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Syracuse had every reason to be frustrated heading into its matchup with Loyola Maryland.

Three days earlier, it had squandered a chance to start off the year on the right foot against an unranked UConn. After building a reputation of offensive inconsistency last season, that struggle to score again resurfaced against the Huskies. For SU, the theme of the night wasn’t a failure to create chances — it was finishing them. Despite earning nine corners and outshooting the opposition 10-2 in the second half, SU was left staring at a goose egg by full time.

However, Sunday’s contest at Loyola Maryland brought a prime chance for the Orange to get back on track. Dating back to 2005, they had taken three of their last four meetings with the Greyhounds, outscoring them by a combined margin of 10-4. In the two sides’ last clash in 2022, a 6-1 SU win helped supply the late-season momentum it needed to embark on a national title run. With an attacking corps hungrier than ever, the kettle seemed hot for Syracuse to break through.

Powered by a dominant first half, Syracuse (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic Coast) held on to claim its first win of 2025 with a slim 1-0 triumph over Loyola Maryland (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Patriot League). Newly-acquired transfer Tim Brdaric notched SU’s first goal of the campaign off a corner in the 10th minute, which proved to be the difference. After a one-sided first half for the Orange, the Greyhounds flipped the script in the second by outshooting SU 9-3. Still, it wasn’t enough to find the tying goal.

In the wake of SU’s season-opening defeat, head coach Ian McIntyre stated postgame that he was “frustrated but not disappointed.” Regardless, he knew changes were needed to give his team a spark in game two.

That’s why to open the contest Sunday, the Orange shifted from a 3-5-2 formation to more of an off-ball one to help limit the turnovers in their own end that plagued them versus UConn. SU also made three key changes to its starting lineup, swapping in Michael Acquah at forward along with Quentin Christey and Carlos Zambrano in the midfield. The tweaks were exactly what Syracuse needed.

Forcing the Greyhounds into a litany of fouls in the first 10 minutes, the Orange created multiple turnovers in the midfield that sparked an early offensive onslaught. Acquah almost cashed in with a quick strike, but Loyola goalie Connor O’Keefe denied him with a sliding stop.

In his first career start Thursday, O’Keefe only faced two shots on goal en route to Loyola’s 2-0 win. But on Sunday, Syracuse gave him more of a workout.

After failing to capitalize on corners against UConn, Syracuse only needed one to open the scoring this time. With Sachiel Ming on the right side of the net, he lofted a perfectly-placed pass through the inside of the 18-yard box. Brdaric’s ensuing header beat O’Keefe cleanly, snapping the Orange’s scoreless drought that lasted over 100 minutes.

With the all-important first strike, Syracuse pushed for more. Spearheaded by Ming’s and Acquah’s efforts on the attack, it continued to apply pressure. Following Brdaric’s tally, the Orange peppered O’Keefe with six more shots over the next 13 minutes. One of those chances included a point-blank shot by Zambrano that was denied by the goalkeeper. The rebound rolled over to Ming, but he missed the gaping net.

Looking to generate some momentum, the Greyhounds ushered in five substitutions midway through the first half, but it didn’t matter. Any time they tried to generate anything in the midfield, it seemed a timely turnover sent the ball the other way for the Orange. With the field tilted in its favor, SU held Loyola to just two shot attempts over the first 45 minutes.

At the other end of the pitch, it finished the frame leading in every offensive category, highlighted by a commanding 5-1 edge in shots on goal. Still, it only led 1-0.

Despite their forgettable first-half performance, the Greyhounds emerged from the locker room determined to battle back.

To kick off the frame, Loyola embarked on multiple longstanding possessions as it looked to finally generate its first set pieces of the afternoon. But even when pinned in its own end, Syracuse’s backline held firm. Thanks to the group’s efforts, it wasn’t until the 66th minute that Loyola tested Tomas Hut with its first — and ultimately only — shot on goal.

While the Greyhounds slowly shifted the momentum back in their favor, the Orange’s chances at the other end dwindled. Not mustering a single shot until 19 minutes into the half, SU’s chances became few and far down the stretch as Loyola’s backline found its form. With its offense suddenly snakebitten, SU was forced to lean on its midfield and defensive weapons.

With five minutes left, Loyola’s opportunities nearly came to a head. On its long-awaited first corner of the contest, Jordy Luchies fired a screamer past Hut that glanced the crossbar. As Hut frantically scanned for the ball, three Greyhounds tried to slot home the rebound but were each met by a heroic SU block. Fueled by the late stand from its backline, the Orange held from there to survive the late scare.

Although Sunday’s result may not have been groundbreaking for Syracuse, it still marked an important step forward for a team who hadn’t tasted victory in almost 10 months.

Published on August 24, 2025 at 3:54 pm
Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu | @ma77hew_gray