Syracuse Defeats Drexel 2-0 in Season Opener

In a tightly contested match, the Syracuse men's soccer team remained disciplined to beat the Drexel Dragons.

Syracuse senior Colin Biros broke a scoreless tie in the second half against Drexel, as the Orange notched a 2-0 victory in a very intense season opening match. Defender Christian Curti would add an insurance goal in what was a statement victory for Syracuse. Noah Singelmann assisted on both goals.

From the first whistle, the tension could be felt throughout the entire stadium. Both teams started the game looking to set the tempo. Syracuse and Drexel were intent on applying pressure, with the game being very scrappy in the middle of the field. 

Ultimately it was the Orange who took control of the game, and its defense was the star of the show. The performance from Amferny Sinclair, who sat right in front of a solid back three, set the foundation for the entire match. His effectiveness in the tackle and his willingness to put his body on the line gave the Orange a much needed boost in a tight game. 

Head coach Ian McIntyre trusted in a back three that consisted of Christian Curti, Buster Sjoberg and Max Kent. The level of communication and belief that they had in each other limited Drexel to having no shots in the entire first half. 

Once the game restarted in the second half, Syracuse did not drop its intensity. The desire to get that go-ahead goal was put on full display; winning aerial duels, putting in hard tackles and working so hard for each other. 

That hard work and perseverance paid off, as Colin Biros broke the deadlock in the 64th minute. Biros scored with a lovely back-heel finish from a set-piece delivery from Singelmann. Soon after the first goal, center-back Christian Curti scored a beautiful volley off yet another Singelmann pass to put the game beyond reach. 

Coach McIntyre said that Amferny Sinclair was the driving force in the team's victory. 

"He allows us to be very aggressive because of what he covers. He puts out fires and I thought he was terrific," McIntyre said after the victory.  

Syracuse started the season with a victory that will give them momentum going into the next match, but they could be without Deandre Kerr, as the forward suffered an injury towards the end of the game. 

Syracuse will play its next match away on Sunday at Penn State.