Syracuse men’s soccer finishes 11th in NSCAA poll

With the College Cup concluding over last weekend, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America released its final poll of the men’s soccer season.

The Syracuse Orange (12-4-4) finished 11th overall, and just outside the top-10 after a season that ended in the Sweet 16 vs. North Carolina.

Syracuse was one of eight ACC schools to crack the top 25. The list was headlined by national runner-up Wake Forest (no. 2), then followed by UNC (no. 4), Clemson (no. 5), Louisville (no. 6), Virginia Tech (no. 8), Syracuse, Virginia (no. 13) and Notre Dame (no. 14).

Expectations were high coming into the season following a trip to the 2015 College Cup. Syracuse was a top-10 side for much of the year, and reached the no. 1 spot in the polls following an impressive 8-0-0 start. However, the team’s scoring began to drop off as the year wore on, leading to a 4-4-4 finish over the final 12 games.

Despite the offensive fade, the SU defense never let up. Syracuse finished top-10 in goals against average (0.55) and shutout percentage (0.55).

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Overall, it’s another impressive season for Syracuse soccer as it continues riding into the golden age of the program. Consecutive high finishes, stellar defense and future MLS players on the roster each year (Chris Nanco was invited to the MLS Combine yesterday) are all positives for a group that should have fans excited once again next fall.