2004 Season Review
Results | Statistics
PRENDERGAST EARNS ALL-REGION HONORS
Defender Ezra Prendergast was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-New York Region Third Team. Prendergast was the first SU player since 2002 to earn all-region accolades. Prendergast played in 16 games for the Orange, including 14 starts. He scored one goal in his first season at SU, netting the game-winning tally in a 1-0 win versus Providence. Prendergast also helped the Orange defense to three shutouts.
SU GARNERS TWO BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARDS
Ezra Prendergast and Brad Peetoom were named BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Oct. 25. Prendergast led a defensive effort that shut out two BIG EAST opponents. He also was a key on the SU offense, scoring the game-winning goal in the Orange’s 1-0 victory versus Providence. It was the first time the Orange shut out consecutive league opponents since 2000. Prendergast was the first Syracuse player to earn defensive player of the week honors since Dan Hobson in 1997. Peetoom was also part of Syracuse’s two shutouts, and scored his second goal of the season in the Orange’s 2-0 win against Rutgers.
ORANGE STUDENT-ATHLETES GET ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
Jeff Evans and Ryan Hickey were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District I Men’s Soccer First and Second Teams, respectively. Evans ranked second on the Orange with three goals and seven points. He is SU’s active career scoring leader with seven goals, four assists and 18 points. Hickey had a career-high two assists, including one on the game-winning goal at Pittsburgh in his final game. For his career, he played in 59 games with 30 starts and registered three assists. Hickey also earned second-team Academic All-District I honors as a sophomore in 2002. Evans and Hickey are the Orange’s fifth and sixth Academic All-District I selections in the last five seasons.
ORANGE ROOKIE GAINS INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Brad Peetoom was a member of the 2005 Canadian U-20 National Team that participated in the FIFA World Youth Championship held in The Netherlands in June. Peetoom was the fourth SU player to participate for Canada in the Youth World Championship in the last three years. Alim Karim, Richard Asante and Frank Bruno helped Canada to its first-ever quarterfinal berth in 2003.
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
All 12 of the Orange’s losses in 2004 were by one goal, including a school-record eight defeats by a 1-0 score. Seventeen of SU’s 20 losses during the last two seasons have been by one goal. One-goal games weren’t all bad for the Orange in 2004. Four of SU’s five victories were decided by one goal.
SEASON FINALE EXTENDS ONE STREAK, STOPS TWO MORE
Syracuse’s 3-2 double-overtime win at Pittsburgh in the final game of the 2004 season was the Orange’s 18th straight win when scoring at least three goals. The double-overtime victory also stopped an 11-game winless streak in games decided after regulation (0-4-7). The win also stopped a seven-game winless streak in BIG EAST road games (0-6-1). Prior to the win, SU’s last conference win away from home was a 2-1 overtime victory at West Virginia on Oct. 5, 2002. The win against the Mountaineers was also SU’s last OT victory.
ROOKIES EARN THEIR KEEP
The only three players to start every game for the Orange in 2004 were freshmen. Brad Peetoom, Isaac Collings and James Goodwin were in the first 11 in all 17 contests last season. Peetoom finished as the squad’s leading scorer with four goals and eight points. He was the first freshman to win the team’s scoring title outright since Kirk Johnson in 2000. Collings was tied for second with two goals and three assists for seven points. Goodwin produced one assist from his defensive position. Freshmen had an immediate impact on the Orange last season with five rookies scoring at least one point and three freshman netting goals
TWO BETWEEN THE POSTS
Alim Karimand Rich Scheer combined to play all 1,574 minutes of the 2004 season in goal. Scheer started eight times and posted a 1.04 goals-against average in just more than 781 minutes of action. He had 27 saves and recorded one shutout. Scheer was the winning goalkeeper in three of SU’s five victories. Karim started nine times and owned a 1.36 goals against average in nearly 793 minutes of work. He also had 27 saves. Both of Karim ‘s victories in 2004 were shutouts.
GETTING A SECOND CHANCE
Freshman Pete Rowley played in four games, starting three, before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Rowley was SU’s leading scorer at the time of his injury with two goals. After the season, Rowley was granted a medical hardship waiver which means he will still have four years of eligibility beginning in 2005.
TOP 25 STREAK ENDS IN 2004
SU had its string of seven straight seasons with at least one win against a ranked opponent stopped in 2004. The Orange played four games against top-25 teams last season and suffered four 1-0 losses, including a double-overtime setback at Notre Dame. Since the start of the 1997 season, the Orange has nine wins against ranked teams.
HANDING OUT TEAM AWARDS
Offensive MVP - Mike McCallion
McCallion started 13 of the 16 games he played in for the Orange in 2004. He tied for the team lead with three assists. Two of his three helpers came on game-winning goals.
Defensive MVP - Brad Peetoom
Peetoom was one of three players to start all 17 games for Syracuse. Defensively, he contributed to three shutouts and helped the Orange to a 1.20 goals against average. On offense, Peetoom scored a team-high four goals.
Frank Schantz Award - Ryan Hickey
The Schantz Award is given to those individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the SU program through their on-field performance, character and citizenship. Hickey, a fifth-year senior, was a captain in 2004. He played in 16 games, starting 13 times. He had one goal and one assist for the season. Hickey was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District I pick.
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