Orangemen Soccer Starts Three-Game Homestand Saturday
10/5/2001 9:54:41 AM | Men's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse men's soccer team will play its first of three consecutive home games on Saturday, Oct. 6 versus Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. The Orangemen are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the BIG EAST, while the Panthers are 3-6 overall and 0-4 in the conference.
Saturday afternoon's game is Autograph Day. Following the contest, the Orangemen players will be available for an autograph session. Posters will be provided.
Syracuse coming off a 4-1 victory at Villanova on Wednesday. Sophomore forward Kirk Johnson (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown) led the offense with two goals and an assist. Senior midfielder John Andrade (East Providence, R.I.) tallied three assists. It was the fifth time an SU player had three helpers in one game and the first time since Ed Pinon in 1989. Freshman forward Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) also had two assists in the game.
Andrade and Park now lead the team with seven assists each. They currently rank in a tie for 12th-place on the SU single-season list, but are just two assists out of third place. Steve Morris holds the record with 16 assists in 1989. Andrade also ranks seventh on the Syracuse career assist ledger with 15.
Senior goalkeeper Anthony Peters (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont) earned the first complete-game victory of his career at Villanova. Peters made four saves in his second win of the season. He also was the winning keeper at Adelphi after entering the game at halftime. Peters leads the team in minutes played (249:22), goals against average (1.44) and saves (18).
Pittsburgh has won its last two games, defeating St. Bonaventure and Cleveland State. Chris Churchill leads the team with three goals. Bryan Hopper is tied with Churchill for the team-lead with seven points on two goals and three assists. Justin Gaul has seen most of the action between the posts, making 49 saves.
The Panthers own a 6-4-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 1-0 win last season in Pittsburgh. Syracuse won the 1999 matchup, 2-0.
