ITHACA, N.Y. — A.J. Fiore grew up fast.
Just one year ago, Fiore was starting at local Ithaca High School. Tonight he was starting against Syracuse, the nation’s No. 2 team.
‘We told A.J. (Fiore) he was going to start on Sunday, and he had this look on his face of poise and calm and confidence,’ said Cornell head coach Jeff Tambroni. ‘Seeing him smile in pregame gave me a pretty good sense that here is a freshman goalie that has a chance to arrive.’
Fiore had a career-high 20 saves, as he faced 40 shots from an Orange offense eager to put up goals. The true freshman began his Cornell career as the starting goalie. After struggling in the last few games, he has split time with junior Mat Martinez. And in a one-goal win over Harvard three days ago, Fiore did not even step on the field.
But tonight, he was ready to go. Despite playing the two-time defending national champions, Fiore felt the most calm he as all season.
‘I realized I have not played to my full potential this season,’ Fiore said. ‘I don’t know if it has just been nerves or what. For the first time, instead of going out there so serious, I tried to go out feeling good.’
But just four and a half minutes into the game, SU attack Max Bartig fired a shot past Fiore. He could have started to doubt himself. He could have looked to the sideline, wondering if Martinez was warming up.
But the freshman reacted like an upperclassman. A veteran who knows how to shake off a first-quarter goal.
‘You knew they would come out firing — that is the kind of team they are,’ Fiore said. ‘You just have to put it behind you and not dwell on it that early.’
And Fiore certainly settled in. The game was knotted at one after the first 15 minutes. This was the first time all season Syracuse did not hold the lead after the first quarter. As the game wore on, Fiore made save after save. As the Orange offense tried to bounce shots past the freshman, the goalie used his feet on more than one occasion to stop the ball.
Even on the last play of the game, he stuffed Cody Jamieson’s potential game-winner right on the doorstep. And while it wasn’t enough, Tambroni saw plenty from his goalie.
‘That was as good a performance as we’ve had from our goalies since Matt McMonagle,’ Tambroni said. ‘He was about as good as I have had the opportunity to coach, and watching A.J. (Fiore) today reminded me of him.’
Marasco hurt
SU freshman midfielder JoJo Marasco left the team’s game against Cornell in the first quarter after suffering what is only being described now as a ‘lower left leg injury.’
As the rest of the members of the SU team huddled before the start of the second quarter, Marasco remained on the bench writhing in pain while hunched over, grabbing his left leg.
Before halftime, the freshman walked off the field limping, accompanied by two SU trainers on a trip to the locker room. At the half, it was announced he would not return, and at the start of the third quarter, he stood on the sideline on crutches.
Marasco was not available for comment after the game. There was no word on how the injury would affect his status for Sunday’s game at Rutgers.
With Marasco’s injury, other midfielders saw increased time for the Orange. Non-regulars Pete Coleman, Steve Ianzito, Joe Coulter and Ryan Barber played more extensively.
In addition, members of the attack, such as Chris Daniello, shifted between attack and midfield. If the injury to Marasco is a serious one, Daniello said he would be fine with rotating between positions.
‘I’ve kind of been doing it all season,’ Daniello said. ‘And now I’m going to be doing it a little more.’
Déjà vu?
As Syracuse’s game against Cornell wound down yet again to the final minutes, memories crept into plain view of last year’s championship game, when SU came back for a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory on Cody Jamieson’s tally in the extra session.
And for a second, it looked like Jamieson would be the hero once again.
Coming in from behind the net, Jamieson beat his defender to the inside and was on the doorstep. But Fiore turned away his shot.
‘I just took a shot,’ Jamieson said. ‘Last year, you had time. This year, the last time I looked up at the clock, I think it said 10 seconds and I was out on the wing. I didn’t really have any time to think and react.’
When Jamieson saw that Fiore had made the save, his first thought was to get the ball back. And then he saw that Chris Daniello was there to do just that and be the hero this time around.
‘I didn’t think there was that much time left on the clock,’ Jamieson said. ‘Even when Chris did finally pick it up, I thought, ‘That horn has to be going off sometime.”
bplogiur@syr.edu
restern@syr.edu
Published on April 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm
