SU Hosts Loyola on Wednesday Afternoon
9/17/2002 2:27:17 PM | Men's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse men's soccer team will try for its fourth consecutive win when it hosts Loyola on Wednesday, September 18 at 4 p.m. in the SU Soccer Stadium. The Orangemen are 3-2 this season, while the Greyhounds are 3-1.
SU is on its first three-game winning streak since the 2000 season. The Orangemen have not won four in a row since a five-game winning streak in 1999.
The Orangemen have not allowed a goal in their last two games. Freshman goalkeeper Alim Karim (Scarborough, Ontario/West Hill Collegiate) is the first SU rookie to post consecutive shutouts since 1994. He was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week for his efforts.
Offensively, senior Guido Cristofori (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) has scored points in four consecutive games. He is tied for the team lead with three goals and seven points. Cristofori tallied the only goal of the game in SU's last game, a 1-0 victory against Adelphi. Sophomore Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) is tied with Cristofori for the team lead in goals and points.
Junior forward Kirk Johnson (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown) needs just one more point to reach Syracuse’s all-time top 10. In just more than two seasons, Johnson has scored 59 points on 23 goals and 13 asssists. Jamie Shannon (1992-95) currently occupies the 10th spot with 60 points. Johnson is already ranked among the Orangemen’s top 10 goal scorers of all-time. He is two goals away for tying for eighth place with Shannon and Jeff Knittel (1995-98). Johnson has scored all four of his points this season during the Orangemen’s current three-game winning streak.
Loyola returns six starters from last season’s team that went 17-2-2 and reached the round of 16 in the 2002 Men’s College Cup. Senior Niall Lepper was the 2001 MAAC Player of the Year and an all-region defender last season. He scored the Greyhounds only goal versus Maryland on a penalty kick.
Goalkeeper Reb Beatty has 10 saves and a 1.24 goals against average in 363:48 minutes of work this season. He has allowed five goals and has two shutouts. Beatty has been the MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year in each of his first three seasons. Vinnie Piscopo leads the team with six points on two goals and two assists. Bill Law and Miguel Abreu also have two goals so far this season. John Dalziel and Scott Barnett are tied for the team lead with two assists. The Greyhounds were ranked eighth in the nation last week, but their loss to Maryland knocked them out of the polls.
Following the Loyola game, SU gets back into conference action with a match at Seton Hall on Saturday. SU's next home game is on Wednesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. versus Hartwick.
