From Late Season Surge to Cinderella: How SU Men’s Soccer can make an ACC Tournament Run.
By Josh Richardson: @joshrichy_04
Syracuse Men’s Soccer just pulled off what could be argued as the best upset in ACC play this season. SU shut out #3 Pitt 2-0 to clinch a record of .500 or better for the third consecutive season. At this point, after this year, you couldn’t dream of a better result to conclude the regular season campaign for the Orange. From some dramatic ups, such as back-to-back wins over Notre Dame and Providence, to the lowest of the lows in losses to Le Moyne and 6-1 to then #3 Clemson, nothing about this year has been consistent for Syracuse, except the overall inconsistency.
But now, as each day passes, there is only one guaranteed game left in the season. No looking ahead, no planning for the future. Nothing is promised, except Wednesday’s contest against Wake Forest from Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons and the Orange represent the #5-#12 matchup in the ACC Tournament. The winner faces the winner of #4 SMU vs. #13 Boston College. Syracuse held a second-half lead against Wake Forest….for a short time. Two goals in a two minute span for Wake with less than 15 to play in the contest put the Demon Deacons up for good.
By no means is Wake a powerhouse. In years past, it has been a top contender in the ACC, somewhere within the top three seeds. Wake finished this year just 8-4-5; just one win more than Syracuse. It’s conference record was significantly better than SU’s but the head-to-head matchup was decided by a shorter stretch of time than it takes you to brush your teeth. Anything can happen in a single elimination. Anyone can beat anyone on a given night. The 5-12 upset in NCAA Basketball is always one to watch, why can’t that carry over from the hardwood to the pitch?
Now here’s where things get fun. If Syracuse manages to get past Wake, the second round is by no means an auto-loss. SMU is playing like a top team in the nation. The Mustangs were the 20th-ranked team in the nation as of last week. On the other hand, Boston College is playing its best soccer of the season, after a 1-0 win down in North Carolina to beat the 8th-ranked Tar Heels. Both lower seeds between SU and BC are in prime position to do something special…. And if both pull off upsets, SYRACUSE CAN HOST A TOURNAMENT GAME. The electricity at SU Soccer Stadium during Friday’s match against Pitt reminded me of 2022 in the Orange’s magical win over Vermont. It was cold. It was loud. It was fun. While SU and BC tied back in September, a large part of that has to do with Syracuse’s inability to win in Chestnut Hill (Last win was over 20 years ago). Playing in the 315 could provide the spark the Orange will need, and could book a trip to Cary.
No one ever said it would be easy, or that it wouldn’t be a long shot, but Syracuse Men’s Soccer is in a position with nothing to lose. And when a person or a team has nothing to lose, that is when they are the most dangerous. Step one on the path to redemption begins Wednesday night at 7 between Syracuse and Wake Forest.
