Syracuse University
USF
SU Faces First BIG EAST Road Test
10/1/2010 9:45:40 AM | Men's Soccer
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TAMPA, Fla. - Syracuse returns to BIG EAST action on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Orange (1-4-3, 0-0-1) will play its first road conference game of the year when it visits USF (5-2-1, 0-1-0) for a 7:30 p.m. match at the USF Soccer Stadium. The contest represents the first conference divisional game for both squads.
Syracuse is unbeaten in its last three games, earning three straight draws, including a 1-1 tie against Canisius on Sept. 28 in its most recent outing. The Bulls have won five of their last six, including a 2-0 shutout of Rhode Island on Sept. 29.
ROYDHOUSE PUTTING ON OFFENSIVE DISPLAY
Junior Nick Roydhouse has been Syracuse's most dangerous offensive player since making his Orange debut against Adelphi earlier this season. Roydhouse scored his team-best fourth goal of the season in the first half against Canisius. The goal came on an impressive free kick from 30 yards out in which he bent the ball overall the wall and into top half of goal. It was his third goal of the year off a restart. Against Northeastern on Sept. 10, he notched the game-winner on another free kick. Roydhouse also converted a penalty kick at American on Sept. 18.
THE STOPPER
Redshirt senior Jeremy Vuolo made nine saves for the third consecutive game against Canisius to raise his season total 43 in eight games (5.38 per game). Vuolo is tied for the conference saves lead with Villanova's Chris Bresnahan. Vuolo is the first Orange goalie to record at least nine saves in three straight games since Charlie Wilke achieved the feat in 1988. Wilke made 10 saves against St. Bonaventure, nine versus Long Island and nine against Oneonta State in consecutive outings that year.
A SORT OF HOMECOMING
Redshirt senior Geoff Lytle, junior Federico Agreda and freshman Sam Tover all hail from Florida. Lytle is from Miami Beach. Agreda is from Miami and Tover is from Boca Raton. All three destinations are within 300 miles of Tampa. Agreda and Lytle have played in all eight games so far this season. Tover has yet to make his Orange debut.
SCOUTING USF
USF got back on the winning track against Rhode Island Wednesday after having its four-game winning streak snapped by #6 Connecticut on Sept. 24. Preseason All-BIG EAST honoree Bernardo Anor scored twice in the first 15 minutes off passes from Javed Mohammed and that was enough to defeat the Rams.
Anor and senior Shawn Chin have combined to score eight of the Bulls' 10 goals this season. Anor leads the club in scoring with 11 points (5g, 1a). Chin has three goals. Hasani Sinclair is the team leader in assists (3). USF has consistently been one of the top defensive teams in the nation in recent years. This season is no different. Senior Jeff Attinella, the 2009 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, already has five shutouts and a 0.85 goals-against average. His blanking of Rhode Island was the 22nd shutout of his career, eclipsing the previous school record of 21 held by Jeff Gopsill.
The Bulls are coached by George Kiefer who is in his ninth year at the USF helm. Kiefer, a disciple of Connecticut head coach Ray Reid, owns a 98-49-20 record and has guided the Bulls to four NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2008 BIG EAST Championship. Kiefer spent seven seasons as an assistant to Reid (two at Southern Connecticut State and five at UConn) before taking over the Bulls.
THE SERIES WITH USF
Saturday's clash is the sixth meeting between the two teams. The overall series is tied, 2-2-1. Each side has defended its home turf in the series with the Orange winning two of the three games played in Syracuse and the Bulls holding a 1-0-1 mark in games occurring in Tampa. USF was the first to notch a road win in the series, defeating the Orange at the SU Soccer Stadium, 3-0, last season.
