Syracuse University
#2 Louisville
SU Hosts #2 Louisville In Home Finale
10/26/2010 2:49:58 PM | Men's Soccer
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse men's soccer team (2-8-5, 0-4-3) will entertain its second nationally-ranked opponent of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The second-ranked Louisville Cardinals (12-0-2, 7-0-0) will be in town for a 7 p.m. contest at the SU Soccer Stadium. The match is the Orange's final regular season home game.
Admission for the match is free. The game will also be streamed live on SUathletics.com via Orange All Access. Fans can also access live stats from the Louisville contest on their mobile device at SUathletics.com/msocmobile.
KICK OR TREAT
The Orange will celebrate Halloween a little early this season. For the Louisville game, fans are encouraged to come to the SU Soccer Stadium in dressed in their favorite Halloween costumes. There will be a candy giveaway and a costume contest at halftime. Details will be available at the front gate as you enter the stadium.
POSTSEASON PUSH
Syracuse remains very much alive in the race for a 2010 BIG EAST Championship berth. Four of the Red Division's six berths are locked up. St. John's, Syracuse, Rutgers and DePaul are fighting for the remaining two slots. Among those teams, St. John's is currently in the driver's seat with eight points. Syracuse and Rutgers are tied with three points. DePaul has two points. All four teams have two games remaining. It should be noted that Rutgers owns the tiebreaker with Syracuse by virtue of its head-to-head win over the Orange on Oct. 23.
HIGHLY-RATED
The second-ranked Cardinals are the highest-ranked opponent for Syracuse since the Orange defeated No. 1 UConn on Oct. 14, 2000 by the score of 1-0.
ANDERSSON RECORDS FIRST POINT OF THE SEASON
Sophomore Konrad Andersson registered his first point as a member of the Orange assisting on Mark Brode's goal at Villanova. Andersson ran down a ball along the touchline and played a cross to Brode who finished in the 44th minute to square the match at 1-1. Andersson has appeared in eight games since returning from a preseason injury and started his first SU match Oct. 23 against Rutgers. He transferred to Syracuse from Hartwick prior to the 2010 season.
KRACHIE CRACKS LINEUP
Freshman Stephen Krachie has earned more time as a defensive midfielder of late. Krachie has started SU's last two games after receiving his first extended action at St. John's on Oct. 13. His first starting nod came nearly a month earlier against Northeastern at the Mayor's Cup. For the season, Krachie has played in seven games and has four shots. Prior to coming to Syracuse, he was a standout at Christian Brothers Academy in New Jersey where he was named Monmouth County Player of the Year by the The Star-Ledger.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
Louisville enters Wednesday's match ranked second in the NSCAA Poll and fifth in Soccer America's rankings. Ken Lolla's club is 12-0-2 overall and 7-0-0 in the BIG EAST. The Cardinals have already clinched their second straight division championship and a bye into the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. They are 5-0-1 in road games this season.
Louisville ranks in the top three in the BIG EAST in both goals scored (third; 28) and fewest goals allowed (second; 8). The Cardinals have been one of nation's top defensive teams all season and rank ninth nationally in team goals-against average (0.54).
The Cardinals' lineup features 14 players that have at least one point and six players that have at least five points on the season. Dylan Mares is the squad leader in goals (7) and points 16. Nick DeLeon is a close second with six goals and 13 total points. Junior Colin Rolfe, the 2008 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and 2009 first-team All-American, leads the Cardinals with five assists. Because of Louisville's solid back four, goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux has been forced to make just 25 saves on the year. Boudreaux is 10th nationally with an 0.53 goals-against average. He has six shutouts.
Lolla is in his fifth year at Louisville. He has guided the Cardinals to a 52-28-15 record in his tenure, and consecutive NCAA Tournament bids in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Prior to his appointment at Louisville, Lolla spent 13 years at Akron where he turned the Zips into a national power. He also served three years as the head coach of NAIA Belmont Abbey.
THE SERIES WITH LOUISVILLE
The Orange and Cardinals have played five times since Louisville joined the BIG EAST Conference for the 2005 campaign. The Cardinals hold the series lead, 3-2. Syracuse posted a 2-1 victory in double overtime in the first meeting between the two teams in 2005 at Cardinal Park. The Orange also registered a 3-2 overtime decision in the 2008 season finale, the last time Louisville visited the SU Soccer Stadium.
