Syracuse (5-3-3, 2-3-1) got two goals in the opening half against one of the strongest defensive teams in the nation, but couldn’t hold on as #8/5 St. John’s (9-1-2, 4-1-1) defeated the Orange, 4-2, on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Belson Stadium. Senior Kyle Hall (Toronto, Ontario) and junior Hansen Woodruff (Stuart, Fla.) scored in the first half for the Orange, but St. John’s outscored the visitors, 2-0, in the second period to break a 2-2 halftime deadlock and earn the victory.
The Orange got on the board first as Hall scored from 10 yards out at the 6:56 mark on the first shot of the game. The lead didn’t last long. Tadeu Terra and Joel Gustafsson tallied their first goals of the season 44 seconds apart for St. John’s in the 16th minute to give the Red Storm a 2-1 advantage. Syracuse responded with a goal from Woodruff, his third of the year, at 26:01 to even the match at 2-2.
Senior Spencer Schomaker (Seattle, Wash.) was the catalyst for the Orange in the first half, assisting on both goals. He also had a shot on goal in the period. In addition, senior keeper Robert Cavicchia (North York, Ontario) was credited with an assist on Woodruff’s tally.
Much like the first half, the second period got off to a fast start as Ryan Soroka notched his first goal of the season 3:28 into the period to put St. John’s in front, 3-2. After Soroka’s goal, the Orange kept the Red Storm off the scoreboard for more than 25 minutes as it searched for the equalizer, but Bjorn De Hoop found the net on a header off a free kick in the 76th minute for St. John’s to produce the final score.
The reigning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week, Cavicchia made seven saves for the Orange, including six in the second half. It was the third consecutive match he stopped at least five shots and the sixth time he’s done so this season.
Soroka finished with a game-high three points for the Red Storm. In addition to the game-winning goal, he recorded an assist on Gustafsson’s first-half tally. Red Storm keeper Neal Kitson made three saves in the contest to earn the win.
Syracuse begins a three-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 11 versus BIG EAST rival Rutgers. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium.
Match Notes: Hall’s goal was his fourth of the season, tying him with Tom Perevegyencev (Budapest, Hungary) for the team lead … Cavicchia’s assist was the second of his career … He also had one against Cornell on Sept. 7, 2005 … Schomaker’s two assists were a career high … He is the first SU player to have two assists in a game since Woodruff in the 2007 season opener against Penn State.