2008 Men's Soccer Weekly Recaps
Monday, Nov. 3
ORANGE RALLIES FOR WIN OVER #20/21 LOUISVILLE TO CLOSE OUT REGULAR SEASON
The Orange men’s soccer team rallied back from a 2-0 deficit in the second half to defeat #20/21 Louisville, 3-2, in its regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the SU Soccer Stadium. The Orange scored twice in the final 21 minutes of regulation to force overtime and junior Hansen Woodruff won it with a goal 2:36 into the extra session.
At 8-6-3 overall, the victory assured the Orange its first winning season since 1999. Syracuse will learn its postseason fate on Monday, Nov. 17 when the 48-team field for the 2008 NCAA Championship is released.
SENIORS INSTRUMENTAL IN FINAL HOME VICTORY
Members of Syracuse’s senior class were critical to the team’s come-from-behind win against Louisville. Of the Orange’s 11 points against the Cardinals, six came from seniors playing in their last home contest. Spencer Schomaker tallied three points, scoring SU’s first goal in the 70th minute then assisting on Woodruff’s golden goal in overtime. Kyle Hall assisted on Schomaker’s tally and Tom Perevegyencev’s equalizer in the 78th minute to record the first multi-assist game of his career. Isaac Collings also recorded a helper on Perevegyencev’s goal.
SU RECORDS WINNING HOME RECORD FOR 11TH TIME IN 13 YEARS
Syracuse concluded the 2008 regular season with a 5-2-2 record at the SU Soccer Stadium. It marks the 11th time in 13 years since the facility opened in 1996 that the Orange has posted winning record at home. The Orange’s five home victories in 2008 is one shy of the school for most wins in a season (6) at the SU Soccer Stadium.
WOODRUFF EQUALS WINS
The Orange tends to come out on the winning end of games when junior Hansen Woodruff finds the back of the net. During his first three seasons, Woodruff has scored in 20 matches and SU is 12-5-3 in those contests. Syracuse is 3-1 in 2008 when Woodruff scores with wins against Canisius, Florida Gulf Coast and Louisville.
Monday, Oct. 27
ORANGE GOES UNBEATEN IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION FOR THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON
Syracuse wrapped up non-conference play with a 3-2 victory against Adelphi on Oct. 21. The win extended Syracuse’s non-league unbeaten streak to 20 games dating back to a home loss to Oneonta in 2005. The Orange is 12-0-8 in non-conference matches since, the second-longest non-league unbeaten streak in the nation behind Wake Forest.
Syracuse went 4-0-2 against non-conference foes in 2008. It is the only BIG EAST team not to lose a non-league tilt from 2006 to 2008.
SCHOMAKER’S HAT TRICK POWERS ORANGE TO WIN AGAINST ADELPHI
Senior forward Spencer Schomaker became the first SU player since 2001 to record a hat trick when he scored all three Orange goals in a 3-2 victory against Adelphi on Oct. 21. Schomaker scored once in the first half and twice in the second half, including the game-winner in the 76th minute.
His three goals and six points were both career highs and tied the SU Soccer Stadium records in both categories. It was the fourth hat trick by an Orange player in the history of the Soccer Stadium, which opened in 1996, and the sixth overall at the facility. Schomaker is the first SU player to score three goals in a game since Kirk Johnson achieved the feat against Providence in 2001.
Schomaker leads the Orange with 14 points and he is tied for the team lead in goals (5) and assists (4).
Monday, Oct. 20
PEREVEGYENCEV LIFTS ORANGE TO VICTORY
Junior Tom Perevegyencev scored in the 86th minute to give Syracuse a 1-0 victory against DePaul on Oct. 18 in its only game last week. Perevegyencev’s game-winner came after an Orange header deflected off the goalpost. He settled the rebound and ripped a shot past DePaul keeper Brian Visser for the winning margin. It was Pervegyencev’s team-leading fifth goal of the season and his second game-winner of 2008. Perevegyencev is tied for the Syracuse lead this season with 10 points.
ORANGE TURNS IN PERHAPS ITS BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
The SU defense recorded its eighth shutout of 2008 with a 1-0 victory against DePaul on Oct. 18. The Orange allowed just one shot on goal and five shot attempts overall in the contest. Syracuse held DePaul leading scorer Steffen Vroom, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and NSCAA National Player of the Week, without a shot in the game. Syracuse’s eight shutouts this season is the most for an Orange squad since 1989.
The SU defense recorded its eighth shutout of 2008 with a 1-0 victory against DePaul on Oct. 18. The Orange allowed just one shot on goal and five shot attempts overall in the contest. Syracuse held DePaul leading scorer Steffen Vroom, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and NSCAA National Player of the Week, without a shot in the game. Syracuse’s eight shutouts this season is the most for an Orange squad since 1989.
CAVICCHIA EARNS ANOTHER SHUTOUT
Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia recorded his eighth shutout of season in SU’s 1-0 victory against DePaul on Oct. 18. Cavicchia made his only save late in the second half to preserve the Orange’s one-goal win. Cavicchia’s eight shutouts ranks sixth on the team’s single-season list and is the most for an Orange keeper since Charlie Wilke posted 8.5 in 1989. Cavicchia lists second on the Syracuse career shutout list with 22.
ORANGE LOOKS TO EXTEND NON-CONFERENCE UNBEATEN STREAK
Syracuse will wrap up non-conference play on Tuesday, Oct. 21 against Adelphi. The Orange is unbeaten in its last 19 non-league matches dating back to a home loss to Oneonta in 2005. The Orange is 11-0-8 in non-conference matches since, the second-longest non-league unbeaten streak in the nation behind Wake Forest’s 37-game stretch.
The Orange is looking to go unbeaten in non-conference matches for the third straight season. Syracuse was the only BIG EAST team not to lose a non-league encounter in 2006 and 2007.
Monday, Oct. 13
OFFENSE UP IN CONFERENCE GAMES
OFFENSE UP IN CONFERENCE GAMES
The Orange is having more success this season on offense against conference opponents. Syracuse has eight goals in seven league matches so far and has scored multiple goals against three BIG EAST opponents, including St. John’s. Syracuse is one of only two squads this year to find the net twice against the Red Storm. Its three multi-goal conference matches this year equals the number of multi-goal BIG EAST matches for Syracuse in 2006 and 2007 combined.
With four conference games left, the Orange’s eight BIG EAST goals is just one shy of its 2007 total (9) achieved in 11 league matches. Syracuse scored eight goals in BIG EAST play in both 2005 and 2006.
SCHOMAKER SPARKS ORANGE
Senior forward Spencer Schomaker had a hand in three of Syracuse’s four goals this week and finished with four points in matches against #8/5 St. John’s and Rutgers. Schomaker assisted on both Orange goals in a 4-2 loss at St. John’s on Oct. 8 and forced overtime with a goal with 1:07 to play in regulation against Rutgers on Oct. 11.
Against St. John’s, Schomaker became the first SU player to record two assists in a game since Hansen Woodruff did so against Penn State in the 2007 season opener.
Schomaker’s two-point games versus the Red Storm and Scarlet Knights marked the first time in his career he recorded back-to-back multi-point games. Schomaker is tied for second on the team with three assists this season. His three helpers in 2008 equals his career assist total (3) heading into this year.
HALL TAKES OVER SCORING LEAD
Senior Kyle Hall elevated himself to the top of the team's scoring chart with his goal at St. John's. The tally was Hall's fourth of the year. He also has two assists this season for a team-best 10 points. Hall and junior Tom Perevegyencev (eight points) are tied for the team lead in goals with four. Hall is also the SU leader with two game-winnning goals.
Monday, Oct. 6
ORANGE RECORDS SEVENTH SHUTOUT IN 10 GAMES
The Orange posted its seventh shutout of the 2008 season on Friday, Oct. 3, tying #9/13 USF, 0-0, in double overtime in its only match of the week. The seven shutouts are the most for an Orange squad since 1994 and it ties this year’s team for ninth on the school’s single-season shutout ledger.
CAVICCHIA STANDS TALL
Syracuse senior goalie Robert Cavicchia made a season-high eight saves to preserve the draw at #9/13 USF. Three of his stops came in the second half and he made the only save of the overtime periods in the 106 minute. Cavicchia has 43 total saves this season.
ORANGE ON TRACK TO BE ONE OF THE TOP DEFENSIVE SQUADS IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Syracuse has allowed just five goals in 10 games this season and owns a 0.46 goals-against average. This year’s club is on pace to post the second-best team goals-against average in school history. The 1982 Orange holds the program standard with a 0.45 goals-against average (10 goals/2,000 minutes).
TOUGH SLATE
Syracuse is in the midst of a grueling stretch of games. USF represented the fourth consecutive ranked opponent for the Orange. SU played #3/3 Notre Dame (Sept. 21) then hosted #20/22 Providence (Sept. 26) and #2/5 Connecticut (Sept. 28) in the span of seven days prior to its trip to Tampa. The last time Syracuse faced four nationally-ranked squads in consecutive games was in 2003.
Monday, Sept. 29
SYRACUSE GOES 1-1 IN FIRST BIG EAST HOME WEEKEND
The Orange split a pair of BIG EAST home matches last week. Syracuse won its BIG EAST home opener on Friday, Sept. 26, defeating #20/22 Providence, 3-0. Two days later, Syracuse went toe-to-toe with #2/5 Connecticut for 100 minutes before a header by O’Brian White found the mark in the second overtime to give the Huskies the win.
ORANGE DEFEATS TOP 25 TEAM FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Syracuse’s 3-0 triumph against the Friars marked the second straight season the Orange knocked off a squad listed in the national polls. In 2007, the Orange defeated #22 USF at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium. Friday’s victory ended a three-match losing streak against the Friars.
OFFENSE EXPLODES AGAINST FRIARS
The Orange put up three goals for the third time in 2008 on its way to shutting out #20/22 Providence. The scoring output matched the team’s season high for goals in a game. The Orange also scored three times against Canisius on Aug. 31 and Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 7. Senior Kyle Hall, sophomore Justin Arena and redshirt freshman Nick Olivetti recorded the Orange’s goals and six players overall collected points in the contest.
The three goals were the most for an Orange squad in a conference game since 2004 when it won at Pittsburgh, 3-2.
ANOTHER BIG CROWD
A crowd of 1,114 fans came out to watch the Orange take on #2/5 Connecticut on Sunday, Sept. 28. It was the third-largest crowd for a men’s match in the history of the SU Soccer Stadium which opened in 1996. It also marked the second time this season a gathering of more than 1,000 spectators enjoyed a Syracuse home game (1,257 vs. Canisius, Aug. 31).
CAVICCHIA ECLIPSES 250 CAREER SAVES
Senior keeper Robert Cavicchia made eight saves over the weekend to become the third SU goalie to surpass 250 career saves. He had two against #20/22 Providence on Sept. 26 and six versus #2/5 Connecticut on Sept. 28. Cavicchia has 256 saves in 60 career contests. He joins Chris Whitcomb (408) and Rick Fatscher (367) as the only three Orange keepers to reach the 250-save plateau.
Monday, Sept. 22
ORANGE WINS BIG EAST OPENER FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
Syracuse prevailed in its conference opener for the second consecutive season on Friday, Sept. 19, winning in its first-ever trip to Marquette, 1-0. The Orange also won its conference opener in 2007, defeating Pittsburgh, 2-0, at home. It’s the first time Syracuse has won back-to-back conference starters since it won four straight BIG EAST openers from 1988-91.
On Sunday, Sept. 21, the Orange lost its first match of the season, 3-0, at #3/3 Notre Dame to finish with a 1-1-0 record for the week.
SYRACUSE EARNS FOURTH STRAIGHT SHUTOUT
The Orange’s 1-0 triumph at Marquette was its fourth consecutive shutout, marking the first time since 1994 and 1995 it had blanked four straight opponents. The Orange held its final two opponents of the 1994 season without a goal and blanked its first two foes in 1995.
This season Syracuse defeated UNC-Wilmington on Sept. 5 (1-0) and Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 7 (3-0) at the Mayor’s Cup and also kept Monmouth (0-0) off the board on Sept. 11 prior to shutting out Marquette (1-0). Its bid for a fifth consecutive shutout was stopped early in a 3-0 loss to Notre Dame on Sunday.
CAVICCHIA’S SHUTOUT STREAK LONGEST AT SU SINCE 1986
Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia was between the posts for all four of the Orange’s consecutive shutouts and had not allowed a goal since the second half of the Colgate match on Sept. 1 before Bright Dike’s goal 2:06 into SU’s match at Notre Dame.
All told, Cavicchia played 421:35 without allowing a score prior to Dike’s tally. It was the longest shutout streak for an Orange goalie since 1986 when Chris Whitcomb went 448:40 seconds without surrendering a goal.
CAVICCHIA CONTINUES TO ASCEND CAREER RECORD LISTS
Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia made seven saves in the Orange’s games at Marquette and Notre Dame to move into third on Syracuse’s all-time saves chart. He now has 448 stops in his career. Cavicchia also took over sole possession of second place on the school’s career shutout ledger with his blanking of Marquette. It was the 19th shutout of his career.
SCHOMAKER GETS FIRST GOAL OF 2008
Senior forward Spencer Schomaker scored his first goal of the year in the 76th minute to propel the Orange past Marquette, 1-0. It was the fourth career goal for Schomaker and his third game-winner. Senior Kyle Hall recorded his first assist of the season on the play.
Monday, Sept. 15
NON-LEAGUE UNBEATEN STREAK CONTINUES
Syracuse tied Monmouth, 0-0, on Sept. 11 to extend its school-record non-conference unbeaten streak to 19 matches. Syracuse is 11-0-8 in non-league encounters since losing at home to Oneonta in 2005. It’s the second-longest current non-conference unbeaten streak behind top-ranked Wake Forest’s 32-game (30-0-2) stretch.
SHUTOUT CITY
Syracuse blanked its fourth opponent in five outings this year, playing Monmouth to a 0-0 stalemate on Sept. 11. The performance lowered SU’s goals-against average to a miniscule 0.18 on the season. It marks the first time since 1985 that the Orange has recorded shutouts in four of its first five contests.
CAVICCHIA TIES WHITCOMB
Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia played all 110 minutes in the Orange’s 0-0 draw against the Hawks to earn his fourth shutout of the season and the 18th blanking of his career. Cavicchia is currently tied with Chris Whitcomb (1985-88) for second on the school’s all-time shutout ledger.
Through five games, Cavicchia has already matched his 2007 season shutout total (4) achieved in 17 contests.
Monday, Sept. 8
ORANGE WINS MAYOR’S CUP
ORANGE WINS MAYOR’S CUP
Syracuse posted a pair of shutout victories at Hartwick’s Elmore Field to win the 33rd annual Mayor’s Cup. The Orange defeated UNC-Wilmington, 1-0, on Friday, Sept. 5 and Florida Gulf Coast by the score of 3-0 on Sunday, Sept. 7. SU was the only squad in the four-team tournament to win both of its matches.
Overall, Syracuse posted a 2-0-1 week, also tying Colgate, 1-1, on Monday, Sept. 4.
HALL AND CAVICCHIA EARN MVP HONORS
Senior forward Kyle Hall and senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia were selected as the Mayor’s Cup Offensive and Defensive MVP’s, respectively. Hall was presented with the Jim Lennox Award as the Offensive MVP for his performance in SU’s two wins. Hall tallied two of the team’s four goals at the tournament, including the game-winner Friday against UNC-Wilmington.
Cavicchia recorded a pair of shutouts on his way to Garth Stam Defensive MVP honors. Cavicchia made three saves Friday against the Seahawks.
SECOND-HALF SUCCESS
All four of the Orange goals at the Mayor’s Cup came after the intermission. Hall’s game-winner against UNC-Wilmington came in the 69th minute, and Syracuse got three scores in the span of 16:12 in the second period Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast to turn a scoreless match into a rout.
For the season, six of SU’s eight goals have come in the second half, and the Orange has outscored its opponents, 6-1, in the final 45 minutes of regulation.
DEFENSIVELY DOMINANT
The Orange allowed just nine total shots in its two Mayor’s Cup victories, including just two after halftime. Syracuse surrendered seven, one in the second half, Friday versus UNC-Wilmington and two against Florida Gulf Coast, including one in the second stanza.
Syracuse has shut out three of its first four opponents and owns a goals-against average of 0.24.
NON-LEAGUE UNBEATEN STREAK CONTINUES
The Orange’s 2-0-1 performance extended its school-record non-conference unbeaten streak to 18 matches. Syracuse is 11-0-7 in non-league encounters since losing at home to Oneonta in 2005. The Orange was the only team in the BIG EAST to go undefeated in non-league play during the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
LYTLE SCORES POINT IN FIRST CAREER START
Sophomore midfielder Geoff Lytle made the first start of his career against UNC-Wilmington in SU’s opening match at the Mayor’s Cup on Friday and assisted on Hall’s game-winner in the 69th minute. It was the second assist for Lytle who is tied for the team lead. He also got the starting nod in the midfield Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast.
Monday, Sept. 1
ORANGE GETS 400TH ALL-TIME WIN
Syracuse posted a 3-0 win over Canisius in its season opener on Friday, Aug. 29. It was the 400th win program history. The Orange is the sixth BIG EAST team to reach the 400-victory plateau, joining Connecticut, Rutgers, USF, Notre Dame and Seton Hall.
FANS PACK SOCCER STADIUM
A crowd of 1,257 fans attended the Orange’s season opener versus the Golden Griffins. It was the second-largest crowd ever for a men’s match since the SU Soccer Stadium opened in 1996, and the biggest crowd ever for a men’s season-opening contest at the facility. It marked the eighth time a gathering of at least 1,000 spectators turned out for a men’s game at the SU Soccer Stadium.
PEREVEGYENCEV FUELS OFFENSE
Junior Tom Perevegyencev scored two of SU’s three goals Friday against Canisius. The Budapest, Hungary native scored twice in the span of 1:25 in the second half to secure the victory. It was the first two-goal game of his career. His four points was also a personal best.
NON-LEAGUE UNBEATEN STREAK CONTINUES
Friday’s win over Canisius extended the Orange’s non-conference unbeaten streak to 15 matches. Syracuse is 9-0-6 in non-league encounters since losing at home to Oneonta in 2005. The Orange was the only team in the BIG EAST to go undefeated in non-league play during the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
CAVICCHIA CLIMBING CAREER LISTS
Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia made five saves against the Griffins Friday to earn his 15th career shutout. He is now tied with Rick Fatscher for third on SU’s all-time shutout list. The victory also moved him into a tie with Charlie Wilke for fifth-place on the school’s career wins list (19).
NEW FACES IN THE MIDFIELD
The Orange had two players make their first collegiate starts in the midfield versus Canisius. Rookie Raoul Meister got the starting nod in his first college match and found the scoring column, registering an assist on Perevegyencev’s first goal. Redshirt freshman Nick Olivetti was also part of SU’s starting 11 for the first time Friday. He attempted one shot.
Defensively, sophomore Justin Arena earned his first career start on SU’s backline. He took two shots and helped limit the Griffins to five shot attempts.
