Dave Pietramala knew something was off. Days after the most disappointing Johns Hopkins season in recent memory, Pietramala walked into his dark office in the morning.

He strolled into the room. And to his surprise, he found Tom Palasek waiting there. Alone.

‘When a guy’s sitting, waiting for you at your office,’ Pietramala said, ‘you know something’s up.’

Palasek told his head coach, quite simply, he wanted out. Hopkins wasn’t the right fit anymore, for a variety of reasons. Because he didn’t fit Hopkins academically anymore. Because he felt he didn’t completely fit Pietramala’s system.

And he wanted a chance to leave his mark on what he feels is the signature NCAA lacrosse program in the country.

So began Palasek’s rare journey from one storied program to another. Pietramala and Hopkins granted him his release, and Palasek transferred to Syracuse. He’s one part of SU’s stacked attack group, along with senior Stephen Keogh, junior Tim Desko, sophomore JoJo Marasco and highly touted freshman Billy Ward. Even after missing the team’s fall camp, SU head coach John Desko and his new teammates see him ready to contribute on offense.

And after a long path that led him to Syracuse, Palasek feels ready, too.

‘At first, you feel the pressure,’ Palasek said. ‘Only because in a place like this and Hopkins, there are always people watching you.

‘But I like the pressure. I like to be able to have that pressure so that I can live up to it.’

Palasek living up to anything, though, was a question. He said he knew he wanted to transfer before Johns Hopkins’ season was over. He moved swiftly after the Blue Jays suffered through their worst season since 1990. It ended with a disappointing 18-5 loss to Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

When Hopkins’ season ended and Palasek decided to transfer, the rumors began. He heard it all. When his brother decided to transfer as well — he ended up at Massachusetts — there were rumors of a fallout between Palasek and Pietramala.

Both have denied those rumors. Pietramala said he wished he played Palasek more as a Blue Jay to unleash the potential of his young attack, but Palasek never complained about playing time. Palasek said too many people were caught up in assumptions.

‘He’s got a different style of coaching than Coach Desko,’ Palasek said of Pietramala. ‘More outgoing and in-your-face type of guy. A lot of people assume that bothered me and that was the reason I left. Because he was too hard on me.

‘I’ve had coaches my whole life, in all sports. They’ve been hard, in-your-face type of guys. I don’t mind that at all. I never had that problem.’

Desko and Syracuse had reached out to Palasek during his original recruitment process out of Rocky Point (N.Y.) High School. Palasek’s father, Tom, attended SU and played two years of junior varsity lacrosse.

Palasek thought the Syracuse package — the history, the better school academically for his concentration in teaching and the lacrosse — was a perfect fit. And Desko was happy to oblige the second time around.

‘Tom has some good ability,’ Desko said. ‘He’s a good dodger. He sees the field well. He can help us get some depth there, and I’m sure he can get some minutes there, too.’

Minutes weren’t always a sure thing for Palasek, either. He came into Syracuse in late December at a disadvantage.

He was a freshman again. And he missed the fall camp Desko used to help his freshman class of 19 learn the ropes. At media day, Desko said he would consider using a redshirt season for Palasek.

‘Just get an opportunity,’ Palasek said at SU’s media day on Jan. 13. ‘I would never come in and expect to just play at such a great place like this, with such history and great talent already. But I’m looking forward to getting the second opportunity to play for a great program.’

But not even two weeks later, Desko all but ended any talks of redshirting Palasek. And the following week, he confirmed Palasek would play this season.

Desko’s decision came so easily, teammates say, because of the different dynamic Palasek brings to the Orange’s offense. SU starting goaltender John Galloway saw that dynamic when Palasek had his best game of last season — March 20 against Syracuse.

Palasek kept the Blue Jays afloat in an eventual 10-7 Orange victory. With Hopkins down 8-2, he assisted on a goal to Zach Palmer. And he scored two more to bring his team within three each time.

‘I don’t think we scouted Tommy as well as we should have,’ Galloway said. ‘I think he was an unsung hero for that team. You didn’t see him too much before the game on film, and all of a sudden he comes out of the box. … He beat two of our best defenders in Jovan (Miller) and (Tim) Harder last year.’

Now Galloway said he’s glad to have Palasek on his side. Palasek likely won’t start — that will be left to the returning trio of Keogh, Marasco and Desko.

But he will bring his array of experiences to a key reserve role. The speed and the quick trigger around the net Galloway talked about. A strong lacrosse background from Pietramala and Johns Hopkins. And the mastery — already — of a playbook Tim Desko said took him an entire redshirt season to learn.

Far from the dark office in which he started the new path, Palasek will stand under the bright lights of the Carrier Dome on Sunday to begin the next step in his unique journey.

‘This program is a great program,’ Palasek said. ‘I’m lucky to have the opportunity to play for both. Not many people can say they’ve played for Hopkins and Syracuse lacrosse.’

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on February 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm