Traveling trio

Three SU players followed Ange Bradley from Richmond to Syracuse

By: Bill Palka

Posted: 9/16/08

For Shannon Taylor, Lindsey Conrad and Lena Voelmle, the decision to leave Richmond and transfer to Syracuse was simple.

They didn't want to play out their college careers for anybody but Ange Bradley.

"Once (Bradley) left I just felt like - there was like a hole there," said senior midfielder Taylor. "I didn't think that I would be complete or happy (at Richmond) unless she was there."

When Bradley decided she would leave the Atlantic 10 powerhouse she built at Richmond to take over at Syracuse two years ago, it left the trio wondering where their college careers would go.

Now, after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, Taylor, Conrad and Voelmle have become instrumental to No. 7 Syracuse's success. Through six games, Taylor and Conrad, a sophomore forward, lead the Orange (6-0) in goals with six each. Voelmle, a sophomore who starts in the midfield, has one goal, but her presence in the midfield has been crucial to the success of Syracuse's vaunted offensive attack.

The trio has played an integral role in SU's torrid start to the 2008 campaign. The Orange currently holds its highest position in the STX/NFCHA Division I Coaches Poll since its No. 9 ranking in 1990 and 1993. After last weekend's thrilling upset over No. 1 Maryland, the Orange will likely find its name even closer to the top of the poll.

For Bradley, knowing that she is the reason for three players transferring to Syracuse is gratifying.

"It's an honor," Bradley said. "It gives me chills. That's what coaching is about, changing the lives of young women."

The move north wasn't all smooth sailing for Bradley or the three players who followed her. In fact, the former Richmond coach, who compiled a 42-0 record in the A-10 before coming to Syracuse, received a dose of the silent treatment from her star player, Taylor. The midfielder was coming off a sterling junior season in which she was Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year and led the conference in goals (30) and points (69).

"When I announced I was coming to Syracuse (Shannon) was really, really upset," Bradley said. "She didn't even make time to talk to me during the time that I was still on staff. I never even had the chance to say goodbye to her."

The window of opportunity temporarily closed for Bradley and Taylor to make amends once the head coach's position at Syracuse was official. Once the three players decided they were going to transfer, they became recruits again, which meant by NCAA rule they were not allowed to speak with Bradley or any other head coach until the recruiting season restarted.

The allure of playing for Bradley was enough for the Richmond players to make the move. Each of the three players made her decision independently, but there was a mutual feeling that they wanted to play field hockey elsewhere after Bradley's exit.

For Conrad and Voelmle, roommates their only year at Richmond, Syracuse was made more alluring by the fact Conrad's sister already went to school at SU. Not only could Conrad and Voelmle play for Bradley, but there would be another familiar face to make them more comfortable.

As for Taylor, even her disappointment at Bradley's initial departure from Richmond couldn't keep her away from her former coach. Bradley sat down with Taylor's family during the recruiting period and convinced them Syracuse was the best place for Taylor to go.

Once the transfers became official, it was only natural the three players from Richmond would gravitate toward each other. They practiced in the spring of 2007, knowing that come autumn, they could never see game action because transfers must sit out for one season. They knew that when the team would travel for away games, they would be left behind. None of it deterred them.

"I wouldn't want to have it any other way," Voelmle said. "I think that everything that we went through together off the field is helping us on the field, and we just have that bond."

The bond of friendship began to strengthen immediately.

"In that spring when we were there, it was our first semester, the three of us really came together," Taylor said. "We played for a year together, so we kind of knew each other. We really didn't start forming a bond until the spring when we were here. Now, I look at them as two of the best friends I've ever had."

The connection has shown on the field this year. Conrad said the group is able to read each other better because of all they have gone through together. It helps especially because of the way the midfield and the forwards are intertwined.

"Shannon is the center mid, and I was always the center forward, so she's always directly behind me telling me where to move and where to go," Conrad said. "I always hear her voice on the field."

Outside of Syracuse, Taylor and Voelmle participated in USA Field Hockey's High Performance training program this past summer and competed against some of the best players in the nation. Living together, Voelmle could relate better to the upperclassman that she knew little about during her time at Richmond.

"I view her on a completely different level now, and I think that living with her had a lot to with it," Voelmle said.

As sophomores, Conrad and Voelmle have time on their side and will get to play for three full seasons under Bradley at SU. For Taylor, the end of a college career is near. She's trying to make her last season count alongside the coach she couldn't play without.

"It's important to be able to walk off the field everyday saying, 'I have no regrets,'" Taylor said. "This is my last year. I'm going to do what I can to help this team go as far as possible."

wpalka@syr.edu