Sunday, August 18
SU Soccer Stadium
7 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Fordham
Nick Perea is one of six returning Orange starters.
Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Orange Hosts Fordham in First Exhibition
8/17/2013 2:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The 20th-ranked Orange men's soccer team kicks off its preseason schedule with an exhibition match against Fordham on Sunday, Aug. 18 at the SU Soccer Stadium. Start time is 7 p.m. and admission is free.
The Orange brings back 16 letterwinners, including six starters, from a 2012 squad that reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history and posted a 14-6-1 overall record. Syracuse also welcomes eight talented newcomers who will be counted on to step in and contribute this season.
Sunday night's match is also exhibition opener for Fordham which went 6-7-4 and 2-4-3 in the Atlantic 10 last year. The Rams also play Siena and Vermont in the preseason before opening the regular-season at James Madison.
ORANGE MAKES MOST OF PRESEASON GAMES
Syracuse is 4-1 in the last two years in exhibition action. The Orange defeated Herkimer County Community College and Le Moyne during the 2011 preseason. Last year, following a 2-0 loss at Boston College, the Orange closed its exhibition schedule with victories against Monroe College and Hartwick.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The defense is Syracuse's most experienced unit. The Orange returns starting goalie Alex Bono as well as four veteran backs in Chris Makowski, Skylar Thomas, Jordan Murrell and Tyler Hilliard. Bono recorded 10 shutouts and made 79 saves on his way to BIG EAST All-Rookie honors and multiple freshman All-America nods. Makowski, Thomas, Murrell and Hilliard combined to make 61 starts last year.
Offensively, Syracuse will be without 71 percent of its goals (28-39) from last season when you factor in leading returning goal-scorer Tony Asante (five goals) injured his knee over the summer and will likely miss all of 2013.
That leaves sophomore Stefanos Stamoulacatos (three goals) as SU's top active goal-scorer from last season. Thomas chipped in two goals in 2012 before getting hurt. Murrell also had two goals a year ago and led the team with seven assists. Most of Murrell's assists came on set pieces as he developed into a premier service player as the year progressed.
SCOUTING FORDHAM
The Rams welcome back 20 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's team. Forward Julian Nagel (three goals) and midfielder Kyle Bitterman (two goals, two assists) are Fordham's top returning point-producers. Goalkeeper Sean Brailey had a 6-6-3 record with a 0.85 goals-against average for head coach Jim McElderry who enters his 12th season at the helm.
THE SERIES
Syracuse is 5-1-0 all-time in six regular-season meetings with the Rams. Fordham's only win was a 3-2 decision back in 1988. The Orange won the last pairing between the two sides, 3-0, at the SU Soccer Stadium in 2007. Kyle Hall scored twice and Robert Cavicchia made six saves to lead Syracuse to victory in its home opener that year.
UP NEXT
Syracuse continues its exhibition schedule by welcoming the Ryerson University Rams to the SU Soccer Stadium Tuesday, Aug. 20 for a 7 p.m. match. Ryerson is located in Toronto and competes provincially in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and nationally in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). Admission for Tuesday's game is free.
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The Orange brings back 16 letterwinners, including six starters, from a 2012 squad that reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history and posted a 14-6-1 overall record. Syracuse also welcomes eight talented newcomers who will be counted on to step in and contribute this season.
Sunday night's match is also exhibition opener for Fordham which went 6-7-4 and 2-4-3 in the Atlantic 10 last year. The Rams also play Siena and Vermont in the preseason before opening the regular-season at James Madison.
ORANGE MAKES MOST OF PRESEASON GAMES
Syracuse is 4-1 in the last two years in exhibition action. The Orange defeated Herkimer County Community College and Le Moyne during the 2011 preseason. Last year, following a 2-0 loss at Boston College, the Orange closed its exhibition schedule with victories against Monroe College and Hartwick.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The defense is Syracuse's most experienced unit. The Orange returns starting goalie Alex Bono as well as four veteran backs in Chris Makowski, Skylar Thomas, Jordan Murrell and Tyler Hilliard. Bono recorded 10 shutouts and made 79 saves on his way to BIG EAST All-Rookie honors and multiple freshman All-America nods. Makowski, Thomas, Murrell and Hilliard combined to make 61 starts last year.
Offensively, Syracuse will be without 71 percent of its goals (28-39) from last season when you factor in leading returning goal-scorer Tony Asante (five goals) injured his knee over the summer and will likely miss all of 2013.
That leaves sophomore Stefanos Stamoulacatos (three goals) as SU's top active goal-scorer from last season. Thomas chipped in two goals in 2012 before getting hurt. Murrell also had two goals a year ago and led the team with seven assists. Most of Murrell's assists came on set pieces as he developed into a premier service player as the year progressed.
SCOUTING FORDHAM
The Rams welcome back 20 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's team. Forward Julian Nagel (three goals) and midfielder Kyle Bitterman (two goals, two assists) are Fordham's top returning point-producers. Goalkeeper Sean Brailey had a 6-6-3 record with a 0.85 goals-against average for head coach Jim McElderry who enters his 12th season at the helm.
THE SERIES
Syracuse is 5-1-0 all-time in six regular-season meetings with the Rams. Fordham's only win was a 3-2 decision back in 1988. The Orange won the last pairing between the two sides, 3-0, at the SU Soccer Stadium in 2007. Kyle Hall scored twice and Robert Cavicchia made six saves to lead Syracuse to victory in its home opener that year.
UP NEXT
Syracuse continues its exhibition schedule by welcoming the Ryerson University Rams to the SU Soccer Stadium Tuesday, Aug. 20 for a 7 p.m. match. Ryerson is located in Toronto and competes provincially in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and nationally in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). Admission for Tuesday's game is free.
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