Tension filled the air when sophomore forward Megan Bellingham went down in the 55th minute of last Thursday's game against Pittsburgh at SU Soccer Stadium. Concerned looks spread through the team as Bellingham finally got up and made it to the sidelines, stretching her leg gingerly.
Bellingham, the team's leading scorer and fourth-best scorer in the Big East, sat out the remainder of that game and not play in Sunday's 8-0 loss at West Virginia. Her replacement in both contests was freshman midfielder Amanda Morris.
Morris has been the main substitute for Bellingham this season, coming off the bench to rest the sophomore forward. Now as Bellingham rests her sore hip, Morris will have even more playing time.
"It's really hard to replace someone like Megan," Morris said. "It's unfortunate she couldn't play. I just try to give it my best."
The freshman midfielder recorded her first assist Sept. 25 drawing Pittsburgh's goalkeeper out front and feeding the ball to fellow freshman defender Taylor Chamberlain who promptly placed the ball in the back of the net. That goal came 20 minutes after Bellingham's departure and proved to be the only one the Orange would need to win the game. It was also the last goal Syracuse has scored in the two games since Bellingham was taken out.
Morris knows that Bellingham's presence cannot be replaced, but she is trying to fill the role until the forward can return. Bellingham has encouraged Morris by giving her tips on how to take advantage of the ball with her speed.
"She kind of motivated me for it and told me to check into the ball and gave me a good heads-up about (West Virginia)," Morris said.
Morris had a chance to prove those skills Sunday after Bellingham participated in pre-game drills with the team. SU head coach Phil Wheddon decided to hold Bellingham out because he didn't want to risk further injury.
"As a coach I believe in looking at the big picture," Wheddon said. "The big picture is we've got games that we should win ahead, and having her in those games is more important than playing her for 15 or 20 minutes against West Virginia. She's got three or four days where she's recovering, which is good for her health and good for the team."
With Bellingham out, in came Morris. The freshman has often been the go-to substitute for Bellingham this season because of their similar aggressive play and ability to create goal-scoring opportunities. Wheddon's confidence in Morris showed starting the freshman against No. 11 West Virginia, a team he pegged as one of the best Syracuse would see this season.
"Amanda's a player that has some special qualities," Wheddon said. "She's someone that we're hoping will develop into a big-time player here at Syracuse. She has great speed, the ability to get behind defenders - something any coach would want in a player, and we're hoping now we can increase her technical proficiency and make her more of a goal scoring threat."
While Morris has played in all 10 games this season, she admitted coming in as a starter is a more fast-paced and intense role than off the bench. She may be filling in even more as the season progresses. Syracuse will need Bellingham to be a big part in getting it to its goal of a Big East Tournament berth, but she can only do that if she rests while Morris continues to fill her role.
"There's a little pressure," Morris said, "but I've played before so it's not a drastic change just the fact that I'm starting can hopefully make me better."
jcmccaff@syr.edu
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