Men’s soccer strikes down Le Moyne

After constant shots on goal and lopsided pressure against Le Moyne, Syracuse pushed ahead with a 2-0 victory Saturday at SU Soccer stadium.

Entering the match, the Orange looked to make up for their 1-0 upset loss from their previous meeting in 2024. The Orange’s last game ended with them winning 3-0 on the road against Colgate.

Starting with a strong offensive push, Syracuse spent the first half putting heavy pressure on Le Moyne with eight shots on goal. Multiple shots from striker Pedro Gulli and midfielder Kristjan Fortier.

Protecting the net, goalie Juan Martinez-Bastidas prevented early attacks from Le Moyne. In just the first three minutes of the match, he had two saves.

Along with Martinez-Bastidas, Syracuse defenders spent the majority of the first half around midfield to prolong offensive possession and manage the clock in Syracuse’s favor.  Defenders Chimere Omeze and Buster Honeywood made their defensive presence known by preventing cross passes and smothering players attempting to score from inside the penalty box.

“The changes we made after the first half from Landon and Dakota to Jackson and Gabriel coming up to join the game as well, the guys and our wingbacks really made the difference for us tonight with Le Moyne,” McIntyre said.

After halftime, Syracuse erupted to build on the strain they caused Le Moyne’s defense. The Orange broke the tie thanks to defenseman Gabriel Oksanen’s goal at the 47-minute mark.

Continuing on the momentum sparked by Oksanen, the offense continued to enrage Le Moyne’s defense. In the 62nd minute, Syracuse extended its lead to 2-0 thanks to midfielder Bryson Rodriguez. With the assist from Landon Darko, Rodriguez maneuvered into the goal area for the shot towards the bottom right of the goal.

Sustaining the defensive consistency shown in the first half, the Orange remained a brick wall stopping any advances by Le Moyne. Martinez-Bastidas finished the night with six saves. 

By the final whistle, the Orange froze out Le Moyne’s final pushes to seal victory. Not only using passing efficiently to drain time, they continued their shots to the point where Darko had more shots than all of Le Moyne combined.

McIntyre highlighted the progression the players have made to avoid needless mistakes such as turnover and penalties that allowed the team to act as an efficient unit. Le Moyne allowed the Orange to create scoring opportunities because they stacked up four yellow cards.

“It’s young players realizing, recognizing and learning how we play well,” McIntyre said. “We’ve got depth and I know all of our guys are making sacrifices, and we’ve got a lot of quality guys.”

With this win, Syracuse will advance to 6-3 on the year. The Orange will look to capitalize on their winning energy when they travel to face Notre Dame next Friday in South Bend, Indiana. Their next matchup at home will be Oct. 2 against Pittsburgh.