No. 7 Syracuse Beats Loyola, Secures First 10-Win Season Since 2016

Monday, October 10

Syracuse, N.Y

6 PM

Syracuse University

10-2-1, 4-1-0

Loyola

4-4-4, 2-1-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Loyola Maryland	0	1	1
Syracuse	3	3	6

No. 7 Syracuse Beats Loyola, Secures First 10-Win Season Since 2016

10/10/2022 10:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Highlights

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse's attack was dynamic and efficient in a 6-1 win over nonconference foe Loyola. Five different Orange found the back of the net in the 90 minutes. No. 7 ranked 'Cuse men's soccer now has 10 wins on the season, which marks the first double-digit win season since 2016.

Senior forward Levonte Johnson and sophomore forward Nathan Opoku both scored twice in the first five minutes of action. Sophomore forward Curt Calov scored his first goal of the season in the 36^th minute. Giona Leibold, Francesco Pagano, and Opoku all found the back of the net in the second half.

This marks the most goals scored in a match since last season, when the Orange scored seven goals in a 7-0 victory over Binghamton on Sept. 14, 2021.
The Orange did not allow a goal from open play, as Loyola's lone goal came from a successful penalty kick. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy tied his career high in saves with six. Syracuse leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in clean sheets with eight.

"I thought we started so well to score a couple of goals in the first five minutes," head coach Ian McIntyre said after the match. "Hopefully we can continue the momentum and string a couple of results together."

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Syracuse (10-2-1, 4-1-0 ACC) dictated the tempo and possession from the first whistle, as the Orange attacked Loyola's (4-4-4, 2-1-2 Patriot) defense with quick passing and direct crosses into the box. Junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski, senior defender Noah Singelmann and Leibold were all excellent in providing service for the strikers.

The Orange struck quickly, as Leibold hit a cross into the box. The Loyola backline misplayed the cross, as Johnson got a foot on the cross for the first goal in the third minute.

The second score arrived just two minutes later. Great link-up play between forward Lorenzo Boselli and midfielder Amferny Sinclair created space in the final third for Opoku. The Accra, Ghana native was clinical in front of net, scoring his sixth goal of the season in the fifth minute of play.

The first half scoring run was capped off in the 36^th minute. Effective high pressing allowed the Orange to set up an attacking move in Loyola's half. Kocevski dribbled the ball towards the byline. The Liverpool, New York native chipped the ball towards Calov, who headed the ball past Greyhound's goalkeeper Konstantinos Parisis.

'Cuse outshot Loyola 12-5 in the first half. Shealy picked up three saves in the first 45 minutes.

Loyola came out of the halftime break as the more aggressive side. The visitors found chances and pinned the Orange back. The Greyhounds pulled a goal back in the 57^th minute. Shealy left his net to stop a Loyola breakaway but tripped up a Greyhound attacker in the penalty area. Kalen Swales scored the penalty chance to cut the Syracuse lead down to two.

An electrifying run from Leibold in the 69^th minute led to the fourth goal of the evening. The German midfielder danced between Greyhound defenders and lobbed a shot with his left foot into the right side of the net.

Opoku scored his second goal of the match off a corner kick, as Calov and Curti were credited with assists. Pagano concluded the scoring display with the sixth Syracuse goal in the 81^st minute.

OF NOTE:

Syracuse is now 10-2-1. It's the first double-digit win season since 2016, when the team finished 12-4-4.

The Orange scored five or more goals for the second time this season. 'Cuse scored five against UConn in a 5-0 victory on Monday, Sept. 5.

Opoku has seven goals on the season, which is tied for the ACC lead.

Shealy recorded six saves, which ties his career high.

Calov scored his first goal of the season.

Boselli set a new career high for assists in a match with two.

UP NEXT:

No. 7 Syracuse travels down to No. 11 Louisville on Friday, Oct. 15 for a 7 p.m. match. Syracuse is in first place in the Atlantic Division with 12 points, while Louisville is in second place with 10 points. The Orange return to the SU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 18 for a 7 p.m. match against Bucknell. Both matches will be streaming live on ACCNX.