Orange College Cup Bound!

Saturday, December 3

Syracuse, N.Y.

2 PM

Syracuse University

17-2-4, 5-1-2

Vermont

16-4-2, 5-1-1

Vermont

Syracuse

12/3/2022 4:21:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Press Conference Highlights

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse men's soccer is heading back to Cary, N.C. for the NCAA College Cup! The Orange advance to soccer's version of the Final Four after beating Vermont 2-1 in the NCAA Championship Quarterfinal.

The Orange struck first 11 minutes into the first half, as sophomore forward Curt Calov scored a stunning goal directly from the corner flag. Vermont responded with an equalizer in the 23rd minute. Right before the half ended, senior forward Levonte Johnson scored in the 42nd minute to put the Orange ahead.

"Very proud for guys to find a way to manage the difficult conditions. I thought they were awesome, showed a lot of guts, character, and created some great chances," head coach Ian McIntyre said after the match. "That was fun today and I hope the fans enjoyed it."

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Even with high winds in the first half, Syracuse was able to establish an attacking rhythm. The Orange almost pulled ahead in the fifth minute. Calov carved out some space down the right wing, and took a shot that drifted just wide of the post.

The Orange found an opening goal in the 11th minute of play. Syracuse won a corner after a header from senior defender Christian Curti was deflected away by Vermont keeper Nathan Silveira. Calov lofted the ball into the box and it drifted by Silveira's hand to put Syracuse in front.

In the 23rd minute, Vermont scored the equalizing goal. Daniel Pacella controlled the ball outside of the box, and fired a shot that landed in the bottom left corner of the net.

In the closing moments of the first half, Syracuse regained the lead. Nathan Opoku danced past multiple defenders, racing toward the byline. The Accra, Ghana native shuffled the ball into the box, as Johnson pounced on the ball for the second goal.

The first half finished with Syracuse outshooting Vermont, 6-5. Four of the Orange attempts were on target.

The second half opened as a defensive stalemate, as Syracuse's backline of Abdi Salim, Olu Oyegunle and Curti stifled the Catamount attack. Vermont took just a single shot in the second half and were held to six shots the whole match.

Syracuse almost found a third goal in the 84th. With Vermont pushing numbers forward for an equalizer, the Orange were able to hit the Catamount defense on the counterattack. Johnson dribbled by a Vermont defender, then slipped a pass to Opoku in the penalty area. The sophomore forward's shot was just wide of the crossbar, going out for a Vermont goal kick.

The match finished with Syracuse outshooting Vermont nine to six, as the Orange were held to single-digit shots for the first time in the NCAA Tournament.

NOTABLE NUMBERS:

Syracuse advances to the NCAA College Cup for a second time under McIntyre.
The Orange have now won 17 matches this season, tying the program record for wins in a single season set by the 1982 BIG EAST champions.
McIntyre's squad finishes the season with a 11-2-2 home record, tying the 2015 team for the most home wins since 2000.
Johnson leads the Orange in goals with 10. He is the first Syracuse player to hit double-digit goals in a season since Ryan Raposo in 2019.

UP NEXT:

Syracuse will travel to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. for an NCAA Championship Semifinal match against Creighton on Friday, December 9th. Kick-off times will be announced following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals. Check back to cuse.com for more updates.

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