Syracuse Women's Lacrosse Picks up First Commit in Class of 2022: Meghan Rode
The Syracuse Women's Lacrosse team just picked up a serious threat on the attacking side of the ball: Meghan Rode. Rode is a lefty attacker hailing from Garden City, New York on Long Island. Rode plays travel for the Liberty Lacrosse Club, and she is the first commit for Syracuse for the class of 2022.
©Marianne Rode
Rode had interest from a lot of schools throughout the recruiting process, but once she went to visit Syracuse's campus, she knew immediately it was the right place for her.
"I was supposed to go visit a bunch of other schools, the day after, but I canceled all those, and I just couldn't see myself anywhere else," Rode said.
One appeal for Rode was the high level of athletics and academics.
"The athletics and the academics are so high on both sides, so that definitely drew me to Syracuse," Rode said.
Rode was also drawn in by the high possibility of success at an elite institution.
"Just a chance to win a national championship, I've always wanted to do that," Rode said.
One thing that sets Rode apart from most recruits is that she had two massive injuries throughout her high school career. She tore her right ACL going into her freshman year, and her left last December. While it might be easy for most people to see that as a setback, Rode saw it as an opportunity to improve the things she still was able to do.
"During that time, when I wasn't able to play on the field, my focus was totally on stick work," Rode said.
Stick work and creativity are two things that the women in the Orange are known for, and Rode will undoubtedly be able to make an impact more quickly because of those skills she developed while she was injured.
The fact that Rode used the time injured to improve shows a lot about the type of player she will be on and off the field. Her positive mentality will make her an asset on any team she plays for. She said that one of the biggest changes she made in her game when she was hurt was improving her lacrosse IQ. More time off the field allowed her to see things in a different way.
"Studying film, helping my coaches and my team win when I wasn't able to play, gave me a whole different perspective on the game," Rode said.
Outside of her lacrosse IQ and her stick work, Rode prides herself on being able to finish the ball and she plans to make an impact on the team right away.
"I just want to do whatever I can do help the team and win one game at a time," Rode said.