games to finish the season.

From Syracuse’s first preseason practice under Adams, Syracuse’s defenders have taken a new approach. Adams emphasized one-on-one defending and holding a high line, Aviza said, and the backline drills these concepts each session.

“Our biggest problem was we dropped off a lot,” Brown said of the defense last season. “This season, the coaches are having us keep the line high and be confident and go get it. We can always drop and get the ball if it goes over us, but the key is to stay high and keep the ball forward rather than dropping back and playing really defensively.”

Adams’ new tactics aren’t the only switches she wants to make to the Orange’s defense. The next step for the wingbacks — Brown and Aviza —  is becoming more involved in the attack, Adams said.

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In Wheddon’s defense-centric system last season, Brown’s role as right back did not involve much advancement forward. While the backline sat back, the stress was on SU’s midfielders, particularly the wingers, to get back and assist the defense. Now, under Adams, Brown is tasked with covering all 120 yards of their respective flanks.

“I think that (Clarke) was missing an attacking presence before we got here, so we’ve really been working on trying to get her higher up the field,” Adams said. “We’re trying to get her some stats as well.”

Three games into the season, Brown’s play is indicative that Adams’ system is working. The right back has used her newfound freedom to get involved in the attack while still remaining a key piece of a much improved defensive unit. The Orange have kept two clean sheets already, matching last season’s total.

When the Orange notched their first shutout against Colgate on Aug. 25, it had almost been a full year since they last achieved what every defense aims for each game.

“It was just amazing, I can’t really describe it. We all just jumped on each other,” Brown said. “We played as one, not four.”

Published on September 3, 2019 at 11:04 pm

Contact David: ddschnei@syr.edu