Syracuse University
#14 Rutgers
Orangemen Topple 14th-Ranked Rutgers, 2-1
10/12/2002 3:57:32 PM | Men's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Sophomore forward Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) scored the game-winning goal in the 64th minute to lead the Syracuse men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory versus 14th-ranked Rutgers on Saturday, October 12. The Orangemen are now 7-5-1 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST, while the Scarlet Knights are 4-4-3 overall and 3-3-1 in league play. The game was played in front of a season-high 772 fans at the SU Soccer Stadium.
The win was the 100th of Dean Foti's career. Foti, in his 12th season, is the first SU men's soccer coach ever to win 100 games.
Park's goal was his team-leading sixth of the season and third game-winner of 2002. He also leads the team with 16 points. Senior forward Guido Cristofori (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) and freshman Robert Alexander (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow) had the assists on the play. It was the fifth game that Cristofori has either scored or assisted on the game-winning goal. Alexander's assist was the first of his career.
Rutgers took an early 1-0 lead when Sherif El Bialy knocked home a goal in the 10th minute. El Bialy got behind the SU defense and took a long pass from Scott Gahagan. He deked one defender and scored his third goal of the season.
The Orangemen tied the game before halftime when junior forward Kirk Johnson (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown) netted his fourth goal of the season. The play started on a free kick. Junior Ari Schneider (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) played the ball to the middle of the field where freshman Ilias Calaitzidis (Brossard, Quebec/Champlain Regional) slid the ball to the left side of the box to Johnson. Schneider's assist was his fourth of the season, a career best. Calaitzidis leads all Orangemen freshmen with three goals, two assists and eight points.
Johnson now ranks ninth on the SU all-time points list with 65. He also moved into eighth place on the Orangemen's all-time goals list with 26 career tallies.
Syracuse goalkeeper Alim Karim (Scarborough, Ontario/West Hill Collegiate) made seven saves in his sixth victory of the season. Scarlet Kngihts' keeper Ricky Zinter had four saves in the loss.
The Orangemen have now defeated a top-25 team every season since 1997. SU has defeated Rutgers three consecutive years, and is now 3-1 versus the Scarlet Knights since 1998 when they enter the game ranked in the top 25.
SU plays the second of its three-game homestand versus ranked BIG EAST opponents on Wednesday, October 16 versus 15th-rated Boston College. The Orangemen also host third-ranked St. John 's on Saturday, October 19.
