SYRACUSE, N.Y. – From kickoff to the final whistle, No. 7 Syracuse men’s soccer shutdown No. 4 Wake Forest in a major 2-0 victory. The Orange held the nation’s best-attacking team without a goal and just five shots on target.
Senior forward Levonte Johnson won a penalty in the 13th minute of action. Junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski converted from the spot, putting the Orange ahead by one. Syracuse didn’t wait long to find the second goal. A cross from senior defender Christian Curti caused the Wake Forest backline trouble, as the Demon Deacons spilled the ball into the back of their net for an own goal.
Syracuse outshot Wake Forest 18-10 on the night, as the Orange controlled possession and applied pressure on the visitors. This marks the first time this season that Wake Forest has been shut out in a match. Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy and the backline of Abdi Salim, Christian Curti and Buster Sjoberg were phenomenal on the defensive front, containing Wake Forest’s renowned attack of Roald Mitchell and Baba Niang.
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The Orange are now top of the Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division, three points clear of Wake Forest. Syracuse has three matches remaining in conference play.
“Our best form of defense was to be aggressive,” head coach Ian McIntyre said. “I thought we defended well from the front. Buster, Abdi, and Curti were awesome. Getting a shutout against a high-caliber team like Wake Forest is a big day.”
How it happened:
Syracuse’s (9-2-1, 4-1-0 ACC) high-pressing and aggressive play in the midfield frustrated the Demon Deacons (10-2-0, 3-2-0 ACC). The Orange created attacking chances with a mix of quick counterattacks and long periods of possession. Senior midfielder Amferny Sinclair and Kocevski were excellent on the night. Their play in the middle of the park disrupted Wake Forest’s build-up play.
With excellence in the midfield, the Orange controlled possession and pinned Wake Forest back in its own half. Syracuse found early attacking chances through the play of Giona Leibold and Noah Singelmann. Kocevski came close twice, but his first shot was saved by Trace Alphin and the second was wide of the net.
The Orange broke through in the 13th minute of play. Silky passing patterns led to Johnson finding space in the penalty area. The Brampton, Ontario, native tried a dribble to his left and was brought down by defender Prince Amponsah. Kocevski…
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