Syracuse men’s soccer: Orange face same old problems in 1-0 defeat to Cornell

The Orange struggled to dominate the game on a rainy and chaotic night, conceding another late goal to their upstate rivals

The Syracuse Orange men’s soccer team (3-3-3 (0-1-2)) were handed their third loss of the season against an undefeated #24 Cornell team who demonstrated their defensive toughness at the SU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Orange entered the game off the back of a 1-1 draw at Louisville that had its ups and downs. Although the Orange were the better team for most of the game, having a great defensive outing, a last-minute free-kick goal sent them home without a win.

“I think we deserved [a win] based on going into a tough place against a good team. We really limited their opportunities,” said Head Coach Ian McIntyre on Monday.

The Orange would have another difficult test to secure a win against a Cornell defense that has only conceded a goal per game this season and looked dangerous in the early phases.

The Big Red were spearheaded by star striker Alex Harris, who had seven goal contributions in his first six games this season. At the back, goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg marshaled a consistent backline featuring Aidan Martin, Kisa Kiingi, and Justin Melly.

With this tough and unafraid defensive unit, the Orange struggled to get much going on the offensive end throughout the game. The Big Red defense was particularly stifling in the early phases and only allowed for two SU shots in the first half.

Head Coach Ian McIntyre decided to go with a new and unique lineup for the day, featuring three strikers or forwards up top in Nick Kaloukian, Michael Acquah, and ACC Offensive Player of the Week, Daniel Burko.

Despite the added firepower, Orange’s biggest issue lay in the buildup, a struggle that they have faced all season. The team was unable to dominate possession and impose their will on the game. This struggle led to the forwards having to drop further back in the field, farther away from dangerous scoring positions.

This effort to get on the ball from the likes of Kaloukian and Burko drew the players away from their best areas in front of goal, and they were unable to consistently beat defenders in 1-on-1s or find dangerous passes in behind the back line.

This is a struggle that the Orange have faced in many games this season, as the team sometimes lacks dynamic players who can beat a man or get in behind the defense. Because of this issue, the team is normally locked into playing slowly and predictably.

The ball often either shifts from side to side and poses no danger, or is smashed long into the forwards up top, who often struggle to retain possession and make much of these chances. If the Orange want to improve their record this season, they will need to find a way to solve this issue.

The team certainly struggled in this way on the evening, and were lucky not to go behind 22 minutes in as Cornell’s star man, Alex Harris, flashed a great opportunity just wide.

Tomas Hut was called into action just before halftime on a dangerous Cornell chance, but pulled off an excellent kick save to keep the game level going into the half.

Hut made another great save shortly after the break with a big paw just keeping out a long-range effort and keeping the score level. Hut was arguably the Orange’s best player on the night, making five saves, a record for him since his time with the orange and blue.

As the clock ticked on, the Orange were feeling the pressure and continued to throw bodies forward in an attempt to get a winner.

Unfortunately for Cuse fans, this plan backfired as, in the 85th minute, Cornell pushed upfield quickly on the counter-attack. Danny Lokko received the ball and glided past Sam Layton using his strength and speed before delivering a cross into the box.

Connor Miller smashed home after arriving late into the box, giving Hut no chance.

Although the Orange continued to push for a late goal, they had no luck, resulting in another disappointing defeat. Surprisingly, all of the Orange’s losses this season have come at the SU Soccer Stadium which was an absolute fortress during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.

If the Orange want to start picking up more points at home, they will need to improve their ability to control and direct games. This will give them the platform to create dangerous chances in a sustainable manner, rather than just relying on a ‘basketball style’ match where they hope they can convert more clinically than their opponent.

Following this difficult result, the Orange will have no respite as ACC opponents Wake Forest come to town on Friday night for a showdown at the SU Soccer Stadium. Stay tuned for updates on that game and all things SU Soccer.