Syracuse cruises to 1st home win of 2026 in 2-0 victory over Loyola
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Losing 3-2 to New Hampshire, for sure, stung. A game in which Syracuse played well throughout, even down to 10-men, got away right at the end.
However, there was no reason to panic or make drastic changes, which is why Syracuse men’s soccer head coach Ian McIntyre barely altered his starting XI Friday night. And while SU was far better than a Loyola team desperately looking for a positive result after allowing eight combined goals in back-to-back losses to start 2026, it lacked a cutting edge to pull away from the Greyhounds.
Then, several substitutions came on the pitch around the 30-minute mark, and the game flipped in the Orange’s favor.
Goals scored by Bryson Rodriguez and Pedro Gulli, his first in an SU uniform, and assists by substitutes Badr Laghjibi, Dario White and Emmanuel Cophy drove Syracuse (2-1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Loyola (0-3-0, 0-0 Patriot League) Friday at SU Soccer Stadium.
“Coaches were geniuses for making those substitutions,” McIntyre said.
Syracuse addressed last season’s poor forward production during the offseason. After a campaign in which the Orange’s forwards combined for just four goal contributions — the worst mark in McIntyre’s 16 year-tenure and the fewest in the ACC in 2025 — forwards like Jordan Grey have made immediate impacts.
The interchange between Grey, Landon Darko and Sachiel Ming has been a constant in each of Syracuse’s matches thus far. That trio tried to exploit Loyola with nifty passing between itself and a will to travel into the channel once midfielder-turned-center-back Ivan Irinimbabazi had possession.
It brought numerous corners and near-goals early in the first half, especially when Ming drove a good-looking ball into the box that was just a tad too fast for Darko to connect with. Yet those three came off the pitch midway through the first half with both teams still scoreless. In came Laghjibi, Rodriguez, Gulli, Cophy and White.
Some have already had quality moments at SU. White, a product of the Portland Timbers academy, assisted Grey’s go-ahead goal against New Hampshire. Last year, Rodriguez scored the winner in a 1-0 triumph over Boston College, one of the four teams Syracuse beat midseason that helped spur the Orange’s late-season success.
But none had changed the game as drastically as they did on Friday night.
“Once you go in, it’s your time to shine,” Laghjibi said.
In the 34th minute, Emanuel Cophy, a left-sided defender who played more forward-minded against Loyola, drove the ball into Laghjibi. Laghjibi, who McIntyre said postgame had a very high ceiling by gesturing his hand up to the sky, took the ball down superbly with his right foot and flicked it over Loyola midfielder Ben Schouten into the path of Rodriguez.
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With increased minutes, Badr Laghjibi shines in Syracuse’s win over Loyola
After totaling just 20 minutes in Syracuse’s first two games, freshman Badr Laghjibi was the catalyst for SU’s two goals in a 2-0 win against Loyola Maryland Friday.
Rodriguez shifted it onto his right foot and, with the aid of a deflection from Schouten, looped the ball beyond Connor O’Keefe in net.
“Bryson has that ability to score goals from midfield,” McIntyre said.
Minutes later, Laghjibi had the ball again on the right side of the box. He drew the attention of two Greyhound defenders, opening space for a first-time cross from White. His lofted cross found the head of Gulli, who drove the ball into the net for a quickfire SU double and then wheeled away toward the Syracuse faithful behind the goal in celebration.
Timi Adekunle’s second yellow card and subsequent red card in the second half brought on more SU pressure, leaving goalkeeper Kyle Jansen without anything major to do as time ticked down to a Syracuse victory.
McIntyre conceded the one caveat with SU’s performance was that it could’ve, and probably should’ve, scored more Friday night. But after collapsing late against UNH, a first home win of 2026 was enjoyable, for sure.
“The last time we were all here, we were talking about character and resilience and ‘proud of the guys.’ But there’s no better feeling than winning a game,” McIntyre said.
