Men’s Soccer Drops Decision to Wake Forest

Friday, September 27

7:00 PM

Syracuse University

3-4-3, 0-2-2

Wake Forest

3-3-3, 1-1-1

Wake Forest

Syracuse

9/27/2024 10:38:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse men's soccer (3-4-3, 0-2-2 ACC) dropped a 2-1 decision to Wake Forest (3-3-3, 1-1-1 ACC) Friday night at SU Soccer Stadium. All three of the game's goals came in the second half, with Sam Layton putting 'Cuse on the board first in the 66^th minute, before the Demon Deacons net back-to-back scores in the 78^th and 80^th minutes to earn the road win.

"We need these games in order to get better," said head coach Ian McIntyre. "We'll learn from this, but it's certainly painful. Our crowd was, once again, amazing. (They) stuck in there with us. I thought tonight that we gave them a lot of positives to take away from this, other than the fact that we lost 2-1."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Neither team could find the back of the net in the first half, something that has been a theme in Syracuse's matches this season. Tonight's contest was the fourth time in the last five games that the Orange went into halftime with a 0-0 score.

The Demon Deacons created nine chances in the first half compared to the Orange's four shots, but goalkeeper Tomas Hut collected two saves in the net to keep Wake Forest off the board.

In the second half, the Orange took 11 total shots, including Layton's goal, compared to the Demon Deacons 15 scoring attempts.

Layton's goal, which was the first of his season, came off a blocked shot by Braedon Smith. The center back received the deflection and immediately sent it past the Wake Forest keeper to put SU in front.

The lead would not last long, however, as the opposition scored 12 minutes later to level the game at one goal apiece. Wake Forest would then take a one-goal edge 121 seconds later with a second score.

'Cuse added two shots to try and level the match, but Wake Forest ultimately took the three points back to North Carolina.

OF NOTE:

Layton's goal was the first of his Syracuse career. The caption also went the distance for his 10^th-straight game, as he has not been subbed off the pitch this campaign.
Ten different SU players have now net goals for the Orange this season.
Daniel Burko, who was named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24, earned a spot in the starting 11 for the third-consecutive match.
Hut saved a season-high six shots in the loss, surpassing his previous best of five stops, which he did twice this season against Boston College (Sept. 6) and Cornell (Sept. 24).
Braedon Smith, who made his second career start tonight, earned the first assist of his college career on Layton's goal. The freshman forward also tallied five shots.
Nicholas Kaloukian, SU's leader in shots with 30 through 10 games, took three scoring attempts in the match with two of them being on target.
Syracuse drops to 3-6-3 in the lifetime series against Wake Forest.

UP NEXT:
Syracuse hits the road for a nonconference contest against the Albany Great Danes on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The match, which kicks off at 7 p.m., will be live on ESPN+.

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