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Tomas Hut shifted his feet to the left. He watched as a perfectly-timed cross from SMU winger Jaylinn Mitchell snuck through Syracuse’s backline and found Ryan Clanton-Pimentel on the edge of the six-yard box.

SU’s goalie barely had a chance to react. As Clanton-Pimentel charged right at him, Hut was forced into a split-second decision. His momentum carried him left, and Clanton-Pimentel smashed the ball to his right to make it 2-0 right before halftime.

Hut spun around, threw his hands down and let out a yell of frustration. Clanton-Pimentel’s goal was just the second of five SMU scores he allowed in his worst performance of the season, as SU lost 5-1 in its Atlantic Coast Conference Semifinal matchup on Nov. 13.

But that performance wasn’t representative of his season. Hut had been phenomenal prior to his aberration against the Mustangs, earning All-ACC Third Team honors. After working past some rough patches earlier in the season, the graduate student has produced a conference-leading 75 saves through 19 games in his second year as Syracuse’s starter. As the Orange await their NCAA Tournament first-round clash with Hofstra Thursday, a bounce back from Hut is critical to extend their season.

“We think he’s quietly gone about establishing himself as the best goalkeeper in our league,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said on Nov. 12. “It is very reassuring to have a player like him behind your backline. When he’s been called on he’s been fantastic this year.”

Despite commanding SU’s starting role the last two seasons, McIntyre initially didn’t recruit Hut with that intention. After the 2022 season, Hut entered the transfer portal and shortly visited Syracuse. But the Orange offered their final scholarship to fellow goalie Jason Smith, a decision former SU goalkeeping coach Michael Flynn said was because of his defense in front of the net.

Hut just wanted to be at Syracuse, though. He didn’t care if he was on scholarship. Flynn said it was a “no-brainer” that SU brought him on.

Tomas Hut rolls the ball to Syracuse defender Tim Brdaric to spur a counterattack. Hut has allowed just 1.11 goals per game this season, an improvement from 1.48 last year. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

In his first season with the Orange, Hut didn’t play at all. Nor did he travel to away games. But Flynn said everyone on the team gravitated toward the third-year goalie as the season progressed. So, midway through the 2023 campaign, the coaching staff decided to bring him on road trips, even though it took a spot away from an outfield player.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that’s been in that situation with a goalkeeper where we’re not gonna play him, but he’s so massively important to the team that he’s got to be there,” Flynn said.

Hut’s dedication helped him slide into Syracuse’s starting role last year, beating out Smith and Jahiem Wickham. He started every game, racking up a then-career-high 52 saves while allowing 1.48 goals per game. Still, he surrendered multiple goals six times and only produced four clean sheets.

Over the summer, he went back to work. Hut said he devoted most of his time to playing with the Hudson Valley Hammers of the USL League Two. He also attended a few Major League Soccer trials and spent a week in Utah with Real Salt Lake, where he learned from U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team alum Nick Rimando.

But he grew the most through his training at Advanced Physical and Technical Training, his second straight summer with the New Jersey facility.

AP2T coach Matt Nigro said Hut came in two to three times per week, often spending time in the weight room. He repeatedly did sled runs, deadlifts, squats and bench presses to become more explosive at his size.

“It would be easy for a goalkeeper like that to just be like, ‘I’ve got the 6-foot-3 frame. I’m just gonna ride it out,’” Nigro said. “But he hits the weights hard. And that’s the mindset that you have to have, especially when you’re trying to achieve the things he’s trying to achieve.”

Hut said he also worked on his footwork at AP2T. Flynn mentioned that McIntyre likes to press heavily on defense, leaving more space in front of his goalie. That puts responsibility on Hut to cut off scoring threats when SU’s backline makes a mistake.

AP2T challenged Hut in “small-sided” scrimmages with fewer players. Nigro said the games ran at a quicker pace, forcing Hut to play with more urgency. Hut also learned from professional goalies at AP2T like NYCFC’s Tomás Romero and Matt Freese.

When he returned to normal game flow at Syracuse, his footwork had drastically improved.

“In a small-sided game with a bunch of pros and college guys, you’ve got to think a lot quicker, react a lot faster, so it forces you to think quick on your feet,” Hut said.

Hut entered the 2025 campaign as SU’s clear No. 1 option. He said both his summer preparation and having a full ACC season under his belt made the return to college easy.

His relationships with the Orange’s other goalies — Kyle Jansen and Juan Martinez-Bastidas — have also helped. Hut said the three typically bounce ideas off each other, while Jansen specifically has challenged him each day in practice.

“There’s great chemistry between all of us, and we all work off each other,” Hut said. “It makes it easier having three guys that really get along.”

Hut has built chemistry with his backline, which helps him deliver midgame instructions. With much of the unit being young and new — such as first-year starter Garrett Holman and Xavier transfer Ernest Mensah Jr. — Flynn said it’s Hut’s job to organize it.

Still, Hut started the 2025 campaign slowly. On one hand, he only allowed three goals in the first six games. On the other, he produced just eight saves on 36 shots, half of which came versus Penn State on Aug. 28.

Flynn said Hut plays best when he’s challenged to make saves, though. In four of SU’s six opening contests, he faced fewer than six shots. Shot-stopping, especially in close range, has always been his forte, Flynn added.

As the pressure on Hut has mounted — facing 10-plus shots in his last 10 games — he’s only improved. Since posting zero saves in Syracuse’s draw with New Haven on Sept. 8, Hut has snagged at least three stops in all but two games. He’s set a new single-game career-high three times this season, with seven saves against Cal, eight against then-No. 22 North Carolina and nine against then-No. 5 NC State in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals.

Then, he had his worst outing of the campaign against SMU in the semifinals. Hut faced a whopping 17 shots and only stopped two of the Mustangs’ seven on target.

However, Hut has consistently bounced back from poor performances this year. With SU’s NCAA Tournament matchup with Hofstra looming, a Hut rebound will be key to the Orange’s chances at advancing to the next round.

Published on November 19, 2025 at 11:06 pm
Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @Noahnuss99