The Syracuse Orange men’s soccer team continued their impressive run to open the season with a 2-0 victory over the Boston College Eagles [11] on Friday night. With the win, this year’s team is now tied with the 1984 Orange squad for the best start to a season in school history.
“This is why you get up in the morning to compete.” SU head coach Ian McIntyre [12] said following the game. He added, “We will continue to get better, this is still a very new team.”
Despite an eventual loss, it was the Eagles (4-2, 1-1 ACC) that dictated the course of play in the first half. They enjoyed far more possession than the Orange (7-0, 2-0 ACC) and employed their physical style of play to draw 11 fouls and a yellow card from the home side. As a result of such dominant possession, the Eagles were far more of a threat on attack. Boston College had three shots in the half, with one on target, a deflected strike that forced an impressive diving save from Orange sophomore goalkeeper Hendrik Hilpert [13].
In the 40th minute, the Orange got its first and only shot of the half from senior Sergio Camargo [14], whose low drive was met with a well-timed kick save from Eagles sophomore goalkeeper Cedric Saladin. The teams headed into the locker room tied at zero, with each relying heavily on lobbed through balls up the center of the pitch in the period.
The Orange achieved a breakthrough early on in the second half. At the 49th minute, a poor defensive clearance from the Eagles gave SU sophomore Jonathan Hagman [15] time and space to get a shot off from just outside the 18-yard box. He made full use of the opportunity. He opened up the scoring with a low, powerful strike that found its way into the right side netting.
The Eagles responded positively, earning two corners, the second of which resulted in a won header that landed just shy of the wrong side of the post. This was the last of the Eagles offensive threats as the Orange safely dominated the rest of the half, eventually scoring a second goal in the 74th minute. Senior Chris Nanco [16], an ever-present force in the Orange attacking set-up, found space on the left wing and drove deep into the attacking third. From there, he fired a low pass across the face of the goal which was met by redshirt junior Kenny Lassiter [17], who tapped the ball into the back of the net.
According to Nanco, Syracuse’s game plan changed at halftime, with the attackers instructed to exploit the wings.
“If we could get out wide, win fouls and put crosses into the box, from set pieces out wide, they weren’t that good in the air,” Nanco said.
This yielded positive results with both goals coming off of balls played out wide and crossed into the box. Part of the play alteration also included a change in defensive strategy, with the Orange adapting to the Eagles physical style of play.
“[Boston College] relied on their size, no matter offensively or defensively. We didn’t really expect that in the ACC home opener,” Hilpert said following the game.
Syracuse will return to action on Tuesday against Cornell. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Ithaca, New York.
