Gabriel Oksanen’s Olimpico sparks Syracuse’s offense in win over Le Moyne
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Gabriel Oksanen needed this one. He needed to regain his teammates’ and coaches’ trust. He needed to “dig in deep.” He needed to exhale.
Since receiving a red card in Syracuse’s first loss of the season on Aug. 23, Oksanen’s gone from starting — and scoring — against ranked opponents to playing 15-30 minutes per match.
The last 27 days have been mentally and physically taxing for the defender. The 47th minute of SU’s game Saturday finally gave him something to smile about.
Oksanen calmly jogged to the left corner to take the Orange’s fifth corner kick of the match. He laced what looked like a pass into the box. Instead, it trickled past Le Moyne goalie Wyatt Dupell into the back right of the net. Oksanen said it’s the first Olimpico he’s ever scored.
Syracuse (6-3-0, 0-2-0 Atlantic Coast) had unlocked the Dolphins (4-2-2, 0-0-0 Northeast), who stifled its 15 first-half shots, and Oksanen’s goal was all it really needed in its 2-0 win Saturday night at SU Soccer Stadium.
“After coming off that red card and easing my way back into the team, it feels like a lot of pressure relieved,” Oksanen said postgame. “I’ve had to prove myself in training and games coming off the bench, and I think I’ve done a good job of that.”
If he hadn’t proved himself before, Oksanen’s goal Saturday definitely did. His teammates and 2,064 spectators also thought so.
First came Garrett Holman, who embraced Oksanen moments after he scored. Buster Honeywood and Dario White followed. Dakota Jonke and Bryson Rodriguez weren’t far behind.
Gabriel Oksanen’s teammates rush toward him in Syracuse’s win over Le Moyne Saturday. Oksanen scored the game-winning goal in the 47th minute. Tara Deluca | Photo Editor
Postgame, Oksanen spent a few minutes signing autographs for a cluster of Syracuse fans standing off to the side. They approached him like he was a celebrity. After spending so much time trying to regain confidence, this surely did it.
“Good for Gabby,” Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said postgame. “(He) obviously got the unfortunate red card. He learned from that. He owned it. He’s got quality, and what the game needed was … our young guys. We had Gabby out there.”
The last few weeks have given Oksanen plenty of time to reflect. As he’s watched Chimere Omeze take and secure his starting spot, he’s had to navigate more than one new feeling.
Before joining Syracuse, Oksanen played abroad for Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho in Finland, where he scored six goals across 58 appearances. He played in six more games for Real Monarchs in MLS Next Pro and spent time with the San Diego Surf of the Elite Clubs National League and Danish club Brøndby IF.
He’s no stranger to different play styles, but he said the NCAA is a physical, high-level league and unique from what he’s experienced. Yet amid so much change, he’s always turned to his mother for guidance.
His move to Syracuse was no different. These last few weeks, Oksanen said they’ve spent plenty of time on the phone talking things through. He opened up to her about his mental struggles and how he’s tried to work back into Syracuse’s rotation.
Oksanen’s also spoken with McIntyre, who’s familiar with players not letting small mistakes define their careers.
“They’ve really helped me get over myself and push through this hard time,” Oksanen said.
Two years ago, when Le Moyne shocked then-No. 7 Syracuse on this very pitch, a young Omeze sat in SU’s 18-yard box in defeat. He’d committed a foul that set the Dolphins up for a penalty kick just 16 minutes in. There was significant time left, but when Jack Goodrich’s shot wedged past a diving Tomas Hut, momentum shifted entirely to Le Moyne.
Syracuse never regained it, and the Dolphins earned their biggest win since joining Division I in 2023. With a packed SU Soccer Stadium crowd and bleachers full of Le Moyne’s dark green, it felt even sweeter.
McIntyre called upon Omeze’s blunder when asked about Oksanen’s red card a few weeks ago. It was similarly just a young player making a mistake. Omeze brushed it off; look where he is now.
Oksanen decided to do the same.
“The goal was to have everyone on the keeper and aim for the goal,” he said, walking through his score. “I did just that, and the exact plan went to plan.”
The Orange still had 43 minutes of soccer left after Oksanen’s goal, but he’d done his job — and enough to get Syracuse a much-needed win over a rival from right down the road.
“It’s a local derby, a really big game for us,” he said. “It means a lot. It’s gonna be really fun to celebrate with the guys.”
Oksanen’s Olimpico was his first goal since Syracuse’s season-opening win over then-No. 24 UConn on Aug. 20.
He’s experienced a whirlwind of emotions since then. He’s spent hours on the phone with his mom. He’s spent 274 minutes on the bench. But all he needed was a chance to prove himself. He needed to “dig in deep.” He needed to exhale.
In the 47th minute Saturday, he finally did.
