Syracuse is preparing for life without Brandon Mullins.

His ability to play atop the defense, as well in close around the crease is rare enough. Few do it as well as he does, and his raw athleticism is largely unmatched. Syracuse has other capable defenders, but none that can match Mullins’ skill set at such a high level.

“I mean, it’s going to affect everything,” fellow defender David Hamlin said. “As long as he’s out of the lineup, it’s going to affect every team to replace a guy like Mullins with just anybody.”

Mullins appeared to injure his right knee trying to change directions after missing a check on Chris LaPierre with about 6:45 left in the fourth quarter in Friday night’s 9-8 overtime victory against then-No. 6 Virginia. He underwent an MRI on Monday night, but head coach John Desko has yet to hear from doctors.

Mullins was not available to the media Tuesday, as he was receiving treatment.

Matt Harris stepped into defense from long-stick midfield and helped shut out UVA the rest of the game. But Harris is just one of the options Desko is considering to fill the potential void. No. 10 Syracuse (2-1) already rotated Kyle Carey and short-stick defender Matt Pratt in with near-constants Brian Megill and Hamlin. Long-stick midfielders Joe Fazio and Peter Macartney may also be moved back, Desko said. Megill has moved up top in the past.

The Orange is going through practice as if Mullins won’t return this week. Whether a midfielder is converted or a less-experienced player steps to the fore, he must adjust in at least footwork and communication to replace the seemingly irreplaceable.

“Obviously, he’s probably a much better athlete than I am,” Harris said. “He’s a stud football player from Texas.”

Desko and Harris agreed Harris is most likely to match Mullins’ blend of up-close physicality and attack-chasing speed. When Harris shifted back from midfield Friday, he had little time to think. Instead, he reverted to basic instincts and his experience as a close defender from last season.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Harris looked forward to getting back in the trenches. He focused on tying up the hands of attacks, a natural role. But footwork became an extra point of emphasis. He worried about tripping over the cage and giving up a late game-breaking goal.

“The adjustments are just probably guarding different guys,” Harris said. “The attackmen are usually a little quicker, a little shiftier than the midfielders, so if anybody was going to play down low, probably be working on their footwork a little more this weekend.”

On Monday, the Orange ran through a vast group of defenders, Harris said, but he expects the field of likely starters to narrow as the week progresses and the team learns more about Mullins’ health. For now, though, largely untested Sean Young remains in contention.

“The defense, especially at this level, is a lot about communication, and they do that very well,” Hamlin said. “Sean’s a box guy, he’s a Canadian guy, and he just plays really good team defense on top of his good 1-on-1 defense.”

Whichever player or combination of defenders is selected, Syracuse can lean on Megill and Hamlin. Megill can help on dodging attacks. Plus, he and Hamlin are into their second season of regularly playing together.

The Orange expects that chemistry and communication to carry it through, regardless of Mullins’ health.

Having already rotated frequently this season, SU and its defense are still difficult to scout, Desko said, forcing teams to spend extra hours pouring over scouting reports and preparing for the Orange’s varying personnel groups in practice.

Desko has yet to decide his defensive matchups for Saturday’s game with St. John’s, but he and the Orange will head to Chester, Pa., with several combinations of defensive sets and players in mind.

“You don’t have a choice,” Desko said. “If he’s unable to participate then, you know – we don’t ever go into a game with just plan A. There’s B and C in case something doesn’t work, so we’ve got to be prepared, and you don’t want players to adjust on the fly.”

Published on March 6, 2013 at 1:25 am

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_