When he collided with a Cincinnati defender on Wednesday night, Skylar Thomas thought he suffered a simple ankle sprain. Hobbling off the field in the 65th minute, Thomas fully expected to resume his role as one of the team’s best defenders.

Thomas’ next game won’t come until 2013, though. The sophomore broke his foot in the collision and will miss the final six games of the regular season and any possible postseason play. Syracuse (8-3, 1-1 Big East) will face its first test without Thomas on Wednesday when it takes on Rutgers (5-3, 2-1) at SU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m.

With the anchor of the Orange’s backline out of the lineup, head coach Ian McIntyre said Syracuse will use its upcoming Big East conference game to evaluate just how different the defense will look without one of its stars.

“You don’t replace a Skylar Thomas,” McIntyre said. “You just hope that the players that step in can do their part to fill in as best they can.”

Thomas — a Pickering, Ontario, native — scored two goals this season in SU’s 11 games. More importantly, he’s been called upon to use his lengthy 6-foot-3-inch frame to neutralize the oppositions’ tallest player on corner kicks and reduce the possibility of a header on goal.

Syracuse will have to do without that valuable skill set starting Wednesday.

“Obviously, I’m devastated,” Thomas said. “To miss the season and to miss a season like this is tough. I’m going to miss being out there.”

But McIntyre said he doesn’t anticipate any drop-off in play. The retooled backline that took the field following Thomas’ injury shut out the Bearcats through the last 15 minutes of play.

More importantly, McIntyre said it featured the type of chemistry he’s seen through SU’s first 11 games.

Chris Makowski, Jordan Murrell and Nick Bibbs developed a rapport with Thomas through SU’s early victories. The four-man backline allowed no goals in each of the team’s eight wins.

Makowski said the chemistry was strong, but it extended to more players than just the starting four defenders. Syracuse may be plugging a newcomer into an open spot this Wednesday, but it won’t feel like it to Makowski.

“Whoever plays back there won’t be a stranger to us,” Makowski said. “In the summer and in practice, we have some experienced guys that can step in.”

It’ll be up to players like Ryan Tessler to do just that. The junior defender stepped in for Thomas on Saturday when the injury occurred.

That’s not a new role for Tessler, who started all 16 games on defense last season and won the team’s Most Improved Player Award for the 2011 campaign. And some of those starts were in relief of Thomas, who was sidelined with a concussion for a three-game stretch.

“It’s great to get more playing time,” said Tessler. “But actually getting that playing time will be nothing new to me. I’ve practiced and played with all of these guys, including Skylar. It shouldn’t be tough.”

The tough part will be Thomas’ recovery, and Tessler is familiar with that process, too. He tore knee ligaments in his second game at SU in 2010 and was forced to undergo a grueling cycle of rehabilitation.

Tessler said he can tell that Thomas has what it takes to mentally rebound. And if the psyche of the stout Syracuse defense remains just as stable in his absence, McIntyre thinks there’s no reason why Thomas can’t return to a Big East tournament team next fall.

“That’s still the ultimate goal,” said McIntyre. “Getting ourselves in position to make a Big East tournament. Obviously it gets a little tougher without Skylar, but it’s something we have to roster to overcome and we’ll have to overcome it.”

Published on October 3, 2012 at 1:53 am

Contact Nick: [email protected] | @nicktoneytweets