Orange Host Catamounts in NCAA Quarterfinals

Game Details: Saturday, December 3, Syracuse, N.Y., 2 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Coverage: Stats I NCAA Tournament Central
Twitter: @cuseMSOC
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
Vermont Links: Roster | Schedule

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 3 seed Syracuse men's soccer hosts Vermont on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. with a spot in the 2022 NCAA College Cup on the line. The Orange make their second appearance in the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals, as Ben Polk's goal in the 79^th minute beat Boston College in 2015, sending 'Cuse to the College Cup for the first time.

Tickets for this Elite Eight contest start at $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and youth ages 18 & under and free for the first 500 Syracuse students with a valid Syracuse ID. Gates open at the SU Soccer Stadium at 1 p.m. Fans can also catch all the action live on ESPN+.

ORANGE UPDATE:

Syracuse is 16-2-4 on the season, one victory shy of tying the program's single-season wins record. The 1982 BIG EAST Champions set the record with 17 wins. 'Cuse is one of three Atlantic Coast Conference teams remaining in the tournament, joining No. 7 seed Duke and Pittsburgh.

The Orange advanced to the Elite Eight after a thrilling 1-0 win against No. 14 seed Cornell in the Sweet 16. In the 83^rd minute of action, sophomore forward Giona Leibold put Syracuse ahead with his fifth goal of the season. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy was credited with the assist, as Syracuse's defense held Cornell to just two shots on target.

Shealy has been a pivotal player for the Orange in their postseason run. The Cartersville, Georgia native ranks second in the ACC in clean sheets (10), save percentage (.829), goals against average (0.61) and third in saves (63). Shealy is also the first Syracuse goalkeeper to record a point since Robert Cavicchia in 2008.

Defenders Abdi Salim, Buster Sjoberg, Christian Curti, and Olu Oyegunle have anchored one of the best defensive units in head coach Ian McIntyre's tenure. The Orange have allowed just 13 goals this season, the least since 2016. Syracuse have also kept 11 clean sheets, second in the ACC and most since 2016.

Senior Levonte Johnson and sophomore Nathan Opoku are one of the best attacking duos in the tournament field. The two forwards have combined for 18 goals, 11 assists and 47 points on their way to All-ACC First Team honors. They are the highest scoring Syracuse duo since Ryan Raposo and Massimo Ferrin combined for 60 points in 2019.

In the 2022 postseason, Syracuse has produced thrilling matches and finishes. Including the ACC and NCAA tournaments, the Orange have scored four goals beyond the 80-minute mark. The SU Soccer Stadium has also hosted two overtime matches this postseason, a penalty shootout win against Virginia in the ACC Championship Semifinal and a 2-1 overtime win against Penn in the NCAA Championship Second Round.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS:

Vermont has a 16-3-2 record heading into the Elite Eight showdown, the most wins in a season since 1989. The Catamounts are led by sixth-year head coach Rob Dow. The Maine alum has a 66-31-8 record.

In their Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA, the Catamounts dominated in a 3-0 win. A scoreless first half was followed up by a strike from NC State transfer Yaniv Bazini in the 56^th minute. Yves Borie doubled the advantage in the 70^th minute before
Alex Nagy put a third past Bruins' goalkeeper Nate Crockford in the 86^th minute.

Vermont has scored three goals in each of their NCAA Tournament matches, as their nine goals scored are the most of any team remaining in the bracket. The Catamounts knocked off Quinnipiac and No. 11 seed SMU before beating UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Junior forward Max Murray leads Vermont in goals with 10. Nagy holds the squad lead in points with 27, scoring nine goals and dishing out nine assists. America East Goalkeeper of the Year Nate Silveira leads the
Catamounts with 45 saves, allowing 13 goals.

THE SERIES:

Saturday's Elite Eight match represents the seventh meeting between Syracuse and Vermont. The Orange lead the all-time series, 3-1-2.

The two sides meet for a second time this season. On Friday, Sept. 2, the two sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Johnson opened his Syracuse account in the 10^th minute to put the Orange in front. In the 21^st minute, Bazini drew the score level at 1 with a left footed shot.

For all the latest updates on Syracuse men's soccer follow us on Instagram (CuseMsoc), Twitter (CuseMsoc), and Facebook (CuseMSOC).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Christian Curti

Levonte Johnson

Giona Leibold

Nathan Opoku

Olu Oyegunle

Abdi Salim

Russell Shealy

Buster Sjoberg

Syracuse University Athletics