SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 7 Syracuse men’s soccer suffered a home loss in a top-25 clash against No. 22 Cornell. The Big Red capitalized on Orange miscues, netting their two goals on a Syracuse own goal and a successful penalty shot. Sophomore forward Nathan Opoku scored Syracuse’s lone goal from the penalty spot in the closing moments of the match.
Syracuse outshot Cornell 17-9 on the night, with six of the Orange’s shots being on target. Syracuse’s defensive unit of goalkeeper Russell Shealy and defenders Abdi Salim, Buster Sjoberg, and Olu Oyegunle allowed multiple goals in a match for the first time this season.
“We knew going in that Cornell is a terrific team having a good season,” head coach Ian McIntyre said after the match. “They’ve caused us some problems the last few years and I think they were worthy winners tonight.”
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Despite being outshot in the first half, Cornell (8-1-0, 1-0-0 IVY) found success in Syracuse’s (8-2-1, 3-1-0 ACC) half to open the match. The Big Red midfield was successful in controlling possession, which led to tangible attacking chances.
The first goal of the match came in the 13th minute of play. A miscommunication between Shealy and his defenders led to an own goal. Opposing defender Kisa Kiingi applied pressure on senior defender Noah Singelmann, causing the own goal to occur. This marks the first time this season that the Orange scored an own goal.
Down a goal, the Orange started to push forward in the last 15 minutes of the half,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at SUAthletics.com Latest Stories…