In wrestling, opponents will be shown a particular move to use on each other in practice.

It’s the same method assistant coach Kevin Donahue takes with the Syracuse faceoff unit each week, as the scout team members are responsible for imitating the tendencies of upcoming opponents for the “Syracuse team” — the term Donahue said SU uses to refer to the top three faceoff specialists on a given week.

After a 21-for-25 performance from the X against Army on Sunday, Ben Williams made sure to credit his scout team partner.

“My partner, Nate Farrell … he did a great job imitating what (Alex) Daly was going to do and what all their guys were going to do,” Williams said on Sunday.

Farrell stood for his faceoffs as opposed to taking a knee against Williams in the practices leading up to Sunday’s game, mirroring the stance of Army’s Daly.

He’s one of the youngest members of No. 3 Syracuse’s (3-0) eight-man faceoff unit and is thriving as a first-timer on the scout team. He always tries to match himself up against Williams during practice because he enjoys the competition, he said. Head coach John Desko praised the freshman for his competitiveness, noting the great depth and competition his team has in faceoff specialists.

“He’s a team player and he can take a small piece of pride in (Williams’ success),” Desko said. “But he’s very competitive, he wants to get out there and you can see it in practice.

“If he loses one he gets a little upset about it and takes it personally.”

The frustration from Farrell is a product of the environment he’s been put into as a freshman, pitted up against seven other hopefuls for time at the X. The weight of each rep in practice is magnified with Donahue keeping a watchful eye on each player’s potential and where he sees each player by the end of the year, he said.

He’s the one who dictates the members of “Syracuse team” and who isn’t on it each week, and it’s taken a mental transformation for Farrell to become accustomed to his role this year. Having never really been on the sidelines or scout team before, it’s a novel experience for the 5-foot-10 midfielder.

“I had to go through a big adjustment period from going to a high school faceoff guy to a college faceoff guy,” Farrell said. “I just kind of cleaned the slate, worked with coach Donahue and just made sure my technique gets better so I can compete with these guys.”

The transformation hasn’t gone unnoticed by the coaching staff. Donahue mentioned the strong desire he sees out of Farrell, and he has stepped up as a key member of the faceoff unit simply because of the improvements he’s made on Williams.

Williams said Farrell is especially physical with his faceoffs and beating up on each other in practice has helped him greatly in SU’s games. His comfort is palpable at the X with the help he receives all week to know what to expect.

Wanting to get his own time on the field, it’s not as if Farrell lives vicariously through Williams’ success each game. With his “clean slate,” he’s all about making his mark where he can, and for SU right now, that’s preparing and trying to beat Williams with each clamp in practice.

Said Farrell: “In my head I’m just trying to always make sure I’m moving forward so that when it comes to be my time, I’m ready to go.”

Published on February 25, 2015 at 12:17 am

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