Kailee Coonan hitting stride at Syracuse with kicking, tackling and quickness

Although she may be a freshman, midfielder Kailee Coonan has found her spot with Syracuse by repeatedly showing her skills whenever she steps foot on the field. Her development can clearly be seen in practice and games.

Coonan has made the most of her freshman season with Syracuse (5-3-2, 0-1-1 Atlantic Coast), becoming a key component and standing out as one of many freshmen who will be counted on to produce for the remainder of the season. For Coonan, it is all about taking the time now to learn as much as she can from her teammates and coaches as she transitions to playing at the collegiate level. She has five shots on the season.

“The upperclassmen have been really great in helping me transition,” Coonan said. “The coaches have been pushing me to take more steps and get more comfortable, so it’s been a learning process, but I’m getting better each day.”

Coonan has found the adjustment manageable to playing at Syracuse, and even though she played at a high level at an under-14 U.S. National Team training camp and at Henderson (Pennsylvania) High School, she sees several differences between the competition that she played there and what she has experienced early this season.

“It’s definitely a lot faster,” Coonan said. “The players are better and a lot more athletic, but I think with each game it’s getting more and more comfortable. I’m sure as the ACC games come it will again be a time to adjust and figure things out, but it’s getting easier.”

As Coonan has adjusted to playing against better competition, one thing has not changed: her dynamic as a midfielder. Her abilities have grabbed the attention of team members, and they are something that head coach Phil Wheddon was looking forward to from her even as the year began.

“Kailee is a very technical midfielder,” Wheddon said. “We knew that coming in. When she came in, we knew we wanted her on the ball a lot.”

Wheddon cited her combined ability to both defend and possess as something that has stood out about her play. Senior defender Alana O’Neill has grown accustomed to seeing Coonan play at an advanced level despite her age, as well as her one- and two-touch passing game and her agility when put in tight situations with the ball.

“I feel very comfortable giving her the ball with someone on her back or someone who’s coming in,” O’Neill said, “because I know that she’s going to have the quick touches to get away with that.”

O’Neill pointed out Coonan’s growth during SU’s game at then-No. 8 Florida early in the season as a time when she noticed Coonan coming into her own as a midfielder. There, Coonan displayed the technical skills, like slide tackling, to further support what she and Wheddon see on a regular basis from the freshman.

Through the Orange’s first 10 games, Coonan’s consistent play and capability as a midfielder give reason for both coaches and teammates to be excited for her improvement, something which Wheddon envisions for her future.

“She possesses the ball well, she gets herself in good positions, she connects and makes plays for us,” he said. “She still has a lot of development to go, but so far we’re really, really happy with her.”