SPORTS
16 october 31, 2024
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tatum white has been a critical contributor for SU on the ice, but her off-ice work as a Team IMPACT fellow is making a lasting impact on children facing serious illnesses and disabilities. jacob halsema staff photographer
IMPACT off the ice Tatum White leaves a lasting legacy off the ice with Team IMPACT By Jordan Kimball asst. digital editor
T
atum White has starred on the ice her entire life. Before committing to Syracuse, she won gold in the 2019 U18 National Championships and competed with Team Canada’s U18 team during its Summer Series. In 2022 as a sophomore at SU, she helped the Orange win the College Hockey America Tournament Championship. Now, as a graduate student, she’s serving as the program’s captain for the third season. Though, it’s White’s work away from Tennity Ice Pavilion that has made an everlasting impact. As a junior, she became involved with Team IMPACT, a nonprofit organization that allows student-athletes to connect with children facing serious illness and disability. The organization’s goal is to form long-term, life-changing experiences for all. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has active partnerships with 289 children across all 50 states, adding to its total of 3,300 since its establishment. Its match program gives college athletic programs a chance to have young kids, or “matches,” attend events with the team and build connections with the players and coaches.
“It has the support to allow (athletes) to grow in areas outside their athletic talents. When (White) said she was coming back for another year, we were like, ‘This is amazing,’” Alex Givens, Team IMPACT’s associate director of student athlete development, said. “(White) has experience and expertise to help these younger athletes grow into the role.” White has always been a significant advocate for helping people, as she quickly joined the StudentAthlete Advisory Committee when arriving at SU. During the beginning of White’s junior year, Team IMPACT held a field-day type event for the committee, when athletes could meet potential matches. White attended and fell in love with the organization’s prime objective. “We just got to meet (the matches) and hang out, and it was a pretty cool event just to have them all there,” White said. “When coach Britni (Smith) came in, she was really interested in the Team IMPACT program as well. Our ultimate goal was to have a match for our team at some point.” The process wasn’t always easy for the team, who went through numerous methods to receive a match. Matches must live close to their teams and have the abilities necessary to collaborate with the athletes.
“We’ve got kids who are very sensitive to temperatures, so if they get cold too quickly, we don’t want to put them with hockey. If they get hot too quickly, we don’t want to put them with soccer or softball,” Rebecca Carr, Team IMPACT’s senior case manager, said. In September, SU ice hockey officially announced the addition of Emelia “Emmy” Phillips to its team. Phillips signed a “National Letter of Intent” and was a vital part of media day festivities. Across the Orange’s 10-year partnership with Team IMPACT, Phillips marked their 13th match. Phillips, who is 5, was diagnosed with Spina bifida and CASK genetic disorder. Through her few months with the team, she has attended games and practices, participated in team events and built close ties with players, especially White. “We roll Emmy around in her wheelchair out there, and just to have them involved, it’s super cool,” White said. After a year of involvement with the organization, White decided to take on the role of a fellow. The position consists of not only being there for the matches of a specific team but for the matches of all Syracuse programs. see white page 14
men’s basketball
Observations from Syracuse’s exhibition win over Slippery Rock By Aiden Stepansky asst. sports editor
Four days ago, Syracuse dominated in its first exhibition matchup. On Oct. 26, the Orange matched up with Clarion and showcased a new-look roster. In SU’s 101-73 exhibition victory, junior J.J. Starling led the way with 17 points while freshman phenom Donnie Freeman posted an impressive 16-point, seven-rebound performance. Among newcomers from the transfer portal, point guard Jaquan Carlos totaled 14 points and 10 assists in 31 minutes. Though, postgame, second-year head coach Adrian Autry made it clear the
lineup would be toyed with in its second and final exhibition. Wednesday evening against Slippery Rock, SU used a different group. In the final tune-up before Syracuse’s first game against Le Moyne on Nov. 4, the Orange overcame a sluggish start to dominate the final 30 minutes of play. SU finished the first half on a 30-8 run while junior Chris Bell led the way with 17 points, going 6-of-9 from the field. “Our offense is a little bit ahead of our defense right now,” Autry said postgame. “But I think everything that we’ve done in these two games, I think that’ll translate.”
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 96-51 exhibition win over Slippery Rock:
The Donnie show
Much anticipation around SU’s 202425 basketball season revolves around Freeman. The highly-touted recruit didn’t start SU’s first exhibition but entered less than three minutes in, making a quick impact. Freeman notched his first start with the Orange Wednesday and played 15 minutes. The freshman, much like his first game, pulled up from mid-range with no hesitation, sinking a contested shot to get on the board.
“He’s really aggressive, which we need him to do,” Starling said of Freeman. “But at the end of the day, he’s guarding the ball, too, and that’s also what we need him to do.” With Eddie Lampkin Jr. starting on the bench, SU attempted to put Freeman’s back to the basket and feed him inside. But on the first attempt, he was outmuscled inside, turning the ball over and leading to a transition opportunity for Slippery Rock. He also entered foul trouble early and was called for two in the first seven minutes before exiting. After subbing back in for the final push of the first half, Freeman maneuvered inside and received a slip
pass from Lucas Taylor, laying it up for a score. Even when he got to the charity stripe, he was efficient, starting 6-for-6. The freshman added a free throw in the second half and exited for the final 16 minutes, finishing his first start with 11 points and three rebounds.
Strong 3-point shooting
The Orange were just 12-of-34 (35%) from beyond the arc in their first exhibition. Starling and Bell combined for seven, leading the way for SU. SU made deep shots early and often Wednesday, too. Bell found nothing but net in the first six minutes before being see observations page 14