Kenny Lassiter avoided Hofstra defenders and passed a ball from the center of the field to the right toward Johannes Pieles, who controlled the ball with his right foot and shot it just wide of goal.

One minute later, Chris Nanco managed to get a shot off at goal that also went wide. Even though neither went in, Syracuse managed to get off two quick shots in the first three minutes of the game.

Against St. John’s on Sept. 4, the three Syracuse forwards had only spent one moment together on the field, and that was the one time SU was trailing in the game (and the only time all season). But in Tuesday night’s 1-0 win over Hofstra, all three started and it led to impressive results.

“I thought we created enough chances during the run of play,” head coach Ian McIntyre said. “I think we played some of our best soccer tonight.”

No. 5 Syracuse (6-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) has spent much of the early part of its season auditioning different players to solidify openings in the midfield, many of them natural defensive midfielders. But SU might have found its stronger lineup by dropping Nanco to attacking midfield, coupled with the return of an injured Sergio Camargo. Its offensive-heavy lineup should play a factor against No. 15 Boston College (4-1, 1-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. at SU Soccer Stadium.

Part of what made the Orange’s trio of attacking players so strong was its versatility. Nanco, Lassiter and Pieles all brought different elements — speed, strength, finesse — to the pitch and just as defenses neutralized one, another came on as a sub.

That being said, playing all three of them together for a full game wasn’t going to be a sustainable plan for the future.

Camargo’s return is what makes this lineup most feasible. The natural attacking midfielder dealt with a hamstring problem earlier in the season but is just now coming around.

“There’s just so many things that he brings,” captain Liam Callahan said of Camargo. “It’s dangerous for the teams we’re playing against.”

Camargo was the first sub on Tuesday night. He played 47 minutes while Lassiter and Pieles played 64 and 66, respectively. No other sub played more than nine minutes.

Earlier in the season, McIntyre said how his midfielders needed to, and eventually would, get better on the ball in terms of controlling it and connecting passes. On Tuesday night, the first thing he said when crediting the success of the Orange’s new starting lineup was that it connected the extra pass.

Syracuse managed 11 first-half shots, tied for the most in a game this season. Lassiter almost scored off a Nanco pass but Pride goalie Leonard Arkhanhelskyi made a leaping one-handed save to punch it out. Still, the constant pressure SU imposed was apparent.

Playing more offensively minded midfielders means some resources are being pulled from the defense. But the SU back line isn’t concerned.

“Obviously, someone could say that it’s a bit risky,” defender Louis Cross said. “But we’re confident in our ability as a back three, with Mo (Adams) there.”

While Camargo’s presence might be the catalyst for this new lineup, it’s Adams’ that allows it to execute. The freshman has cemented his spot as the defensive midfielder, slowing down opponents before they even get to the back line of Cross, Miles Robinson and Kamal Miller.

Nothing’s changed for the Orange in the record book. It was perfect before the lineup change and was still perfect after. But the balance provided by this new offensive-focused group could be what vaults SU to a higher level.

“We’ve got some ways that we can change for our team as well as for opponents,” McIntyre said. “ … Tonight, I think it was a good step in the right direction.”

Published on September 14, 2016 at 11:47 pm

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer