Orange Earns Program-Best Sixth Seed in NCAA Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Syracuse has earned a program-best No. 6 seed in the 2015 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament and will host either Dartmouth or Hartwick in the second round on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. The Orange is making its second consecutive appearance in the national tournament and third in the last four years.

"It's difficult to get into the national tournament," said Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. "This is only the fourth time in the program's history. As a college athlete, it's a special moment when you get to see your name pop up on the screen (during the selection show). To enjoy that with the guys today is special."

The Orange is one of seven ACC teams to make the 48-team field, which was announced on Monday afternoon on NCAA.com. Syracuse earned an automatic bid by winning the conference tournament on Sunday. Syracuse enters the national tournament with an overall record of 13-5-3. The Orange faced seven of the 48 teams in the tournament, recording a 3-5-1 record in those matches.

"We played against a very tough schedule, both in conference and out of conference," McIntyre said. "We feel that we are playing some good soccer right now. I do feel that we are battled test. We need to take a deep breath, put the guys back together. It's nice to have a couple of days before we play on Sunday.

It marks the second consecutive year that Syracuse has earned one of the 16 national seeds and received a first-round bye. The Orange also hosted the NCAA second round last season when it defeated Penn State, 2-1. Syracuse is making its fourth overall appearance in the national tournament.

Tickets for Sunday's match are $8 for adults and $5 for youth ages 18 and under.

Hartwick (11-5-3) and Dartmouth (11-5-1) square off Thursday in Hanover, N.H. Syracuse is 3-3-0 all-time against the Big Green, but the last time the squads met was in 1935. Hartwick owns a 17-12-5 advantage in the series with the Orange. The last meeting took place in September 2013, which resulted in a 2-0 win for Syracuse at the SU Soccer Stadium.

The Orange coaching staff is certainly familiar with the Hartwick program. McIntyre, associate head coach Jukka Masalin and assistant coach Matt Verni all previously coached there and McIntyre and Verni are Hartwick alums.

Syracuse is 2-2-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. Last season, the Orange advanced to the Round of 16 for the second time before being eliminated by Georgetown by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Syracuse made its first NCAA trip in 1984, losing at Hartwick in the opening round.

This year's tournament gets underway Thursday with 16 first-round matches, while second-round games are scheduled for Sunday. Third-round games are slated for Nov. 28 or 29, which Syracuse would host if it advances. The quarterfinals will take place Dec. 4 or 5.

The 2015 NCAA College Cup will be held at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. The national semifinals are slated for Dec. 11 and the championship match will be played on Dec. 13.

Syracuse University Athletics

Orange Earns Program-Best Sixth Seed in NCAA Tournament

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