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Jared Fernandez, one of Syracuse’s top long-stick midfielders during the last two seasons, will transfer to Johns Hopkins, according to Inside Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders. In Syracuse’s shortened 2020 season, Fernandez tallied 14 ground balls and caused four turnovers.

After missing all but four games of his freshman season due to an injury, Fernandez formed one of the country’s best long-stick midfielder groups in 2019 with Brett Kennedy. Kennedy’s 44 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers combined with Fernandez’s 36 and 10, and Fernandez assumed the primary spot when Kennedy transitioned to close defense for the 2020 season.

Fernandez scored his first collegiate goal against Hobart on Feb. 28 — when he gained possession after a face-off, streaked down the middle of the field with his stick extended and deposited the ball into the cage — and consistently stationed on the wing during face-offs while pairing with Andrew Helmer.

“We like to play fast, we like to get after the ground balls, we like to own the middle of the field,” Fernandez said about him and Kennedy on Feb. 25. “It was great, kind of learning from Brett.”

Fernandez is the first Syracuse player in the transfer portal to announce a new school, with attack Sean Donnelly and midfielders Andrew and Justin Kim also in the portal. Fernandez joins the Blue Jays and recently hired head coach Peter Milliman with two years of eligibility left after the NCAA granted relief to all spring athletes whose seasons were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Published on May 9, 2020 at 1:41 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew