Syracuse lacrosse added a second player from the transfer portal last week when Cole Kirst committed to the Orange. The grad student joins SU after a four-year career at Lehigh.
The Berndardsville, New Jersey native figures to fill a void at midfield but could also play on the wing as an attackman. The former top-30 recruit via Inside Lacrosse tallied 55 goals and 81 career points as a Mountain Hawk. Well over half of Kirst’s production came in 2021 and 2022 with a combined 64 points.
So what exactly does 6’3, 210 pound offensive player bring to the table for the Orange? Let’s watch some film and find out.
Play 1
Nice take from “x” here by Kirst. Syracuse likes to use the two-man game with screens and misdirection behind the cage. It’s promising to see the Lehigh transfer show that he can work this set and understand what he needs to do to successfully use the pick. A lot of people expect Joey Spallina to start behind the cage on offense but perhaps Kirst could fill-in there if need be or even just invert the offense from the midfield spot.
Play 2
Difficult to see here but Kirst again dodging and scoring from behind. It appears as though the Bernardsville, NJ native beat a shorty which shows you he can win on an invert if he were to play midfield. One thing that’s nice about the former Mountain Hawks game is that at 6’3, 210 he has very strong and sturdy shoulders which really enhances his dodging. Gary Gait doesn’t really have that kind of size on his team.
Play 3
Another goal off of a screen for Kirst. SU’s offensive coordinator, Pat March, could definitely draw some of this stuff up to allow the grad student to hunt his shot.
Play 4
If you think Kirst will see more time at midfield than this is a promising sign. The Lehigh transfer beats his defender (probably an LSM) top side and finishes off the wing dodge. Again, you see the shoulder strength that he possesses and his ability to win and angle and get position.
So Kirst is a player who brings some 1 on 1 dodging to this offense. The former Mountain Hawk has had success from both behind the cage and on the wing. The grad student could see time at “x” while Joey Spallina settles in or he could play the wing whether it be as an attacker or midfield.
This is a solid pickup for Syracuse and the Lehigh transfer joins attack/mid Alex Simmons who recently left Denver. SU still needs to find its “offensive alpha dog” if it wants to be successful in 2023. Is that player in the portal still or on Gait’s roster? At this point we don’t know.
