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Syracuse has struggled through its season-opening stretch. The Orange have pounded shot after shot at opposing goalkeepers, but only five have reached the back of the net. After a 3-2 loss to then-No. 8 Stanford on Saturday, SU has outshot opponents 113-49 through seven games.

With its limited scoring output, you’d think Syracuse would be struggling to find wins. But SU has only dropped three games thus far, pulling out narrow 1-0 wins over Loyola and Yale.

Why? Its defense has been phenomenal.

Despite allowing three goals to the Cardinal — two of which came in the final 11 minutes — Syracuse’s (2-3-2, 0-1-0 Atlantic Coast) backline has kept it in every game thus far. Its collapse against Stanford is the lone time SU has allowed multiple goals in a contest, and its six goals allowed rank tied for seventh out of 15 ACC teams. The Orange also haven’t trailed by multiple goals at any point this campaign.

That’s come via a restructured unit. Goalie Tomas Hut has manned the net for the second straight year, but newcomers Ernest Mensah Jr. (Xavier) and Tim Brdaric (Germany) have starred in front of him. Returners Chimere Omeze and Garrett Holman have been solid as well, keeping the Orange’s season afloat amid their offensive shortcomings.

“We’re gonna throw punches at them, and they’re gonna throw punches at us, but it’s just about how we can react and how we can put one into the back of the net,” Hut said after SU’s 1-1 tie with Penn State. “I’m not worried. I think we’ve done really well defensively.”

After Syracuse’s defensive struggles last campaign, it’s shown early mastery in 2025. The Orange allowed 27 goals across 18 games in 2024, the fourth-worst mark in the ACC. As they once again failed to score consistently, that amounted to the worst scoring margin in the conference at -0.06.

With SU struggling on both sides of the ball, it turned in a mediocre 7-7-3 season and a subsequent first-round loss in the ACC Tournament.

When everyday starter Andre Cutler-DeJesus graduated, the unit grew even thinner. Omeze was the only returning defender who started more than five games. SU head coach Ian McIntyre needed reinforcements.

He found them this offseason. His biggest catch was Mensah. The Naperville, Illinois, native spent his first two college seasons at Xavier, where he helped the Musketeers to the 2023 Big East Championship over Georgetown and snagged All-Big East Third Team honors in 2024.

After transferring to the Orange in December, Mensah refined his skills this past summer with Asheville City FC, where he primarily served as its right wingback. He’s excelled at one-on-one defending in his first season at SU, driving opposing attackers to the goal line and making effective slide tackles.

McIntyre also added Brdaric, who had international playing experience in his home country of Germany, most recently competing for the KFC Uerdingen in the Regionalliga West.

The two, paired with Holman and Omeze, have formed an airtight backline.

Omeze, after making the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2024, hasn’t skipped a beat.
But Holman has been a welcome surprise after starting none of his six appearances as a freshman. He’s used his lean, 6-foot-3, 160-pound frame to outrun and outjump players, especially shining in Syracuse’s season opener against UConn.

Syracuse defender Garrett Holman clears a ball against Penn State amid the Nittany Lions’ offensive barrage. In his first season as a starter after appearing in six games last year, Holman has evolved into one of SU’s best defenders. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

Their dominance has made Hut’s job easy in goal. Though he’s made just 11 saves through seven games, the second-lowest in the conference, he hasn’t needed to make many more. Hut has faced seven shots per game.

After a 52-save 2024 campaign in his debut season for SU, he’s shown up when necessary, posting four saves to limit Penn State to one goal on 13 shots. McIntyre praised Hut postgame, calling it his best showing with the Orange.

“I’d agree with (McIntyre),” Hut said postgame. “I think compared to last year, I have the confidence and momentum behind me as a starter, so I was happy with my performance.”

But it took a few games for the new unit to fully settle in. SU allowed 29 shots in its first three matchups, including a combined 24 to Loyola and PSU. Despite the high volume, the Orange conceded just two goals in that span, helping them come away with a 1-1-1 record.

Against UConn, Holman stole the show, effortlessly cutting down opposing attackers. Versus PSU, it was Hut, who made three of his four saves in the second half to preserve a draw amid Penn State’s endless pressure.

“We got better in the second half. We needed Tomas Hut to pull off some big saves. By hanging in there, we had a chance to win it in the last 30 seconds,” McIntyre said of SU’s defense against the Nittany Lions.

The Orange have been much cleaner since. Before their battle with Stanford, they allowed just seven total shots across three games against Yale, Duquesne and New Haven. Despite one second-half goal from the Dukes, the lack of quality chances allowed SU to post clean sheets against Yale and New Haven, allowing zero shots on goal to the Chargers.

Thanks to its subpar offense, Syracuse’s effort just hasn’t been reflected in its results. Sixty-seven shots across that stretch led to a 1-0 loss to the Dukes and a 0-0 tie with New Haven. Just one small mistake — a misplaced back-pass from Holman — doomed SU against Duquesne, where one Syracuse goal would’ve salvaged a point.

But that doesn’t mean SU has nothing to hang its hat on.

With a mostly new cast of characters, its defense has impressed. Hut has become a bystander in nearly every game because of it. Aside from one penalty goal, the Orange even played 80 minutes of clean defense against Stanford before capitulating late.

And with Syracuse’s offense waking up with its first multi-goal effort versus the Cardinal, its backline must stay secure to steer its season back on track.

“It started from the energy our front guys brought, and our midfield worked really hard,” McIntyre said after facing Duquesne. “We’ll get there. Games like these will prepare us (for what’s coming).”

Published on September 17, 2025 at 11:04 pm
Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @Noahnuss99