Syracuse men’s soccer finish off spring season early

The 2020-2021 season was an interesting one for the Syracuse Orange men’s soccer team. It kicked off with COVID delays for the exhibition against Virginia and the opener against Navy, and the switching of the season to a split schedule, with half games in the fall, half games in the spring. It still kept trudging on through the COVID stops and other hurdles, and finally has come to a halt a week early, due to said COVID issues, this time within the Orange program. As a result, the game last Sunday against Boston College and April 8th against Wake Forest will not be taking place and the season is officially over.

The season ended up opening up right into the buzz saw that is the top end of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coach Ian McIntyre and the squad took the #2 ranked Pitt Panthers, who are currently ranked #1 to double overtime, only to lose on a golden goal. Including that match, Syracuse was only able to muster an 0-3-2 record during the fall season, with both other losses by a single goal and two overtime matches that went to time. Not the way the Orange wanted to leave it until the spring, but tough fought with a young squad.

At the midpoint of the season, the MLS Superdraft took place, with Luther Archimede being selected 13th overall by the New York Red Bull, continuing the Orange streak of having seven years with consecutive players selected in the first round of the draft. Sondre Norheim was also picked up later in the draft by Nashville SC. With the split season, the draft picks were given the offer to return to their teams for the college season. Norheim played out the remainder of his senior season and will report to camp now that it’s over.

The spring was only slightly more kind to Syracuse, opening with a win against Hofstra and proceeding to lose or draw the remainder of the schedule until what became the season ending match against St. Francis. On the year the only two games decided by more than a single goal were #3 Clemson and Lousiville on the road. All in all an unlucky year, finishing on 2-7-4 (0-6-3).

Deandre Kerr was the leading man after Archimede left for NYRB, and finished leading the line as well as leading in goals (4), followed by midfielder Noah Singelmann (3) and Simon Triantafillou (2). Singelmann also lead the team in assists with four, followed by Triantafillou (2) and Hilli Goldhar (2).

For next year, the Orange look to return a core of young talent and hopefully augment with an incoming class that looks to be of the caliber that Coach McIntyre and the staff have been pulling in. Departures will include Tim Ekpone and Max Kent as graduate students, with the aforementioned departures. It is unknown at this time if Simon Triantafillou will return for a fifth year.