Syracuse men’s soccer season comes to end in 2-0 fall to Hofstra

Syracuse men’s soccer came to an end Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA championship tournament in a 2-0 loss to Hofstra. After a late-season surge earned ‘Cuse the right to host a playoff game, the Orange’s final match of 2025 was a letdown. 

“To have a chance, you’ve got to go all in,” said Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre after the defeat. “It means you can end up getting your heart broken.”

After the Orange suffered a 5-1 loss to SMU in the ACC Tournament semifinals last week, it was revealed Monday they had done enough to qualify for the national tournament. But they were dealt a difficult first-round draw against Hofstra, the CAA semifinalists who had won nine of their last ten games ahead of their match against SU. 

From early on in the game, it looked like it was the Pride’s night, not the Orange’s. Hofstra’s lengthy forwards caused Syracuse’s backline problems immediately, specifically with their aerial dominance. 

Just under twenty minutes into the game, Pride striker Laurie Goddard squeezed through two Syracuse centerbacks toward goal before he was brought down by ‘Cuse goalkeeper Tomas Hut, who was far off his line. Referee Adam Kilpatrick initially called for play to continue, but ultimately changed his mind after a video review, awarding a penalty kick. 

“It’s a tough one, right? Another (Video Assistant Referee) call goes against us,” said McIntyre. 

Goddard stepped up to the spot himself and beat Hut with a slotted kick right down the middle. It was the CAA Player of the Year’s 12th goal of the season, and enough to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead. 

Seven minutes later, a familiar face haunted Orange fans. After making 16 appearances and scoring 3 goals for Syracuse last season, Hofstra forward Daniel Burko scored. The Norwegian-born striker pounced on a rebound inside the six-yard box after Hut made a close-range stop, putting the visitors up two goals on his former home field. 

“Happy to score, of course, against all teams,” said Burko after the game. “But I mean, I had a nice time there (at Syracuse). I love all the guys there.” 

After going down 2-0, the Orange put together a decent string of possession in Hofstra’s end of the field to close out the half. But at the end of the opening forty-five minutes, the Orange had still not registered a shot on goal. 

SU began the second half on the front foot, continuing its momentum from the end of the first half. Carlos Zambrano got on the ball several times inside the box, but didn’t have anything meaningful to do with it. 

A couple of minutes later, both of Hofstra’s goal scorers had a fantastic chance on the other side of the field to put the game to bed. Burko struck the crossbar and Goddard sent a bouncing ball from close range sailing over the net. SU struggled to contain the attacking duo, who have combined for twenty-four of the Pride’s thirty-four goals this season. 

With nearly twenty minutes gone in the second half, Orange centerback Gavin Wigg clattered the top corner crossbar with a towering header. It was probably SU’s best look at the goal the entire game. 

The Orange tried everything they could to find a goal as time ticked away, including moving centerback Tim Brdaric up to striker for the final ten minutes or so. But ultimately, SU never really tested either of Hofstra’s goalkeepers.

“We threw kind of the kitchen sink at them, but we didn’t create enough quality,” said McIntyre. 

Eventually, the clock struck zero, and Syracuse’s season came to an end in a 2-0 defeat. For many of McIntyre’s players, it was their final game at SU Soccer Stadium. 

One of those players is graduate midfielder Giona Leibold, who was a bright spot on the left flank throughout the night. The German international spent five years as a key player in the program, battling through injuries and multiple surgeries along the way. During SU’s national championship-winning season in 2022, he started twenty-two matches and scored 5 goals.

“He epitomizes everything we’re looking for in a Syracuse, not just a soccer player — but a Syracuse student athlete,” said McIntyre. “He’s one of the best to ever pull on a Syracuse soccer jersey.”

For Syracuse, the 2025 campaign is now done and dusted. And while it may have ended disappointingly for Orange fans, progress was undoubtedly made over the course of the season. SU went from losing to Duquesne at home in early September to beating NC State on the road in the ACC Tournament in early November. Coach McIntyre said he is proud of his team, the run they made and the work they put in along the way.

“The easy thing would’ve been, when we had no points in the ACC, to find excuses,” McIntyre said. “But this group is honest, it’s hard working and they take tremendous pride in representing Syracuse University.”