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n Army’s last chance to recover from a two-goal deficit, Peter Dearth readied himself at the block ‘S’. The Black Knights’ James Pryor sprinted back to the 45-yard line, but Dearth, then a Syracuse senior, anticipated the clearance attempt. He lunged, extending his left arm and cradling the one-handed interception to smother any last hope for Army. 

Like most games since his shift to defensive midfield, Dearth didn’t register a goal that afternoon. But as he tumbled onto the far-side 40-yard marker, he somersaulted to his feet and evaded Pryor one last time before flipping to Owen Seebold to carry into the attack area. Just over 5,400 fans packed the Carrier Dome, and Dearth’s clutch play, ensuing fist pump and holler at midfield spurned them to their feet. 

Now, Dearth is back for a fifth season, and he’s trying to lead No. 3 Syracuse to its first national title since 2009. He’s a preseason second-team All-American and SU’s first three-time team captain. But none of those feats would be possible had he not adopted a defensive role three years ago. At Ridgefield (Conn.) High School, Dearth was a two-time All-American offensive midfielder, but it’s his switch to defensive midfield — one that he bought into quickly — that’s given SU the versatility it needs to capture old glory. 

“That’s one of the reasons Peter is a captain,” head coach John Desko said. “He’s done what’s best for the team, on and off the field.”

From the start of his freshman season, Dearth was instantly thrust into the rotation. After four goals in 11 appearances his first season, the midfielder began his sophomore season on SU’s starting midfield line as attacking mid. Five games later, he hadn’t scored, and his playing time diminished — and so did his confidence in his abilities to continue playing there. 

Rather than prolong what he now calls a “horrible” start, Dearth went to assistant coach Lelan Rogers to ask about a switch to defensive midfield in March 2018. ESPN analyst and former Syracuse All-American Paul Carcaterra likened the adjustment to going “from linebacker to safety.” Responsibilities increase, but it was a better fit for Dearth, one of the best athletes on the field. So, Rogers welcomed what Drake Porter called “such a selfless” decision — sacrificing offensive glory for the betterment of the team.

In moving to defense — which was “definitely a big shift,” according to Carcaterra — Dearth’s combination of size, speed and offensive IQ had the potential to revitalize SU’s transition game. While most defensive midfielders leave the field once six-on-six offense commences, Dearth could carry himself and use his background as an attack to contribute on the other end. Two weeks after the switch, Dearth scored his first goal of the season after stifling a Duke clearance and taking it himself. 

Despite only starting five of 15 games that year, Dearth finished ninth on the team with 24 ground balls. He added five points and five caused turnovers. His transition was expedited by the mentorship of Paolo Ciferri and Joe Gillis, two defensive middies from Dearth’s freshman year. 

“I think when I made the switch over to defense, it really just helped me use my athleticism and was a more natural fit for me as a position,” Dearth said.

Ciferri and Gillis taught Dearth “more than they know” about on-ball and off-ball positioning, and more importantly, about how to be a defensive leader, Dearth said. With his junior year on the horizon, Dearth wanted to be the one setting the example. 

Dearth spent the 2018 offseason focused primarily on strength-building. Niche offensive activities such as wall ball and shooting were replaced with intense workouts that isolated multiple muscle groups at once. Desko recognized Dearth’s efforts by naming him the lone junior captain alongside four seniors. 

In 2019, another season devoid of gaudy stats and offensive notoriety, Dearth still earned an All-American honorable mention on a team that went just 9-5. Porter finished All-Atlantic Coast and said, while much of Dearth’s impact doesn’t show in the stat sheets, he’s invaluable at helping Porter clear.

But the source of the decision to make the switch — and the sacrifices that came with it — was incomplete. Dearth dreamed of winning a national championship at Syracuse “since I picked up a stick in first grade,” he said.

Growing up, Dearth had two built-in combatants in his older brother, Cal, now a Boston Cannons attack, and his younger brother, Ray, who’s a Harvard-commit. Dearth’s father Brian took the boys to watch Duke’s CJ Costabile at New London (Conn.) High School and Johns Hopkins’ John Ranagan in Yorktown Heights, New York, according to Inside Lacrosse. For Dearth, these games doubled as entertainment and a learning experience. 

His high school coach at Ridgefield, Roy Colsey, had also played at the collegiate level like Dearth’s childhood idols. Colsey was a four-time All-American with the Orange and won national titles in 1993 and 1995. Under the former SU midfielder, Dearth compiled 125 points in just over 50 varsity games. He utilized the weight room during his junior year of high school, and the current 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame that earned him the title of IL’s No. 63 recruit in the 2016 class began to mold. 

“He was the alpha male of his midfield group,” Carcaterra said. “He was a big, strong, right-handed, alley-dodging middie who could overpower players with his strength and athleticism.” 

The only thing Dearth couldn’t do at Ridgefield was will his team to a conference championship. Rival Darien (Conn.) High School finished three of Dearth’s four seasons in USA Today’s Super 25, winning three-consecutive FCIAC and state finals. The team that topped Dearth’s 6-5 in the 2015 Class L state title boasted 17 Division-I players. Still, Dearth credits that time with giving him both a “chip” and the “resilience” to weather the college level’s adversity.

In fall of 2016, he brought that mentality to Syracuse. While teammates were more keen on classmate Jamie Trimboli’s success at Victor (New York) High School, Dearth’s stature alone commanded the instant respect of his peers in the No. 12 recruiting class of 2016. 

“I looked to my left and there was this 6-foot-4 jacked dude standing there, and I think I was 140 pounds,” Porter said. 

“He’s just a beast athlete.”

Four years later, with Dearth in his new position and Porter starting in cage for the second straight season, 2020 had the makings of yielding the title both players sought before the season got cut short. Dearth said it felt like SU “wasn’t going to lose a game any time soon,” either. 

The culmination of March 2020 made returning for February a “no-brainer,” for Dearth. The redshirt senior is a captain yet again, though Dearth characteristically said there should be an “asterisk” next to that because of the pandemic, and he gives all the credit to his teammates. 

But three years ago, it was Dearth’s decision to trade an offensive ego for the betterment of the program. In the process, Desko said Dearth’s become a “double threat.” There’s no reason Dearth can’t continue following his brother to the professional level, Carcaterra said. 

During that sophomore season, before the shift, Dearth felt like he was letting the team down. In the past three years, Dearth’s discovered that the defensive side of the ball suits him better. As a kid, playing soccer and basketball, defense was more enjoyable, too. At Syracuse now, his new role has put the Orange in the best position possible. 

“It wasn’t really a hard decision for me,” Dearth said. “I just came here to win, so I’m more than happy to do whatever that requires.”

Banner photos by Will Fudge | Staff Photographer, Jordan Phelps | Staff Photographer and courtesy of SU Athletics. Design by Nabeeha Anwar | Illustration Editor and Emily Steinberger | Photo Editor

Published on February 17, 2021 at 9:39 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu