It took three games for John Danowski to stop being ‘dumb.’ After the Duke lacrosse team limped to a 1-2 start, its head coach finally moved freshman Jordan Wolf out of the midfield and back to his normal position at attack.

‘The head coach was dumb enough to play him at midfield for the first three games,’ Danowski said of himself in a phone interview. ‘While I thought on paper it was a good move, we moved him back to attack where he was more comfortable.’

He can’t explain what happened next.

Since his team’s third game of the season — a dismal 7-3 loss to then-unranked Pennsylvania — the Blue Devils (8-2, 2-0 ACC) have become arguably the hottest team in the country. They’ve surged to seven consecutive wins and a No. 3 national ranking behind one of the nation’s best attack units. The third highest-scoring team in the country matches up with No. 1 Syracuse’s vaunted defense Sunday at New Meadowlands Stadium as part of the Konica Minolta Big City Classic. This matchup of top-five teams has all the makings of an upset with the recent struggles endured by the Orange (7-0, 2-0 Big East).

Wolf is one-third of a Duke attack unit that has already scored 14 or more goals six times this season. He and fellow freshman Christian Walsh join senior leader Zach Howell in one of the most potent and dynamic groups of this season.

‘Losing two in a row and only scoring three goals, I think everybody did a lot of soul searching — including the coaching staff,’ Danowski said. ‘And I think practice just became different. I think it became more focused.

‘I can’t explain it. I wish I could.’

The defending national champions were hit hard by graduation and saw more than the departures of Duke legends Ned Crotty and Max Quinzani. Sixteen seniors left the program, and as a result, three freshmen grace Danowski’s starting lineup this season.

Wolf and Walsh have proved to be more than able supporters on that front line. They have combined for 29 goals and 17 assists while putting more than 72 percent of their shots on goal.

Wolf, in particular, has caught the eyes of many around the nation. Danowski said Wolf is the fastest and quickest player he’s ever coached. The Syracuse defense has certainly taken notice as well.

‘We didn’t hear much about him at all in the beginning, and that’s what happens when you’re a freshman until you have a breakout couple games,’ SU goaltender John Galloway said. ‘We’re going to have to look to stay top-side on him. We’re going to have to look to help John (Lade) if he needs it. He’s a very talented player.’

As Galloway mentioned, it will likely be Lade who draws the assignment on Wolf. He has the task of shutting down the freshman who has tallied 15 points in his last three games alone.

But he’s accustomed to the role. Each and every week this season, Lade has drawn the assignment of the best player on SU’s opponents.

So far, he’s done well. But so far, he’s never faced anyone with the pace of Wolf.

‘He’s one of the quickest we’ve seen,’ Syracuse long-stick midfielder Joel White said. ‘John is the best one-on-one defender I’ve ever seen. But we always know that we have his back if he happens to slip up. And the rare times that he does, we’re there for him.’

Take away Duke’s two losses in February, though, and the Blue Devils lead the country in goals per game at more than 14.8. Howell’s 25 goals and Wolf’s 18 have led the way.

Sunday’s matchup might be a game in which the Syracuse defense has to bail out its offense once again. It’s an offense that was held to just 10 combined goals in its last two contests.

Nonetheless, Danowski doesn’t think an up-tempo game necessarily favors his high-scoring Blue Devils. He recognizes the veteran talent SU has and calls the Orange a ‘sleeping giant’ that can ‘explode’ at any time.

But being able to put 15 to 20 goals on the board never hurts. And Duke is certainly capable of it.

‘You don’t really look at those two slipups in the beginning of the season,’ White said. ‘You look at the games they’ve played (since then), and they’ve played very well. The film that we’ve watched, they’ve shown that they’re the best — one of the best in the country.’

mjcohe02@syr.edu

Published on March 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Michael: mjcohe02@syr.edu | @Michael_Cohen13