Syracuse 3, Northwestern 1: Men’s soccer routs NU with three first half goals

The game opened quick and kept rolling from there for the Syracuse Orange men’s soccer team in their 3-1 victory over the visiting Northwestern Wildcats. In the opening minute, Tajon Buchanan took on to Northwestern defenders at the top of the eighteen yard box. The freshman cut inside and sent a low cross to the back post that Adnan Bakalovic collected just inside the six and sent home for his first career goal in Orange.

Relatively quickly after, the Orange increased their lead. In the twelfth minute, sophomore John-Austin Ricks threaded a beautiful through ball to the top of the eighteen yard box, which was collected by Johannes Pieles. Pieles squared to Jonathan Hagman, who slotted a laser near post to put the Orange up two.

The third goal came in the nineteenth minute, when Pieles again put a cross in, this time a chipped ball across the middle that Buchanan got his head on and was able to finish his second on the year, tying him with Hagman for the team lead.

Overall the Orange looked the most formidable they have all year. Whether a function of blowing the game open early with a level of pressing and intensity that could do the team a solid moving forward, or just the level of competition, with Northwestern being the worst team they’ve played so far, the team looked a different level last night.

Syracuse takes to the road this week, starting ACC play against the Virginia Cavaliers at 7pm. That game should most likely be televised on ACC Network Extra/WatchESPN.