Syracuse breaks 2-game skid, earns 2nd ranked win of season vs. No. 22 UNC
Syracuse rebounded from losses to Pitt and Cornell by downing No. 22 UNC 1-0 Saturday, moving it to fourth in the ACC with one game remaining. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s season has been a rollercoaster. Entering its battle with No. 22 North Carolina Saturday, SU alternated between games where it looked like it was in an endless rut or it seemed it would never lose again.
The Orange rebounded from a tough opening stretch, embarking on a four-game win streak punctuated by its first ranked win over then-No. 25 SMU. That all went down the drain with SU’s recent losses to Pittsburgh and Cornell.
The setbacks haven’t deterred head coach Ian McIntyre, however. He’s already faced bigger hurdles on his road to the program’s all-time win record. Now, his focus is on setting his team up for a home Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament matchup.
“If you would have said at the beginning of the year with two games left (we’d) have nine points and be in the middle of the table with an opportunity to compete for a home seed, we would have taken it,” McIntyre said Thursday.
The Orange took care of business Saturday. Syracuse (7-6-2, 4-3-0 ACC) snapped its two-game skid with a 1-0 win over No. 22 UNC (8-3-4, 2-1-4 ACC). Despite not posting a shot on goal until the 33rd minute and dealing with numerous injuries to its backline, SU moved to fourth in the ACC with its second ranked victory of the campaign.
“They just hung in there and found a way to get over,” McIntyre said postgame. “And if we’re going to win games in this league, we’re going to need that.”
The win stems back to Syracuse’s preparation. On Thursday, McIntyre pointed to a few areas SU was focusing on.
He mentioned Syracuse needed to stop allowing “soft goals,” such as the two penalty tallies it surrendered against the Panthers and Big Red. Offensively, he said SU must take advantage of its chances after a two-game stretch in which it scored just three goals on 19 shots. The Orange did both on Saturday, and it paid off.
It took some time to settle in, though. Neither team posted a shot until eight minutes in. SU’s offense looked sluggish, delivering mistimed passes and firing off-target shots.
Defensively, the Orange had their work cut out for them. Starting center back Garrett Holman, who’d played nearly every minute of every game, was sidelined with an injury. SU’s backline was also hampered by another injury to defender Ernest Mensah and a late red card on Chimere Omeze.
That forced numerous players out of position. McIntyre slotted freshman midfielder Bryson Rodriguez and reserve defender Santiago Frias into the lineup. Frias had logged just 23 minutes all season and Rodriguez had played five games, but they both held their own. Graduate defender Tim Brdaric, one of the only starting defenders left after the chaos, credited their seamless transitions to the team discussing everyone’s roles pregame.
“We put everything into the game, and even though we’re down the man, everybody works for each other,” Brdaric said. “I think that’s what makes a difference.”
Syracuse midfielder Giona Leibold makes a play on the ball versus North Carolina defender Luca Nikolai. Leibold helped SU earn its second ranked win of the season after its previous defeat of then-No. 25 SMU on Oct. 11. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
Though UNC fired six first-half shots, SU’s defense withstood the barrage. Goalie Tomas Hut stole the show early. In the eighth minute, he stopped a low shot from Nacho Abeal — who leads the Tar Heels in both goals and assists — then dove right to punch out Charlie Antonelius’ strike nine minutes later.
The keeper’s four first-half saves and SU’s strong backline kept the game in reach.
Syracuse’s offense took advantage at the perfect time. In the 36th minute, Mensah cut down a Tar Heel attack, passing the ball forward to Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano tapped the ball over his and UNC defender Callum Frogson’s head to give himself yards of free space.
Zambrano dished the ball to Landon Darko wide open on the right side of the box. Darko smashed the ball into the bottom left corner for the score.
It was only Syracuse’s second shot on goal of the game, but it didn’t matter. SU led 1-0.
In the back half, the Orange locked down. UNC maintained its pressure, tallying 13 second-half shots. Yet, Syracuse didn’t budge. It stifled a Tar Heels free kick in the 46th minute, then cut off two consecutive attacks 12 minutes later. On the other end, SU failed to tally a shot for the half’s first 19 minutes and totaled three in the frame.
With its defense taking control, Syracuse still maintained the upper hand. It just needed to hold on for the last stretch, and it did.
UNC forced a free kick after Andrew Czech was taken down outside the box in the 72nd minute. But Gabriel Bracken Serra’s attempt zipped harmlessly over the crossbar.
In the final 10 minutes, nothing changed. Despite Omeze’s 83rd-minute red card dropping SU’s already-depleted unit to 10 men, it fended off numerous Tar Heel shots to clinch the victory.
Syracuse entered Saturday desperately needing a win. Entering the ACC Tournament with four straight losses would’ve essentially been a death sentence. When it truly mattered most, SU stepped up big, giving itself a major boost with one game left before the postseason.
“I think it’s just a reminder how good we are, especially heading into next week,” Darko said. “The team morale is going to be high, and that’s what we want.”
