Syracuse University
Pittsburgh
Orangemen End 2003 With 3-2 Loss at Pittsburgh
11/2/2003 5:47:53 PM | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Syracuse men's soccer team completed its 2003 season, losing 3-2 at Pittsburgh. The Orangemen finished the campaign at 4-8-5 overall and 1-5-4 in the BIG EAST, while Panthers ended their season 6-11-1 overall and 3-6-1 in the conference.
SU took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute when sophomore Jeff Evans scored his third of the season, finishing a cross from senior forward Kirk Johnson. It was Johnson's third assist and ninth point of the season. He finished his career ranked sixth all-time at SU with 30 goals, seventh with 18 assists and fifth with 78 points.
The Panthers tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Brush scored the first of his three goals with 1:57 left before intermission on a shot from 25 yards out. Jeffrey Tidd was credited with the assist.
Both teams combined for three goals in the first 15 minutes of the second stanza. The Orangemen regained the lead in the 52nd minute on freshman Frank Bruno's team-best fourth goal of the season. Sophomore Ilias Calaitzidis registered the assist, his first of the season.
Brush came back just 40 seconds later to tie the game. Brush beat the SU defense for an unassisted goal that tied the game at 2-2. Brush scored the game winner in the 60th minute off a feed from Keeyan Young.
SU goalkeeper Alim Karim made one save in the loss. Pittsburgh goalkeeper Justin Lowery had four saves.
Bruno, Calaitzidis, Johnson and Evans all finished the season tied for the team lead with nine points. Bruno and Calaitzidis had four goals and one assist apiece, while Johnson and Evans each scored three goals and had three assists.
Karim finished his sophomore season with 65 saves, a 1.53 goals against average and four shutouts in 1469:27 minutes of play. After only two seasons, Karim already ranks ninth on the Orangemen's career saves list with 154. His 1.60 career goals against average is the eighth-best in Syracuse history.
The game was also the last career outing for senior defenders Chris Aloisi and Chris Fehrle, and senior midfielder Ari Schneider. Aloisi, a three-time captain, started 70 career games, scoring four goals and adding four assists. Fehrle played in 51 games during his three seasons at Syracuse. Schneider played in 70 games, contributing two goals and eight assists.
The loss was SU's first of the season when scoring at least two goals. The Orangemen were 3-1-1 when finding the back of the net at least twice in a game.
