Coach Mac's Corner (2011)
Archive: 2010
December 31, 2011
I would like to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year! From a personal perspective I truly appreciate your fantastic support of our program this past year and on behalf of all the boys I sincerely hope that you will continue to stand right alongside us in 2012.
This past year has truly flown by and everyone associated with our Syracuse University men’s soccer program is excited about what lies ahead in 2012. I believe that we made positive forward strides during this recent campaign and I believe that we are building our program the correct way. I give our boys a tremendous amount of credit for demonstrating a real resilience and resolve to bounce back from difficult losses in 2011. But I do feel that anyone who watched us play in 2011 recognizes that we have made significant progress and we are excited to embrace the challenges that lay ahead as we prepare ourselves for the transition into the ACC.
We will once again be a young squad in 2012 and our roster will predominantly feature freshmen and sophomore student-athletes. I am very excited about the fine group of young men who will join us here at Syracuse in the Fall and I know that you will welcome them into our special Syracuse Soccer family. Per NCAA rules I look forward to introducing you to our newest additions in early February.
Our immediate success, however, will largely be influenced by the leadership of veterans such as Bibbs, Brode, Clark, Cribley, Jones, Muller and Tessler who will be looked upon to guide, mentor, challenge and inspire our younger players both on and off the soccer pitch in 2012. It is a challenge that this group will embrace and lead from the front. They have grown up a great deal during the past year and they are anxious to get back out onto the soccer field.
A renowned soccer pundit once famously remarked that “you can never win anything with kids (young players)” although Manchester United have historically reaped the rewards by entrusting youthful exuberance and quality through the years. Our locker room may not contain a David Beckham, Ryan Giggs or a Bobby Charlton and I do not possess the mastery or the forceful “hairdryer” man management skills of legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. (Happy Birthday to Sir Alex although today’s home defeat to Blackburn was certainly not the birthday present he was looking for to celebrate his 70th!) But what I can guarantee in 2012 is that you will see a very dedicated, committed group of young men who take tremendous pride in representing Syracuse University and we will all work tirelessly to make our supporters proud.
Well all that is left for me to do is to wish you a fantastic 2012. The wife and I will wait patiently for Dick Clark and Co. to count us down to midnight and no doubt I will be woken up to see Time Square erupt before bumbling up to bed.
Thank you so much for your support in 2011 and please keep cheering on the boys!
December 23, 2011
Everyone associated with our Syracuse Men’s Soccer program would like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy a wonderful festive period and a terrific 2012 with family, friends and loved ones. (May your last minute shopping adventures be productive and painless.)
The boys have all gone home after final exams and campus is rather quiet. It is, however, a little strange to see an absence of white stuff on the ground at this time of the year. But I thought that the gentleman wearing shorts this morning to pick up his coffee was going a little too far. We are certainly of sturdy stock up here in Syracuse but this was a little extreme!
Skylar Thomas and Jordan Murrell recently returned from a U20 Canadian Camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Skylar and Jordan were the only collegiate players selected for the camp as the Canadian team prepares for qualification for the 2013 U20 World Cup in Turkey. Both student-athletes trained and performed well in Florida and we are proud of their accomplishments as they continue to develop here at Syracuse University. Well done guys.
Well that about does it for now apart from a quick “well done / good luck” to our SU men’s basketball team who have climbed to number 1 in the national polls. It has been a lot of fun to watch this team play and we are all excited to cheer on this very talented squad. Keep up the good work!
And one last THANK YOU for all of your fantastic support this past year. Happy Holidays and please keep cheering on the boys!
November 1, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you an update from the SU soccer office. I started to compose this email last night although my best intentions were derailed by the constant flow of “Trick or Treat” visitors swarming our front garden in search of sugar. It was a fun evening although the wife’s flower beds have taken a serious beating and I do have to apologize to the parents of a certain young man who was refused candy at my front door. I was certainly impressed with the creativity of the costumes on display although you are not going to be rewarded with chocolate if you turn up at my front door wearing a Wayne Rooney shirt! I do have some standards after all.
It is difficult to sit down and reflect back on a tough final weekend during which our season came to an end against Depaul University. I would, however, like to take a moment to say thank you to those alumni members, family and friends who came out to cheer on the boys in Chicago. I continue to be amazed at the tremendous support that we receive on our distant travels and we are all humbled every time we see an Orange crowd cheering on the team. Thank you and please know that we truly appreciate your effort to get behind the team!
On Saturday afternoon, our season ended with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of our hosts. Although I felt that we started the contest slowly, I did feel that we grew stronger as the game wore on. We created numerous chances towards the end of the game and Depaul were nervously hanging on for the final whistle. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure that all important second goal and credit should be given to a Depaul defense that remained resolute during a period of the game when we were throwing everything at their goal. I would like to thank my guys for their work and commitment this year and on Saturday they certainly did not leave anything out on the field of play. For more information on this game please click here.
I would also like to thank Jukka Masalin, Michael Miller, Eric Bill, Alvaro Voelker, Dan Pribula, Brendon Jonsson, Stephanie Claxton Langstaff, Kevin Wall, Erlease Wagner, George Frank, Morey Mossowitz, Anthony Prisco, Jean Donegan and the many other individuals behind the scene who have been absolutely magnificent this season. The boys truly appreciate all your support and guidance.
One of our SU alums came up to me after the game and gave me a hug and then asked “How can you remain so positive after the team has enjoyed so few wins this past twelve months?” I think this is a very valid question and I feel that it is very important to re-iterate at this time that there certainly is no degree of acceptance or lack of ambition in our program. I have a terrific group of young men who work extremely hard for this program. This year our young squad has made some critical mistakes at critical times in critical games. But rest assured, we are all committed to building a team that you will be proud of. We realize that we compete in an industry in which we are evaluated by wins and losses and, ultimately, we did not fulfill our goal of reaching the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time since 2005.
I believe that we have taken a step forward this season and showed that we can compete in the BIG EAST. This season seven freshmen and twelve new additions made their SU debuts. We scored twice as many goals as we did last year and conceded less than we did as a team in 2010. Each of our defeats this campaign was by a single goal and five of these defeats happened in overtime. I would suggest that we are not too far away as a program although we certainly must show a continued maturation and a toughness to grind out results at this level.
We will put out a team each week that will represent Syracuse University to the very best of our ability and it will contain young men of the highest character that will always (relentlessly) compete with passion, energy and enthusiasm. There have been positive steps made here on campus. The generous support of many of our alums, fans and supporters provided the opportunity to make initial enhancements to our SU Soccer Stadium. We have also received the exciting news that we are making the transition to the ACC (one of the premier soccer conferences in the United States) and we have assembled a very talented recruiting class for 2012.
I believe that, with a continued willingness to invest fully in the hard work necessary to improve, the future looks bright for SU soccer. I would love to hear feedback (both positive and negative) from all of our SU supporters because I truly believe that an engaged supporters group helps our student-athletes to succeed here at Syracuse University both on and off the soccer field.
Our student-athletes are committed and our entire staff is working tirelessly to build you a program that you will be proud of. We all realize that success will not simply happen overnight and I am very appreciative of each student-athlete that commits to our program, our SU soccer family and our “soccer project” here at Syracuse University. We are a program that has secured a mere five winning seasons in the last twenty-one years and we have not enjoyed a BIG EAST Tournament win since 1999. Every young man who commits to our cause is an individual who truly believes in Syracuse University and what we are trying to accomplish here on and off the soccer field. Each new student-athlete will have been presented with other (safer) college choices but, ultimately, believes in this program and where we are headed.
I believe that if we invest ourselves fully, and truly put ourselves on the line, something amazing will happen. I believe that together we can accomplish something special here at Syracuse University.
Well if you have not given up on this long message, I truly appreciate your time! I look forward to speaking to you again soon. Thank you for your continued support this season and please keep cheering on the boys!
October 25, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the soccer office. It has been a rather hectic past seven days, with the weather forcing a delay to our Rutgers game on the road. As a result, there was a very quick turnaround before our very important home win against Cincinnati on Saturday evening. It is that time of the season when everyone is fighting desperately for BIG EAST points to secure a place in the playoffs. It should be a very exciting final week of the season and the boys know that we have our fate in our own hands with the visit of Villanova tomorrow night. I hope that many of our local supporters will be able to come out and get behind the team. We truly appreciate your support and we will continue to work extremely hard to make you proud!
On Saturday evening, the boys secured an invaluable 4-2 home victory against Cincinnati with goals from Louis Clark (2), Lars Muller and Grant Chong. The boys played some exciting attacking soccer and were good value for the victory. The boys have been working extremely hard on and off the pitch and were delighted to secure three vital BIG EAST points. It was a quality team performance and Clark was recognized for his efforts in this week’s BIG EAST Honor Roll. For additional information on Saturday night’s game please refer click here.
On Saturday evening we also recognized seven outstanding young men who have represented Syracuse University with a tremendous amount of quality, character and integrity. Senior Night is my favorite night of the season when we have an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of our senior student-athletes. I would like to say a very big thank you to LJ Papaleo, Dave Neumann, Sami Bin, Federico Agreda, Dan Summers, Phil Boerger, and Nick Roydhouse. Please join me in wishing this special group all the very best with their future endeavors, although we will gladly prolong their SU careers for a few more weeks yet! I know that this group has taken tremendous pride in representing Syracuse University and they have already played an important, integral role in helping us set the foundation for the future development of our program. Thank you guys!
In other news, I would also like to congratulate Coach Marrone and our SU Football team for a fabulous win in front of a national television audience against West Virginia. The Carrier Dome was rocking last Friday night and it was a fantastic performance by the program. It is a good time to be a supporter of SU Athletics.
Well that about does it for now and I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
October 18, 2011
Good morning and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office before we depart for New Jersey this afternoon. I wanted to thank everyone who came out to the SU Soccer Stadium this past week and braved some tough weather conditions to support the team. I am sure that everyone in attendance was very proud of the boys after a tremendous effort on Saturday evening against USF. Unfortunately, a USF overtime goal would prevent us from securing a deserved win, but the late goal did not detract away from an excellent performance. For more information please click here.
It was the third game in seven days against a BIG EAST team ranked in the National Top 20 and the boys were magnificent with their application, effort and commitment. We have come a long way this year and if we continue to commit to the work necessary to improve as a group the wins will take care of themselves.
As we look to build something special here at Syracuse, we are looking to evolve and mature as a team. We do have young players who look forward to embracing the challenge of proving themselves each week against the finest competition in the country. We all realize that there are going to be some stumbles along the way and there will certainly still be some tough times ahead. But this group does possess the competitive fire to persevere and the drive to succeed and improve as a team.
As a group we have the self-belief in our ability to get the job done and we truly appreciate all your support as we navigate this difficult road. Everyone associated with our program takes tremendous pride in wearing our SU jersey and we will continue to work hard to make all of our fans and supporters proud.
The good news after such a tough loss is the fact that we are right back out on the pitch and back on our travels. I hope that we will be able to see some of our fans in New Jersey as we take on a talented Rutgers side currently positioned first in our BIG EAST Red Division. It should be another exciting match and rest assured that the boys will once again leave everything out on the soccer field tomorrow night.
Well I had better go and prepare for practice. But before I go I did want to congratulate Big Dan Pribula and Kyle Jackson for tying the knot on Sunday afternoon. It was a fantastic day and everyone wishes Dan and Kyle all the very best. Big Dan has been an integral part of our program this past year and we are very fortunate to have him working with us as we look to improve on and off the soccer field. And finally congratulations to Phil Wheddon, his staff and the women’s SU soccer team for securing a BIG EAST Tournament berth. Well done ladies and keep up the good work.
Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
October 11, 2011
Good morning and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office as we prepare for tomorrow night’s exciting match-up at home against St. John's University. It should be another terrific game at the SU Soccer Stadium as we welcome a talented St. John's team, who are enjoying a good season that has seen them break into the National Top 10. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Masur and his program, who have established themselves as the bench mark in the BIG EAST for the last twenty years. I hope that many of our supporters will be able to come out and support the boys. It should be a great match and an entertaining affair.
This past weekend the boys worked extremely hard to secure a 0-0 tie at the University of Louisville. It was an excellent performance on the road against a quality team that lost in the College Cup in 2010. I am very proud of the boys who showed a great deal of character and courage to secure a valuable point. In a difficult environment, the boys showed their resilience as well as the courage to play. There were times when the boys had their backs up against the wall and defended with tenacity and a composure that limited our opponent’s opportunities. But the boys also picked their moments to attack with purpose and caused Louisville some uncomfortable periods during the game. I know that the boys will take great heart and confidence from this game and we will look to demonstrate the same level of commitment in our game on Wednesday evening. For more information on our game please click here.
In other news Phil Boerger was recognized as the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week. Congratulations to Phil who has enjoyed a good season to date, although I should once again recognize the entire team who defended heroically at Louisville. Defending starts from the front and the entire team put in a tremendous amount of work to secure our first clean sheet of the season.
We sometimes forget that our boys are looking to be successful on two fronts both athletically and academically here at Syracuse University. At this busy time of the year we are in the heart of our BIG EAST schedule with a great deal of travel and games are certainly coming thick and fast. It is also a time when the boys experience an increase in their class work load as they prepare for mid-terms here on campus. Every member of our program has committed to excelling in both arenas and this week Nick Roydhouse has been recognized as Orange Scholar Athlete of the Week.
And finally I would like to thank everyone who helped contribute to our fundraising effort to help us implement the first stage of our Soccer Stadium enhancements. It has already made a big difference to the experience at the SU Soccer Stadium and we are looking forward to making further enhancements in the future. Thank you!
Well that about does it for now and we are back out on the training pitch as we prepare for tomorrow’s game at 7:00 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
October 3, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the men’s soccer office. Obviously it is always easier to write post match comments after a win but right now we are going through a tough stretch of results. On Saturday night it was a long drive home from Pittsburgh after a 2-1 overtime defeat. When the bus pulled onto campus a little before 4:00 a.m. on Sunday morning spirits were understandably low. But today is a new day and we will work hard this week to prepare for our trip to Louisville this weekend. I asked for a reaction from the boys after the midweek defeat to Binghamton University and I was proud with how the team responded against Pitt. Our energy and enthusiasm was first class and we used the soccer ball well for long periods of the game.
The boys realize that at this level there is a very slim margin between victory and defeat. If we continue to apply ourselves the correct way the boys know that results will come. My own college coach (many years ago) constantly drummed into us that “adversity does not build character but rather reveals character” and I believe that we have a tremendous amount of character in our SU locker room. We will continue to grow stronger as a team if we continue to show similar commitment to training and our matches.
On Saturday evening we were back to something close to our attacking best and we were good value for our 1-0 lead through a Louis Clark goal. We created numerous chances and looked like we were going to secure all three points on offer. One of our failings this year, however, has been our inability to go on and finish off our opponent when we are in the ascendency. On Saturday night, we did not capitalize on a few outstanding opportunities and we allowed Pitt to get back into the game. Unfortunately, the two goals that we conceded would be the difference. And the late goal in overtime was certainly a cruel way to end the game although we did have 105 minutes to ensure that we secured the spoils from this particular game. For more information please click here.
It is frustrating for the boys that we do not have any BIG EAST points to show for all the work that is being put in during our games and on the training field. Ultimately we have conceded goals in the 88th and 105th minutes that have cost us dearly in our two first conference games. We will re-commit to a great week of practice and the boys will be ready to take on a talented Louisville team that have been ranked as high as No. 1 in this year’s national polls.
I would like to thank those alumni, friends, family and fans who have offered the boys words of encouragement during this last week. It means a great deal to everyone in the program and I look forward to speaking with you again very soon. Thank you so much for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 28, 2011
Good morning and a quick update from the men’s soccer office. Last night we were defeated 2-1 by Binghamton University at the SU Soccer Stadium. It was a disappointing game and we did not perform to the level that we all expect. In fact, we were poor.
I have a smashing group of young men who have committed to working hard both individually and collectively. We pride ourselves on playing with energy, enthusiasm, passion and hunger. But last night we were found wanting in all of these important areas. Credit should be given to our opponent for the way that they denied us space and the intensity that they brought to their overall performance. But we were often second best in physical confrontations and we were sloppy in our use of the ball. We were unable to impose ourselves on the game and never really got to grips with the contest. There were a couple of positives to be taken from the game with Dan Summers registering his first goal of the campaign, Nick Bibbs playing his first minutes of the season and Jide Oluyedun performing well from the bench. For more information please click here.
As the coach I must accept responsibility for not preparing our team correctly for last night’s game. But the boys know that we must all improve and I am certainly looking for a reaction to last night’s performance. I would expect to see a reaction in today’s practice and I would certainly expect to see a big, big reaction on Saturday evening on the road at Pittsburgh. The boys owe it to themselves to put in a better performance this weekend and our fans and supporters certainly deserve an improved individual and collective effort. We realize the responsibility that comes with representing Syracuse University and we will embrace the challenges that lay ahead.
The good news is that we have a short turnaround to our next game and a real opportunity to show our character and collective personality. We will enjoy a couple of good days on the training fields before we leave for Pittsburgh. We will be ready for Saturday’s game and look to keep moving forward as a team.
Well that is all for now as we have a busy few days ahead of us. Thank you so much for your continued support of the team and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 27, 2011
Good evening and I wanted to provide you a quick update as we prepare for tomorrow night’s game against Binghamton University. I apologize for the delay in providing my thoughts on our Big East opener against Marquette University on Saturday night. It is that exciting time of year when games come thick and fast. There is very little time between contests and the coaching staff is working hard to prepare the boys correctly for the challenges ahead.
But I am now sitting quietly at my kitchen table with a nice cup of tea and this is as good a time as any to reflect back on a very tough loss on Saturday. In fact I have spent the last hour and twenty-one minutes watching the movie Barbie Princess Charm School with my four year old daughter and I have just realized that I will never get back that particular 81 minutes of my life! But quality father-daughter time is priceless although it was a little disheartening to have my daughter roll her eyes at me when I asked (what I thought to be) a rather simple question to clear up some of my plot concerns.
But I digress. On Saturday, we played some excellent attacking soccer but unfortunately ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision. A Marquette goal in the 87th minute was a cruel way to end this entertaining match and a harsh reminder of the way a team can be punished in the BIG EAST. As a young group we have come a long way this year and a number of our guys (11) made their first ever BIG EAST appearance. But the boys realize that it will be important to convert our good play into points if we are to compete within the league.
We took the lead twice on Saturday night through goals from Brode and Muller which should have been enough for us to get something out of this game at home. We actually had numerous chances to make the game 3-1 in our favor and perhaps we can be accused of playing a little too expansive at times. We will require the ability to demonstrate the necessary toughness and resilience to grind out such results. There was, however, a lot of positives to take from this game as we continue to evolve as a team. We enjoyed terrific support and I would like to thank everyone who came out to cheer on the team. For more information please click here.
The best remedy for a tough defeat is to get right back out on the pitch and the boys are looking forward to welcoming Binghamton University to our SU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Coach Marco has built a strong program which competes for the America East Title every year. Binghamton has a balanced team with some exciting attacking players who will be another stern test. Games between Syracuse and Binghamton are always exciting affairs and both teams will use this as an excellent final tune up for our conference run-ins. I hope that many of our fans will be able to join us on Tuesday evening for this important Binghamton match. For more details please click here.
Well that about does it for now and my tea requires some refreshing. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 20, 2011
Good morning and I wanted to provide a quick update from the men’s soccer office. Our bus arrived safely back on campus after competing at the University of Akron Tournament this past weekend although a great deal has occurred since my last correspondence. It has been an eventful weekend during which we have discovered a great deal about our program both on and off the soccer field. It is an interesting, exciting time to be wearing Orange!
This past weekend Syracuse University accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In men's soccer, the ACC has established itself as the premier college soccer conference and everyone associated with our SU program realizes that we have been afforded a tremendous opportunity to compete against the very best. The ACC has won a total of fourteen national soccer championships (including thirteen in the twenty-seven seasons between 1984 and 2010) and currently Maryland, UNC, Virginia and Boston College are ranked in the Top 10 of the Division I National polls. We are thankful for all the hard work that Dr. Gross has put in behind the scenes to make this move a reality. Fans are fully aware of the dramatically changing landscape in college sports and Dr. Gross has moved to ensure the long term success and sustainability of our SU Athletic Program. For additional information please click here.
But the ACC is a discussion for another day as the boys are fully focused on the start of our BIG EAST campaign as we prepare for Saturday night’s match-up with Marquette University. It should be a terrific game and I hope that many of our fans will be able to join us at the SU Soccer Stadium at 7:00 p.m. We know that BIG EAST games are always tightly contested affairs and I hope that our fantastic support will play an important role on Saturday evening.
Our trip to Akron was a great way to prepare for our approaching BIG EAST schedule with two hard fought contests against Cal Poly and New Mexico. I feel that we were a little unfortunate to return empty handed and I believe that the boys deserved something out of these games for the amount (and quality) of work they put into each contest. I know that a coach will often try to spin a more positive tale after two such defeats, but the boys know that they put forth a great effort this past weekend and if we can continue to show this commitment the results will eventually come. I would like to congratulate Jordan Murrell and Nick Roydhouse for being selected to the all-tournament team, although our overall collective play was a good foundation from which to build.
We have learned a great deal from our games against Cal Poly and New Mexico. This week we will be back out on the training pitch and we will ensure that we prepare correctly for another big challenge on Saturday evening.
I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 12, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office as the boys enjoy a well deserved day off. On Sunday afternoon the boys worked hard to secure a 2-1 home victory against American University. It was a fantastic day both on and off the pitch and thank you to everyone who came out to support the boys and our “Kick for the Cure” game. A special thank you to Mike and Morley Miller who organized our efforts on behalf of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. And a very, very big thank you for those fans who helped us raise money for this very worthy cause.
I would also like to thank those individuals who joined our SU Friends of Soccer program during the past six months because we were able to unveil our first advertising boards at the SU Soccer Stadium. Additional boards will be added over the next few weeks and, thanks to you, we have immediately enhanced the experience at the SU Stadium. Hopefully you will be able to come back and visit with us to checkout this newest addition to the program. And we will continue to work hard every day to produce a team on the pitch that you will be proud of.
On Sunday, the boys started the game quickly against a technical American team and we imposed our style of play from the first whistle. Louis Clark registered his first goal of the season from a neat Dan Summers through pass and we were good value for our early lead. Our tempo was high and we pressed our opponent into giving us back the ball in dangerous areas of the field. We threatened to add to our score although we were unable to find a way past the American goalkeeper. We did play some good attacking soccer for long periods of the first half although, ultimately, we did not secure the important second goal.
During the early exchanges of the second half we still looked in control of the game although we were unable to maintain the same high rhythm of the first period. Credit should be given to an American team who kept plugging away and they were rewarded with a late goal after an unfortunate mishap in our penalty area. Although disappointed that the game was forced into overtime the boys responded very well and immediately seized the initiative. Ultimately it was a first rate strike from Nick Roydhouse who secured the victory after Dan Summers had been brought down after a clever pass from Ted Cribley. It was a fine way to win an entertaining match although the coaching staff would prefer if such matches would be secured during regulation! For more information on the game please click here.
In other news I would like to recognize Ryan Tessler for being selected the Orange Scholar Athlete of the Week. Ryan has enjoyed an excellent start to the season and continues to succeed both in the classroom and on the soccer pitch. Well done Ryan!
We will be back on the training pitch tomorrow as we prepare for our approaching road trip to the University of Akron Tournament. Our coaching staff has enjoyed a good relationship with the reigning national champions (Akron University) and we are all looking forward to competing against Cal Poly and New Mexico this weekend. This will be a real test for the boys with games against these two quality programs. We realize that we will have to be playing at a very best during these two games and it will be excellent preparation for our approaching BIG EAST campaign. I hope that we will be able to see some Orange support in Ohio.
You can also follow the team on Facebook at Syracuse University Men's Soccer or Twitter @Cusemenssoccer (Who would have thought I would have ever ended an email with such remarks.... my mother would be very proud of my ability to stay up with the times.... well... at least allow my, more technologically gifted, assistant coaches to drag me into this decade).
Well that about does it for now and I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 8, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide a very, very quick update from our soccer office. Unfortunately tonight's game against Adelphi University has been postponed due to the weather that we have experienced this past twenty-four hours. No make-up date has been confirmed at this time.
The boys are bitterly dissapointed not to be able to get back out onto the pitch tonight but our full attention and focus now moves to Sunday's important home game against American University at 2:00 p.m.
The match is billed as our team’s “Kick for the Cure Game” to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. We will be accepting donations at the door and we will have a silent-auction during the first half of the game with all proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Sunday also marks the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy and we will observe a moment of silence before kick-off.
Most of our lives have been touched, in some way or other, by cancer or the events that transpired ten years ago. I hope that you will be able to join us at the SU Soccer Stadium and please keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers.
Well that about does it for now and I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 5, 2011
Good afternoon and I hope that you have enjoyed your holiday weekend. We have just finished practice in the rain with yesterday’s starting XI put through their paces with Big Dan and an important recovery session. The remainder of the squad enjoyed an up tempo training session with our coaching staff during which the quality of practice was very high. All the boys realize that we cannot influence yesterday’s 2-1 overtime defeat, but we can affect how we prepare for our next game on Thursday night against Adelphi. Today was a good start with the boy’s demonstrating the appropriate application, energy and enthusiasm that we will require to keep moving forward as a squad.
Although we were disappointed to return from yesterday’s away trip with nothing to show in the win column there were a lot of positives to take from our game against Siena College. I would argue that we played some of the best attacking soccer that we have produced over the past year. However, this game of ours can sometimes be rather cruel.
An hour weather delay did not affect the way that the boys started this contest and we were on the front foot from the opening whistle. We played some very good soccer and created a number of fine chances. A combination of fine goalkeeping from Siena’s stopper, a little bad luck, and perhaps a lack of composure in front of the Siena net prevented us from registering an opening goal that our play certainly deserved. We bossed the game from the very start as Brode and Krachie imposed themselves on our opponent’s talented midfield. We looked dangerous when we attacked with numbers and Summers and Clark were a constant threat as they enjoyed quality service from Cribley and Roydhouse.
Unfortunately Siena were to score the game’s first goal from their first real scoring opportunity. But credit should be given to our boys who stuck to their task and kept playing our own game. We received some excellent energy and quality off our bench from Perea, Hughes, Chong, Agreda and Neumann as we continued to pressure our opponent. Thomas would register his second goal of the season to tie everything up and we were playing fluidly in a very entertaining match. I felt that we were now favorites to go on and win the match.
The boys kept pushing until the very end of regulation although it was Siena who would score in overtime to prevent us from securing an impressive result on the road. Overtime is always somewhat of a lottery and perhaps we showed a little lack of maturity in not ensuring that we left the field with at least a share of the spoils. But the boys were very confident going into the extra period and we were certainly still on the ascendency. Ultimately the boys experienced a difficult defeat yesterday but spirits were high in the locker room because we knew that we had performed well on the road in a tough environment. This game will certainly prepare us for future games. For more information on this game please click here.
We have an important week ahead of us with home games against Adelphi and American University. The boys realize that we will need to be playing at our very best to compete with two strong programs who defeated us during the 2010 campaign. The boys are excited to get back out onto the pitch and we will train correctly this week to ensure that we can build on yesterday’s promising performance. For those fans coming to our game against Adelphi on Thursday, September 8th you are encouraged to bring “Back to School” items to be donated to families in the Syracuse community.
Our game against American University on Sunday, September 11th is our “Kick for the Cure Game” that will benefit breast cancer research. Our SU team will be wearing pink jerseys for this special game and we will collect donations at the gate in conjunction with a silent-auction with all proceeds going to the Susan G Komen Foundation. I will provide you with further details this week on both of these important games.
Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
September 3, 2011
Good morning, I wanted to provide a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office as we prepare for our final training session before tomorrow’s game against Siena College.
I would like to thank those individuals who sent in kind words of support to the boys after Thursday night’s 2-1 victory at home to Canisius College. It was fantastic to start our home schedule this year with a positive result and I feel that the boys were good value for the win. Our SU Football team also opened their season on Thursday evening and the whole campus was alive in a sea of Orange and Blue. (Congratulations to Coach Marrone and his program for a gutsy “come from behind” win in the Carrier Dome!)
On Thursday evening there was an electric atmosphere on South campus as our team made its way to the SU Soccer Stadium and the boys did not disappoint with a very fast start to our game. We are also very appreciative of all the fans that came out to cheer the team on at the SU Soccer Stadium. It is tough to compete with a Carrier Dome crowd and free concerts at the New York State Fair… and yet our loyal fans did not disappoint and played their part in our first win of the season. Thank you so much for all your support! You truly make a difference.
I was extremely proud with how the boys approached the game on Thursday evening and we quickly imposed ourselves on the contest and were rewarded with two early goals from Thomas and Agreda. We played some good soccer for long periods of the first half and our only regret was that we did not capitalize on our possession with a third goal. Credit should be given to a Canisius team that started to have more of an influence on proceedings as the game wore on. A second half penalty would reduce our lead although I felt that the boys managed the game very well towards the end of the second half. Everyone associated with the program was delighted to hear the final whistle and our first victory of the season. (For many of the guys it was their first victory in college and their first win in a Syracuse shirt.) Well done boys! For more information on the Canisius game, please click here.
We all realize that there are parts of our game that still require a great deal of work and we truly have a long journey ahead of us. This was, however, a solid start and good preparation for the tough competition that we will face as the season progresses.
In fact we do not have to wait too long for such a challenge as we face a very difficult opponent on the road tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. Siena College is a strong team who have already enjoyed a victory over Ohio State this year and handily disposed of us last year at home. But we are a team that is improving fast and I know that the boys are excited to hit the road again and battle Siena tomorrow. Hopefully some of our fans will be able to join us tomorrow and we always love to see Orange on our travels.
Well that about does it for now as it is time to join the boys for practice. Have a terrific holiday weekend and I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
August 29, 2011
Good morning and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the men’s soccer office. I also wanted to thank those supporters who travelled to Hamilton, N.Y. on Saturday evening to cheer on the boys against Colgate University. Unfortunately on this occasion we were on the wrong end of a 1-0 score line but it means a great deal to the boys to see family, friends and Orange fans in the crowd when we travel. For more information on the game please click here.
The boys were disappointed with the result on Saturday and we all realize that there are very high expectations every time we pull on a Syracuse uniform and represent our fine institution. Such expectation excites this group of young men and we are all fully committed to improving as a team.
As a young squad we can learn a great deal from this game. We started five true freshmen on Saturday evening and nine players made their first appearances for our program. Understandably there were a few nerves on the night and our use of the ball can be better at times as we look to create more goal scoring opportunities. The boys will really benefit from competing in such a tough environment against a good Colgate team.
I thought that we defended very well as a team. We showed both a maturity (above their age) and a tenacity from which we can build for the future. We were, however, unable to truly implement our normal passing style and our attacking play was often disjointed and lacked our tradition rhythm. But overall, I was very proud of the boys and I know that, with the necessary hard work and application, we can continue to evolve as a team.
The boys are committed to our goals this year and we will be back out on the training pitch this week to prepare for Thursday night’s home opener against Canisius College. Spirits were high during yesterday’s training and recovery session and the boys are anxious to have an opportunity to get back out onto our home field. I hope that many of our supporters will be able to join us at the SU Soccer Stadium at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
August 27, 2011
Good morning and a quick update from my kitchen table as my little one introduces me to the wonders of magic markers and glue sticks!!! (Controlled mayhem in the McIntyre household this morning.)
Well the last two weeks have truly flown by and tonight we open our 2011 season against Colgate University on the road at 7:00 p.m. I would like to thank those fans who have reached out this week and offered your warm wishes of support to the team. It means a great deal to the boys. Thank you!
As a coach, you would always like a few more days of pre-season practice and preparation but the boys are certainly excited to move on and start playing games! (Go figure!) Tonight should be a cracking game and hopefully many of our fans will make the drive over to Hamilton to cheer on the boys. Syracuse vs. Colgate games are traditionally open affairs and tonight should be another good advertisement for our college game.
Coach Ronning has assembled a very talented, experienced Colgate squad, picked to win the Patriot League again this year. This is exactly the early test that we are looking for and I know that the boys are anxious to open our 2011 campaign. Training has gone very well this week and collectively we continue to make improvements with every training session. I know that all the boys will provide their very best effort to make you proud and for more information on tonight’s game please click here.
A successful pre-season camp concluded with our scrimmage against Lemoyne and you can still follow updates on our team at Inside the 18.
Well that about does it for now as I coordinate a mass search for the top of the pink magic marker before heading up to campus for our morning walk through. For those members of our Syracuse soccer family who will be impacted by hurricane Irene this weekend please stay safe. I look forward to speaking with you again very soon and providing an update on our first match of the 2011 season.
Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
August 21, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office as we prepare for our final pre-season game tomorrow against Le Moyne College. For those interested in attending the game the kick-off is 2:00 p.m. at Le Moyne and it should be a good game of soccer. Tom Bonus has led the Le Moyne program to the NCAA Division II Championship game in recent years and the boys realize that this will be a difficult test and a good barometer of where we are at this early stage of the season. I hope that some of our fans will make the trip across town to cheer on the boys!
The boys are working very hard and there is a good spirit in camp after a solid opening performance against Herkimer College on Friday night. On a beautiful evening the boys were well supported and they were able to secure a 4-0 victory. Seventeen SU players made their debuts on Friday night and it was great to see the boys having an opportunity to play against a Herkimer team that will enjoy another fine season under the guidance of Pepe Aragon. Although we all realize that we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, it was a decent start to the campaign and we played some good attacking soccer for long periods of the contest. For more information on Friday’s performance please click here.
In other news our 2010 captain, Jeremy Vuolo, continues to excel during his first year in the pros and he recently provided an interview to SUathletics.com during which he commented on his new experiences Jeremy Vuolo.
You can also follow the boys throughout our entire 2011 Pre-season Camp at Inside The 18. We would also all like to congratulate Coach Phil Wheddon and his SU ladies for their win against Florida Golf Coast this afternoon. Well done guys and travel home safely!
Well that about does it for now and the boys are about to do a lift with Big Dan before we finalize preparations for tomorrow’s game. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
August 14, 2011Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office as we prepare for our afternoon training session. The boys have worked extremely hard during our first three days of pre-season camp and I have been pleased with the commitment and application of the group.
The quality of our practices has been high and there is a real intensity in every session. Our SU Challenge Cup between our “Returners” and “New Guys” has provided healthy competition in drills and certain game scenarios. The “New Guys” currently hold a slim 9-7 points advantage and also claimed a convincing 5-1 victory in our Orange vs. Blue Game. We certainly had some bruised “egos” after this game, although our veterans have responded magnificently and raised their individual and collective performances.
I am disappointed to announce that tomorrow’s game with Monmouth University has been cancelled due to the bad weather that has affected Monmouth’s travel plans. Although the boys were eager to play against a quality opponent we will now focus our attention on our game on Friday night against Herkimer at the SU Soccer Stadium. We continue to enjoy a fantastic relationship with Coach Aragon and his talented Herkimer program. It should be a terrific game and we hope to see many of our fans at 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium.
College Soccer News recently recognized our SU 2011 Recruiting Class and I would like to thank Mike Miller and Jukka Masalin for their hard work in attracting such a talented class to Syracuse University. I would like to personally thank each student-athlete and their families for committing themselves to our project here at Syracuse. Our newest additions complement a dedicated core of returning players who take tremendous pride in representing our fine institution. I am excited to have the chance to work with this group each and every day as we look to compete at a regional and national level.
For more information on our pre-season camp please refer to Inside The 18 which provides daily updates on the team and our SU players. You will be able to access video footage of our sessions and player interviews. It is a great way to keep updated and connected with the program.
Well that about does it for now as Mike, Jukka, Dan and myself prepare for our next training session. I look forward to speaking to you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
August 4, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide a quick update from our soccer office. Our student-athletes and our men’s soccer staff would like to warmly welcome all of our loyal SU fans and supporters to the 2011 season. We truly appreciate all your support and we hope to see you on campus this year at our SU Soccer Stadium.
We are all excited as we prepare for an important 2011 campaign. All the hard work of this past year has helped us establish a strong foundation, and we are very pleased with the direction we are heading. Once again we have a difficult schedule that will successfully prepare us for competition in the BIG EAST Conference. Our goal every year is to compete for a BIG EAST Championship at Red Bull Arena, which recently hosted the 2011 MLS All-Star game against Manchester United.
Pre-season camp opens up next week and our opening Orange vs. Blue scrimmage will be held at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, August 12 during SU Fanfest.
This year we are excited to welcome all of our local fans to the SU Soccer Stadium to watch our newest additions compete against our veteran student-athletes. It should be a fun afternoon with lots of activities for the entire family and a chance to get a glimpse of our 2011 squad. I hope to see many of our fans at the SU Soccer Stadium and our women’s team will also be practicing before our Orange vs. Blue game in preparation for their season opener! We would love to see you on campus in support of all our SU programs.
Pre-season camp is always my favorite part of the year as we welcome all the boys back to campus. There is an excitement and anticipation as every member of the program focuses on the challenges ahead. This is a time when life-long friendships are cemented as players commit to the work required to reach our lofty goals. I look forward to sharing future updates from camp as we look to evolve as a team and integrate all of our new faces into our squad.
As a young squad this fall we realize that we will be forced to mature quickly and we will immediately be tested against some quality opposition. But I am excited about the caliber and quality of the young men that we are attracting to our Syracuse University men’s soccer program. These are young men of the highest character and integrity who are looking forward to competing for our fine institution. We are fortunate to possess one of the finest natural grass playing surfaces in the region and we will be looking to play an attacking, successful brand of soccer to entertain our passionate SU supporters.
I have asked many of our veteran players to take on greater leadership roles this year. Players such as Nick Roydhouse, David Neumann, Mark Brode and others have embraced this challenge and have demonstrated their ability to be leaders both on and off the field. Our “veterans” are our cultural architects and they are working hard to set high standards for the team. I believe that we have a lot of talent in our locker room and also a tremendous amount of character. A selfless commitment to our collective team goals will create a strong team identity and the necessary team culture required to succeed throughout this campaign.
Nothing is more gratifying to the players and staff than the passion and support that we receive from our fans. We are constantly humbled and appreciative of the enthusiasm and energy that you bring each and every time that we step onto the field. We promise to match your passion with our determination and effort, and we are incredibly grateful for your support.
We are constantly reminded of the honor and privilege that we are given to represent Syracuse University, and we promise to put forth an effort that will make all Syracuse supporters proud. We certainly hope that you are there with us!
Well that about does it for now as we look to put the final touches to our preparations for pre-season camp. Thank you for your continued support, please keep cheering on the boys, and I look forward to speaking to you very soon!
June 30, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office. So June has already flown by although we were able to add one final recruit to our 2011 SU roster when Mike Miller married Morley Zachman last weekend. It was a fantastic day and our (rather dapper) coach’s ability to “sign” our newest SU addition is further evidence that he is one of the top recruiters in the country! Congratulations Mike and Morley from everyone associated with our SU men’s soccer program!
Due to Morley’s insistence that Mike attend their honeymoon it was left to Jukka Masalin and I to hit the road this past week and attend the Development Academy Showcase and Playoffs at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. It was a great chance to check up on our recruits but also an opportunity to monitor the progress of many of the young men who will be reporting to pre-season camp here in August.
Jukka and I watched Trevor Alexander (Oakwood Soccer Club), Grant Chong (Derby County Wolves), Andrew Coughlin (Empire United), Tyler Hilliard and Hugh Pringle (Concorde Fire), Connor Jacobson (South Central Premier) and Jide Oluyedun (Shattuck-Saint Mary’s) compete throughout the five-day event. Each new member of our program acquitted themselves very well in a difficult environment with temperatures reaching 108 degrees. (This particular coach was certainly fatigued and I was sitting down under a blanket of sunscreen.) I would like to congratulate Nick Perea who captained his Weston FC team to first place in their group which has secured them an invitation to the 2011 Development Academy Finals Week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Well done Nick and good luck later this month!
Well that about does it for now and I look forward to speaking with you again very soon. Have a terrific July 4th weekend with your family and loved ones. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
June 14, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the SU men’s soccer office. Campus is fairly quiet at this time although we are receiving constant updates from the boys who are individually training for our pre-season camp in August. Many of the guys are currently playing for various local clubs and working under the supervision of Big Dan in preparation for our fall campaign. We will see the majority of the team back on campus throughout the summer and the guys understand the importance of ensuring that they are in the best possible condition prior to our pre-season camp.
In other news, our 2010 SU captain and MVP, Jeremy Vuolo, is enjoying a fine debut season for AC Oulu in the Finnish First Division. JV has started all 11games for his new club and has secured four clean sheets on his way to being nominated for the June player of the month award. Congratulations JV and keep up the good work!
And in other big news, we have a new addition to our SU Soccer family as Big Dan Pribula and Kyle Jackson welcomed Giuliana Marie Pribula into the land of Orange yesterday evening. Everyone associated with our program would like to congratulate Dan and Kyle on this fantastic news and we are excited to be able to keep increasing our attendance figures at the SU Soccer Stadium this fall.
We have also received many inquiries about our 2011 SU Residential Soccer Camp being held here on campus from Sunday, July 17th – Thursday, July 21st. More information can be found at www.susoccercamps.com and we would love to have the chance to work with any players or teams that you would like to send back to campus.Well that about does it for now and I look forward to speaking with you again very soon. Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!
May 31, 2011
Good afternoon and I hope that you enjoyed a fun holiday weekend with your family and friends. I wanted to provide you with a quick update from the men’s soccer office as we finalize our 2011 SU recruiting class.
I am very excited to be able to announce the signing of six additional student-athletes who will join our Syracuse University men’s soccer program in the all. I know that you will join me in welcoming Brandon Albert, Evans Asiamah, Ted Cribley, Lars Muller, Jide Oluyedun and Nick Perea into our Syracuse soccer family.
We are delighted with the quality of student-athlete that we have been able to attract to campus this fall. With so many new, young players within our program we felt that it was also important to add some student-athletes who can provide a little more experience and maturity to the group. I am very thankful to Mike Miller and Jukka Masalin who have worked hard to attract student-athletes of the very highest character and integrity. This is a group of young men who share a true desire and passion to be successful here in the classroom and on the soccer field here at Syracuse University. We believe that we have laid a strong foundation for the future from which to build a program that can compete within the BIG EAST. Our staff is excited to get to work and welcome this fine group to Syracuse in August. I hope that you will be able to come out and cheer on each of these young men who will take tremendous pride in wearing our SU jersey in the fall.
We believe that our new recruits will successfully compliment a talented, dedicated group of returning players. Recently our program released our 2010 Team Awards and I personally would like to recognize every member of our squad for their work ethic and commitment as they look to improve individually and collectively. Well done boys and keep up the good work!
May 24, 2011
Good afternoon and I wanted to provide you with a quick update from the men’s soccer office. Although the boys have departed campus preparations for our fall campaign are already in full swing. At this time we are able to provide you with our official 2011 schedule.
I am excited about the challenges that our team will face this year as we look to secure an invitation to the 2011 Big East Tournament. Once again the BIG EAST is extremely strong from top to bottom. It should be a terrific year with all 16 teams looking to compete in the BIG EAST Final Four at NY Red Bull Arena. We will have many new faces joining us in pre-season camp and we have assembled a schedule that will prepare our boys for the rigors of conference play. I hope that you will be able to join us here at the SU Soccer Stadium or catch a game when we are on our travels this year. There is truly nothing better than seeing a mass of Orange at an opponent’s home venue!
We are hoping (with your help) to be able to make some enhancements at the SU Soccer Stadium this summer. It is our goal to create the best possible home environment in which our student-athletes can compete, and where our fans can view matches. In our efforts to ensure the premier soccer-specific experience, we would like to purchase advertising boards that will allow the crowd to come closer to the action and also enhance our ability to raise the profile of our program. With your help we can dramatically enhance the SU Soccer experience and provide a soccer-specific atmosphere that will differentiate our program from the competition.
Please, please, please find a way to support our fundraising efforts here on campus to ensure that we can continue to build our program and compete at the very highest level.
I would like to personally thank those who have recently joined Friends of SU Soccer and have decided to take ownership of our soccer program. THANK YOU! Please remember that all checks should be made payable to the Syracuse Men’s Soccer Head Coach’s Fund and can be sent to the men’s soccer office, Syracuse University, Manley Field House, Syracuse, NY 13244-5020. You may also donate to our campaign online at Online Giving and please indicate that your donation is to be directed to the Head Men’s Soccer Coach’s Fund.
Your support really will make a difference as we begin our preparations for an important 2011 campaign and allow us to provide our student-athletes with the very best possible environment in which to succeed here athletically and academically.
Thank you for your continued support and please keep cheering on the boys!May 11, 2011
I wanted to provide you with a quick update from the men’s soccer office as our boys finish up their last day of exams today. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our graduating senior class. Each of these quality student-athletes has been a tremendous ambassador of our soccer program during their tenure here at Syracuse University. We wish Justin Arena, Daniel McGowan, Geoff Lytle, Manny Sevillano, Christian Iordanou and Jeremy Vuolo all the very best as they embark upon the next chapter of their life journey. Good luck guys and see you back in the fall!
We wrapped up our spring schedule with a dominant 4-0 victory over Lemoyne College at the SU Soccer Stadium. Two goals from both Louis Clark and Jeff Bumb ensured that the boys finished on a very high note. We played some good attacking soccer this spring securing a 4-1-1 record with 14 goals scored compared to only six conceded. I was very proud of the application and commitment of this group and the hard work on the training pitch transferred into some good results on the field. I believe that the boys have laid a solid foundation from which to build for the fall. The boys now take a breath (even if a short one!) and they are back training in preparation for our 2011 season.
It was fantastic to see over 35 SU soccer alums recently back on campus for our Alumni weekend. Our Alumni Soccer Game was a great time and was highlighted by a Pete Hill pile driver of a goal that he is still talking about now! It was an exciting, attacking game with limited (well actually non-existent) defensive shape or discipline. But a terrific time and our Alumni team left happy with yet another victory and bragging rights secured for another year.
Dave Glies’ Buckingham Palace was once again a popular hangout for many of our alums who also managed to tee it up on Saturday afternoon. Overall it was a great weekend and I am very appreciative of our alumni group and supporters of the program who made the effort to come back to campus to spend time with their teammates and friends. Thanks guys and please come back to campus on the weekend of September 24th when we open our BIG EAST home schedule against Marquette University. We will also be hosting the rescheduled Henry E. Glies Orange Open on Sunday, September 25th at Drumlins West.
Thank you for your continued support of the program and please keep cheering on the boys!
April 20, 2011
I want to thank those supporters of our program who have braved some pretty harsh weather conditions this past week to cheer on our SU team. Severe wind, hail and rain are simply no deterrent for our SU fans! On Saturday the boys showed a tremendous amount of character with two fine wins on the road at Binghamton University. Two goals from Louis Clark and a goal from Federico Agreda secured a very good 3-2 victory over a talented Iona College team. We then immediately turned around and defeated Binghamton University 2-0 in our second game through another goal apiece for Agreda and Clark. It was a gutsy performance during which we played some good soccer and we deserved to return to campus with a couple of credible wins.
Last night we returned to the pitch against a strong Colgate University team. Once again the boys showed a great deal of heart and worked tirelessly for the entire 90 minutes on a heavy pitch. Although ultimately we did not secure the win on this particular occasion, we created many excellent scoring opportunities and looked dangerous as we moved the ball forward. I have been impressed with the attitude and commitment of this group and I hope that many of our supporters will be able to come out and watch our final game of the spring next Friday evening at home against Le Moyne College at 6 p.m.
On Saturday we will have our Alumni Soccer Game at 10 a.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium and then the 19th annual Henry E. Glies 2011 Orange Open tees off at 12:30 p.m.
April 11, 2011
The boys secured an excellent 3-0 victory on the road against a strong Herkimer squad this past weekend. It was an open, well-played game by two committed teams who hopefully entertained those in attendance on a beautiful spring afternoon. Goals from Federico Agreda, Nick Roydhouse and Louis Clark were reward for some good attacking play, although Herkimer certainly played their part in an eventful contest. Phil Boerger was called into action on several occasions to preserve the shutout and he received some tremendous support from the back four of Ryan Tessler, David Neumann, Stephen Krachie and Sami Bin.
I would like to thank Pepe Aragon and his Herkimer program for their gracious hospitality. We continue to enjoy a terrific relationship and friendship with Herkimer both on and off the soccer field and we wish them all the very best in 2011.
On Saturday, April 16th the boys will be back on the pitch as we travel to Binghamton University for two games. At 2:30 p.m. we will compete against Iona College before our 4 p.m. kickoff against Binghamton. We would love to see some of you at our games this weekend.
A very, very big thank you for those who have already supported our campaign to raise $100,000 for enhancements to our SU Soccer Stadium. THANK YOU!
I would like to personally thank John McCallion ’96 for recently joining "Friends of SU Soccer" and pledging towards our campaign. I know what SU Soccer means to John and his family and I “enjoyed” competing against John when he was captain of our SU team. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our current SU squad for their very gracious support of our current fundraising campaign. After our game this weekend, Nick Roydhouse presented me with a check from the current SU team. Nick explained that all the boys wanted to have their own names on our SU donor board as a thank you to everyone supporting the efforts to enhance our SU program and, ultimately, their student-athlete experience here at Syracuse University.
Well done boys!
April 4, 2011
The boys returned from their travels to New Jersey this weekend with a creditable 2-2 tie with a strong Monmouth squad. Goals from Louis Clark in his debut and Mark Brode looked to have secured an excellent victory before a late (soft) penalty squared everything up in the 89th minute. I would like to thank everyone who came out to support the team and I was pleased with the overall performance of the boys who played some nice attacking soccer and scored two fantastic goals. I was very excited and pleased for Sami Bin, Phil Boerger, Jeff Bumb, Louis Clark, Sam Tover and Chris Zuniga who all played their first ever minutes for the program. Well done guys and keep working hard!
Our next game will be on the road against Pepe Aragon’s talented Herkimer team on Saturday, April 9 at 4 p.m. This will be a stern test for the boys against an excellent Herkimer squad who have captured seven NJCAA national titles. We would love to see some of you on the road this upcoming weekend.
I really appreciate the support that we have received in regards to joining our “Friends of SU Soccer” program and our campaign to raise $100,000 for enhancements to our SU Soccer Stadium. After recently pledging to be part of our “Friends of SU Soccer” Howie Goldberg ’81 wrote:
“Good plan to raise money for the program, and make improvements to the stadium. Ever since it opened we have talked about a Wall of Fame where the brick landscaping in the corner is located. Dave Glies and I have attended most of the men’s and women’s home games over the past 30+ years - the old carpet on Coyne, the cavernous Dome – and now finally we have our own stadium. Between tailgating and alumni weekends, I have gotten to know most of the players who have been a part of the program. We all have something in common, we want to see Syracuse Soccer compete for a national championship. I challenge all alumni to contribute, let's make our facility the best in the country!”
I would also like to thank Carlotta and Gregg Miller who have purchased our first two hole sponsorships for the Henry E. Glies 2011 Orange Open. Thank you for finding a way to help with our fundraising campaign here at Syracuse University! The enhancement of the soccer experience at the SU Soccer Stadium is our top priority. Our aim is to create the best possible home environment in which our student-athletes can compete, and where our fans can view matches.
Every individual who supports this campaign will be recognized on our donor wall at the SU Soccer Stadium and our “Elite Orange” members (donations of $1,000+) will receive a permanent nameplate in our men’s soccer locker room.
Some of our supporters have asked about donating to this campaign online. You can donate through on-line giving. Please indicate that your gift should be directed to the SU Head Men’s Soccer Coach’s Fund that is being utilized for this specific project. Corporate matching gift options are also available and please contact Matt Palumb in the Orange Club at mhpalumb.syr.edu. Checks can be made payable to the SU Head Men’s Soccer Coach’s Fund and sent to Ian McIntyre, Men’s Soccer Office, Manley Field House, Syracuse, NY 13244-5020. Thank you for your generosity and your support of the program!
I hope that many of you will be able to join us for our Henry E. Glies 2011 Orange Open on Saturday, April 30th with all proceeds going to our enhancement campaign. This will be the 19th year of this fantastic event that has become the cornerstone of our program. For information and a brochure please refer to Henry E. Glies 2011 Orange Open or contact Mike Miller at mbmill04@syr.edu. If you are unable to attend this terrific event please consider sponsoring a hole or donating a gift that can be used in our raffle or silent auction.
Well that about does it for now and back to work as we prepare for our game against Herkimer on Saturday, April 9th. For those of you in the area we would love to see you at Herkimer at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Thank you for your continued support of the program and please keep cheering on the boys!
February 9, 2011
I am very excited to be able to release the newest additions to our Syracuse program and I know that each of these student-athletes will work tirelessly to succeed here both athletically and academically.
During this signing period we have received commitments from the following student-athletes: Trevor Alexander, Grant Chong, Andrew Coughlin, Tyler Hilliard, Connor Jacobson, Chris Makowski, Jordan Murrell, Hugh Pringle, Matt Stith, and Skylar Thomas.
In addition to this class Phil Boerger and Louis Clark have already enrolled at Syracuse this spring and have joined our current members of the program as we prepare for the 2011 campaign.
I would like to personally thank Mike Miller and Jukka Masalin for their hard work in evaluating and then, ultimately, attracting such a fine group of student-athletes to our program as we look to embrace the challenges that lay ahead. Many long hours have been invested in recruiting such a fine group. The coaching staff has sacrificed a great deal of time away from their families to ensure that we have secured such a class that allows us to move forward as a program. Thanks guys and now get back to work!
It is a talented class that addresses the current needs of our squad and prepares us for the future. It is a group of young men of the highest character and integrity who will take tremendous pride in representing our program and Syracuse University. I know that our newest additions are anxious and excited to pull on an Orange jersey in the fall.
I have enjoyed having the opportunity to build relationships with these young men and their families during the past year. It is a group eager to prove themselves against the very best competition in the BIG EAST. I am convinced that these young men have the necessary self-discipline and competitive fire to succeed here both on the athletic field and in the classroom. This group possesses a willingness to invest fully in the hard work required to train and improve. I am looking forward to watching this group develop during the next few years.
I know that you will welcome our newest student-athletes into the Syracuse soccer family. I will also keep you informed of a couple of future additions to our program this spring when we have officially finalized their paperwork.
Thank you for your continued support of the program and please keep cheering on the boys!
January 29, 2011
I hope all is well and I wanted to provide you a quick update from the Syracuse men’s soccer office.
Our spring semester is now in full swing and the boys are working hard as we prepare for a spring slate that will include games against Monmouth (A), Colgate (A), Herkimer (A), the Binghamton Tournament and Le Moyne (H). The spring is a fantastic opportunity to work with the guys and provide each student-athlete a competitive environment in which to work on all aspects of their game. Shortly, I will be providing additional information on our spring schedule and I hope that you will be able to join us at a game or two in April.
It has been great to reconnect with many supporters of our program and we will be shortly releasing our new additions to the program after the NCAA Division I signing period officially opens. I know that you will welcome the newest members to our Syracuse soccer family and rest assured that they will work extremely hard to make you proud of their accomplishments during their careers here. It is a group brimming with quality but, more importantly, each individual is a young man of the very highest character who is extremely excited to be afforded the opportunity to pull on a Syracuse soccer uniform.
In other news: I would like to congratulate Sami Bin who recently won a gold medal at the Maccabi Games in Australia. Sami enjoyed an excellent tournament and played a pivotal role in Brazil defeating the USA in the championship game. Well done Sami!
I have spoken with many of our alums who are looking for an “excuse” to come back to campus this winter and reconnect with former teammates and friends.
On Saturday, February 19 we are hosting an alumni gathering at 1 p.m. prior to the SU men’s basketball game against Rutgers at 4 p.m. We can help secure tickets for those interested in going to the basketball game and a post-game reception will be held at a local establishment!
On Sunday, February 20 we will be hosting our inaugural SU Alumni Indoor Soccer Tournament from 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Manley Field House. Our goal is to have a little fun and re-connect with those alumni interested in having a kick about. (Age and physical condition should not be a deterrent as medical assistance will be close by!) You can sign up as an individual or as part of a team as we all compete for bragging rights within the program! If you have not seen our renovated Manley Field House you will be impressed with the new facilities and the new field turf is very forgiving to tired legs and old joints!
I hope that you will be able to visit with us in February and you are welcome to attend the entire weekend or whichever event fits into your schedule.
Please note that this event will not in any way detract from our Spring Alumni Weekend that remains the cornerstone of our SU soccer calendar. As we continue to move forward as a program we hope to have many more opportunities for our SU alums to meet up with each other on campus and shortly we will also be sharing additional information on our Spring Alumni Weekend to be held on Friday, April 29 and Saturday April 30. We have a game against Le Moyne College on Friday and we will be hosting a post-game reception for all alumni in attendance. On Saturday morning we will have an alumni soccer match at the SU Soccer Stadium and our annual SU Golf Classic will tee off in the afternoon…… please keep this date open and I hope that our SU coaching staff will do a better job to represent the program on the golf course than we did last year!
Well that about does it for now from the men’s soccer office. Thank you for your continued support of the program and please keep cheering on the boys!
Hope to see many of our alums and friends of the program back on campus this year!
January 2, 2011
Good morning and I hope you enjoyed a fantastic holiday season. Our Syracuse men’s soccer program would like to wish you and your family a very happy, safe and successful 2011.
As I reflect back on this past year, 2010 was certainly a year of change for both my family and our entire coaching staff. I feel very proud and privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of elevating Syracuse soccer within the BIG EAST and the national soccer scene. I realize that we have a great deal of work ahead of us, but I believe that we are moving in the right direction and we are all excited to embrace the challenges that lay head in 2011.
Those student-athletes who represent our SU soccer program will work tirelessly (and fully commit) to being successful both on and off the soccer field. We look for young men who take tremendous pride in wearing our Syracuse uniform and who exist as true ambassadors of our program and our fine institution. Excellence in the classroom and on the soccer field will complement our efforts to fully participate in our local Syracuse community as we look to “repay” the gracious local support that we receive throughout the year. We truly appreciate all of your passion and your assistance as we move forward together in 2011. With your help, I know that we can accomplish our lofty goals and compete at the very highest level while creating an exciting, winning brand of SU soccer.
The boys will be back from break in a couple of weeks and the hard work has already begun to prepare for the 2011 season. Shortly, I will provide you with information on our spring schedule and we have several events planned on campus that I hope many of our alums and friends of the program will be able to attend as we all continue to re-invest in the program.
Our coaching staff has been working hard to finalize our talented 2011 recruiting class and information will be released during our signing period in early February. I know that you will welcome our newest recruits into our Syracuse soccer family and each of them will work hard to make you proud of our 2011 team as we take the field together.
In other news: I would like to congratulate Coach Doug Marrone, his players and his coaching staff for a fantastic year which culminated in a victory at the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl. It was an exciting game that went down to the wire and it was terrific to see so much Orange at Yankee Stadium! And our SU basketball programs are off to remarkable starts to their seasons with both Coach Jim Boeheim’s program (15-0) and Coach Quentin Hillsman’s program (12-1) positioned for truly successful campaigns. It really is an exciting time to be a SU Athletics supporter.
Well that about does it for now from the men’s soccer office. Thank you for your continued support of the program and please keep cheering on the boys!
Happy New Year!
