Three Takeaways: Syracuse Men's Soccer Earns First Conference Win With Victory Over Pitt

The Orange pulled out a victory as two Panthers players and a coach were ejected.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As ACC play begins to ramp up, #7 Syracuse welcomed the Pittsburgh Panthers in on Friday evening. The Orange came in at 3-1-3 on the year and grabbed their first in-conference win with a 3-2 final score on Championship Celebration Night. The unranked Panthers opened the scoring, as Pittsburgh’s Abdoulaye Toure struck within five minutes for the first of a four-goal scorcher of a first half. A header from Syracuse captain Lorenzo Boselli pulled the Orange even six minutes later, but Panthers forward Luis Sahmkow responded in the 27th minute. Pittsburgh looked primed to take the lead into the break until Syracuse’s Gavin Wigg tapped in a corner just 45 seconds before the halftime whistle. The Orange kept their momentum going as midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski finished a cross in the 55th minute that proved to be the winner.

Of note: Two Pittsburgh players and a coach were ejected in this game. Michael Sullivan was given a red card in the 65th minute. In the 84th minute, a Panther assistant was ejected with a red card for something he said to an official. In the 86th minute, Raphael Cilli was ejected after stepping on the stomach of a Syracuse player with his cleat. 

Below are three takeaways from the match:

The Orange are Prolific from Corners

Both of Syracuse’s goals in the first half came through way of corner kicks, with balls bouncing around in the box being finished by Boselli and Wigg respectively. This continues the trend of Syracuse dominating the competition from set pieces, something that Kocevski says is no coincidence. “Repetition in practice. We practice them a lot during training, have to get the timing and the service right,” the midfielder said. “They’re huge chances for us, and I think we capitalize on them well.”

Kocevski is often the man sending the ball in for the Orange, picking up an assist tonight on Wigg’s goal – his fourth of the young campaign. Head coach Ian McIntyre lamented the fact that they’ve been poor on set pieces in the last few games, but gave his guys, especially Kocevski, credit tonight. “In these tightly fought games, sometimes it comes down to that service,” McIntyre said. “Thankfully we scored a couple tonight.”

Why Not Wigg?

Syracuse’s second goal came from an unlikely source – senior defender Gavin Wigg. Kocevski’s corner was headed on by Josh Belluz before Wigg met it at the far post and touched it home for his first collegiate goal. “I’ve been waiting for this one for a while,” Wigg said postgame. “Best feeling I’ve had in college soccer.”

After only playing 16 minutes in the entirety of last season, Wigg has become a consistent contributor for McIntyre’s side in 2023. The senior has started six of eight games to begin the campaign, being deployed in different spots across the back line. He had to work to crack McIntyre’s starting lineup in a competitive defensive group this year, and the coach had nothing but praise for the senior postgame. “That was a big goal in a big moment,” McIntyre said. “I think that goal, right before halftime, is probably the turning point in the game.”

A Gritty ACC Battle

The most interesting stat of the night is without a doubt the fact that Pittsburgh, despite being in this game until the final whistle, finished the game with more cards (seven total, three yellow and four red) than shots (just five). In a match that McIntyre called a “prizefight”, Syracuse also racked up six yellow cards and laid down their fair share of physical challenges. “We’re going to be physically a bit of a mess going into tomorrow,” McIntyre said. “But winning makes everything feel a lot better.”

The Panthers went down to ten men in the 65th minute, as a result of midfielder Michael Sullivan picking up a second yellow for talking back to the referee. They finished the game with nine, as Raphael Cilli stepped on a fallen Syracuse player with his cleats with four minutes remaining. Two members of the Pittsburgh coaching staff also received red cards.

Looking Ahead:

Syracuse is entering their longest break between games of the entire season, as they take a week off before traveling to Durham for next Friday. The Orange/Blue Devils rivalry might not be as well-documented in men’s soccer as it is on the basketball court, but #11 Duke will be a good test for Syracuse. The Blue Devils are 4-1-1 on the season, standing at 1-1 in ACC play after losing their last game at Clemson. Syracuse will have a rest advantage coming into the matchup, as Duke will play on Saturday and Tuesday while the Orange take some time off and prepare. That match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 29th.

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