Syracuse Men's Soccer Delivers a Tenacious Comeback

By Ellen Burr

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After virtually dominating the entire game, Syracuse Men's Soccer (3-1-0) finally secured the lead over Rutgers (2-1-0) in the 84th minute of the game Sunday night. Junior forward Chris Nanco scored the winning goal for the Orange off of a pass from senior midfielder Korab Syla, making the final score of the game 2-1.

"I really didn't even see the net," Nanco said. "I just took a shot on goal and hoped for the best. When you get into those areas you just got to try to put it on target and hope for the best."

The match was the final round of the Central New York Classic, which Syracuse has now won two years in a row. It was a hot but clear night as 2,193 fans packed the Syracuse University Soccer Stadium, the third largest crowd to grace the venue for an Orange soccer game.

Throughout the game, Syracuse monopolized possession of the ball, outshooting Rutgers 20-4. However, the Orange men were down by one at the half after Rutgers' freshman forward Brian Hawkins tapped the ball past Syracuse freshman goalkeeper Austin Aviza in the first minute of play. Hawkins connected with the ball after it rebounded off the post from a shot by Rutgers' redshirt senior defenseman Mitch Lurie.

The Orange finally responded in the second half with a quick goal of its own. Sophomore midfielder Julian Buescher found the back of the net in the first minute of the half on an assist by Nanco.

"Coach said goals are scored five minutes after the first half and five minutes into the game," Buescher said. "I got lucky that I scored the one."

Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre credited quick ball movement and the relentless nature of his players as the keys to the Orange's success in the second half.

"You can take it a couple different ways," McIntyre said of his team's response to Rutgers' first goal. "You can feel sorry for yourself and kind of mope around. Our energy and enthusiasm was very good and we kept pushing until it took us 84 minutes to get that second goal."

Syracuse will host Louisville this Friday at 7 p.m. Louisville is currently ranked 15th in the country, and the game will be the first ACC contest for the Orange this season.