Lindsay Rogers sat on a cooler on the sideline watching her teammates beat Cornell 13-9 Tuesday. She wore her jersey with the number 50 on her back, but instead of her uniform skirt, she wore orange shorts. Instead of her mask, she sported a Syracuse baseball cap.

Her elbows rested on her knees as she leaned forward on her cooler to see the action on the field. When the ball ventured into Syracuse’s defensive end, she raised her head up an extra 45 degrees and shouted advice to her fellow defenders and to SU goaltender Liz Hogan.

Rogers has missed the past five games after reinjuring her knee against Connecticut. And with the key piece of the defense gone, SU head coach Gary Gait and his team have had to adapt.

‘She provides so much leadership that it’s unfortunate that we don’t have that,’ Gait said. ‘But she still gives us some from the sideline, and that’s been great.’

With Rogers absent, the defense has had to find new ways to compensate for her leadership and communication skills. And the unit has done just that. Since Roger’s injury, the Orange is 4-1, the loss coming to No. 17 Georgetown. The other four games were against unranked opponents. On Friday, when the Orange (8-7, 5-1 Big East) travels to play No. 5 Loyola (13-1, 5-1) at 7 p.m., the defense will face its toughest test yet without Rogers.

As the leader of the defense, Rogers provided support for the other defenders. The defenders look up to her for leadership on the field, asking her about slides and covering cutters, said junior defender Janelle Stegeland. Just getting an occasional call from the sideline has been hard, she said.

‘I’m always asking her questions,’ Stegeland said. ‘… I think that’s a little more difficult to not have someone right on the field with you.’

Rogers also served to organize the defense. She was the chief communicator in the back, setting up the defense and making sure every opponent was covered. In Rogers’ first game out, Hogan stepped up to help with communication. The keeper came up big for her team with 11 saves. She earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week for her performance in the weekend’s games.

Over the past four games, however, the defense has had to find a balance. Whether it’s communicating or making the big plays, Hogan said everyone on defense has contributed.

‘She’s the communicator on defense,’ Stegeland said. ‘She’s always the one talking. She’s always the one directing … Between Liz and all the defense we’ve really filled that, but I think Liz has been a great part of that.’

The Orange defense without Rogers will face its biggest challenge yet Friday. Loyola averages the most goals per game in the Big East at 14.21. They are led by senior attack Grace Gavin, who has had one of the best offensive seasons in the conference. She leads the league with just fewer than 5 points per game.

Last season, Loyola was not as renowned because it lacked senior leadership. This year, however, Gait said that will help Greyhounds.

‘Their team pretty much stayed intact from what it was last year, so that’s been their advantages this year — that they’ve had more experience than a lot of the other teams especially in the Big East,’ Gait said. ‘It’s propelled them from kind of the middle of the pack to the top.’

Loyola and Syracuse are currently tied for second in the Big East each with two games left to play. Rogers is working her way back, and although she will definitely be on the bench for Friday’s game, she is expected back before the tournament.

So without her, Syracuse will have to continue to put together a joint effort to fill the spot she has left behind.

‘They’re not going to exactly be the leader that she was,’ Hogan said. ‘But at the same time, if everyone gives a little bit more, it kind of makes up for it.’

alguggen@syr.edu