Syracuse Defeats Herkimer 11-0 in Friendly

Syracuse men's soccer bested the Herkimer Generals in their last preseason game.

Syracuse junior Camden Holbrook scored a hat-trick in a blowout victory for the men's soccer team, as they won 11-0 in a friendly match against the Herkimer Generals. 

Syracuse set the tone from the first whistle, and it only took the Orange six minutes to break the deadlock with a tidy finish from Colin Biros. From there, Syracuse upped the intensity and back-to-back goals from Deandre Kerr and Julius Rausch quickly tripled their lead. 

Their high press and aggression in the middle of the field overwhelmed the Generals, and before the end of the first half, Syracuse scored three more and looked comfortable heading into the break. Camden Holbrook had his share of the goals in the first half, contributing with two goals. 

The Orange increased the tempo at the start of the second half, scoring incredible goals in front the home fans. Syracuse freshman Francesco Pagano continued his goal scoring form in this game, with two second half goals. Hamden completed his hat-trick to make it 9-0, while freshman Jack Anderson scored the best of the bunch; a brilliant strike from outside the box that left the goalkeeper with no chance. 

This victory concluded what was a shaky preseason for the Orange, with game cancellations not giving these players a consistent 90 minutes to find their legs. Kerr says the team is excited for the new season to start. 

"We're on a high. We got some new players and we're enjoying ourselves," Kerr said, following the win. 

The Orange will kick off its regular season against Drexel on Thursday in Syracuse.