New York, New York: Orange Faces #8/5 St. John's in Mid-Week Showdown at Belson Stadium

Match Notes (.pdf)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orange men’s soccer team (5-2-3, 2-2-1) plays its fifth consecutive ranked opponent at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 when it faces #8/5 St. John’s (8-1-2, 3-1-1) in a mid-week match at Belson Stadium. The match concludes a brief two-game road trip for the Orange. Syracuse will return home on Saturday, Oct 11 for a date with Rutgers, kicking off a three-match homestand.

ABOUT THE ORANGE

Syracuse is receiving votes in the NSCAA/adidas poll for the fourth consecutive week. It also earned votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 for the second straight week.

One of the top defensive teams in the nation, the Orange has seven shutouts in 10 games, already surpassing its 2007 season total for shutouts. The seven blankings for SU are its most since 1994 when it also recorded seven shutouts. Goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia has played every minute between the posts and is ranked 11th nationally in goals-against average (0.52) and eighth in save percentage (.896).

Offensively, Syracuse boasts 11 players that have scored at least one point this season. Junior forward Tom Perevegyencev leads the team with four goals and eight points. Senior Kyle Hall is second with three goals and seven points. Hall leads the Orange with a pair of game-winning goals, including the clincher in SU’s 3-0 victory against Providence on Sept. 26.

2008 SQUAD ON PACE TO BE ONE OF SCHOOL’S BEST DEFENSIVE TEAMS

Syracuse has allowed just five goals in 10 games this season and owns a 0.46 goals-against average. This year’s club is on pace to post the second-best team goals-against average in school history. The 1982 Orange holds the program standard with a 0.45 goals-against average (10 goals/2,000 minutes).

CAVICCHIA NAMED BIG EAST GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK

Senior goalie Robert Cavicchia was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday, Oct. 6. Cavicchia is the first SU keeper to earn the honor in more than five years (Alim Karim, Sept. 8, 2003).

Cavicchia recorded his seventh shutout of the season on Friday, Oct. 3 at #9/13 USF. Cavicchia made a season-high eight saves in the contest, including one in the second overtime to preserve a 0-0 draw against the Bulls. His play helped the Orange end the Bulls’ five-game winning streak and put the first blemish on their previously perfect conference record.

WOODRUFF RETURNS AT USF

Junior Hansen Woodruff returned to the SU lineup at #9/13 USF on Oct. 3. Woodruff played 73 minutes against the Bulls after missing the previous four matches due to injury. Woodruff has appeared in six games this season and has two goals and one assist.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN’S

The Red Storm is ranked eighth in this week’s Soccer America Poll and lists fifth in the NSCAA/adidas rankings. St. John’s began the season 8-0-2 and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the national polls before losing its first game of the year, 2-1, at Louisville on Oct. 4. St. John’s owns a perfect 4-0 record at home in 2008.

Like the Orange, the Red Storm has dominated on defense this season. It owns a 0.35 goals-against average (fourth-best in the nation) and leads the country in save percentage (.933). Goalkeeper Neal Kitson has started 10 of the team’s 11 games, has 50 saves and eight shutouts and ranks fifth in the NCAA with a 0.29 goals-against average. Offensively, Nelson Becerra and Adam Himeno are tied for the team lead with three goals. Becerra is St. John’s top scorer with seven points overall. Nine players overall have scored at least once in 2008 for the Red Storm.

Dr. Dave Masur is in his 18th year at the St. John’s helm. He has guided the Red Storm to three NCAA College Cup appearances, including the 1996 NCAA title. He is 313-100-58 as a college head coach, earning his 300th career victory last season at Pittsburgh. As a player, Masur was an All-American at Rutgers, a team the Orange hosts on Saturday.

SYRACUSE-ST. JOHN’S SERIES

St. John’s leads the all-time series against the Orange, 15-7-5. The Orange posted one of the signature victories of the Dean Foti Era when it defeated the Red Storm, which eventually went on to win the national championship, by the score of 2-0 in 1996. Syracuse won the first two meetings of the series back in 1982.

Syracuse University Athletics

New York, New York: Orange Faces #8/5 St. John's in Mid-Week Showdown at Belson Stadium

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