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HAMILTON, N.Y. — Despite having just one freshman on the team last season, Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre’s new squad boasts 22 new players, including 13 freshmen. For the club to have success, the Orange’s young players need to step up. On night one of the regular season, freshman Chimere Omeze did just that.

Syracuse, as it had all day, settled the ball up top to reset its offensive attack in the 87th minute. Nathan Scott received the ball near midfield on a feed from Gabe Threadgold, walked his way down and from 35 yards out, drove the ball to the back post. Scott spotted the ball perfectly to Omeze’s head. His header smacked the post, but the rebound popped right onto Omeze’s right foot.

Omeze buried it past the dive of Colgate goalkeeper Oliver Townend, putting the Orange ahead against the Raiders in the final minutes. From there, SU drained the clock and picked up its first win of 2024.

“I thought we were brave going in search of that winner,” McIntyre said postgame.

Despite not finding an edge until the 87th minute, No. 25 Syracuse (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated Colgate (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Patriot League) 1-0 Thursday night to open up the 2024 season. Tomas Hut’s clean sheet along with Omeze’s late goal allowed the Orange to escape the road match with a win.

In the eighth minute, Syracuse wasted no time creating a scoring opportunity. Omeze controlled the ball on the right side of the field, created an angle and floated the ball to Nicholas Kaloukian, SU’s top goal scorer in 2023. Kaloukian’s strike was pure, but it sailed over the crossbar.

The Orange continued with pressure, but Colgate held tough. SU’s offensive attack started from the back, with defenders Sam Layton, Andre Cutler-DeJesus and Omeze waiting for a chance to strike. The Raiders started the first half with light pressure up top, and swarmed the ball when it was fed down low. Syracuse still produced seven shots in the first half, but just one went on goal.

Near the end of the first half, Colgate started to put the heat on the Orange. After not recording a shot all half, the Raiders created two scoring chances in the final five minutes. But Hut stayed strong, making two sprawling saves to keep the game scoreless heading into the break.

“I thought we were in a good spot in the first half, and then I think we gave the ball away and allowed Colgate to build up some momentum,” McIntyre said.

In the second half, Colgate tightened up defensively and kept the Orange to the outside of the field. SU tried multiple crosses, but the play was either well defended by Colgate, or Townend was there to make an easy save.

This allowed the Raiders to break through and go on the attack. In the 72nd minute, a foul on Elton Chifamba just outside the box gifted Colgate a free kick. Blake Pipkin took the kick and found Jacob Blackwin at the back post with a chance to take the lead. Hut denied the opportunity, sprawling out with his left leg to get a piece and knock it over the cage.

“We know that (Colgate) is very good on restarts,” McIntyre said, “Second half, Colgate had a couple of moments where there were those restarts, and I thought we did a good job (defending them).”

In the 77th minute, Layton created a prime scoring chance for SU, sending a long ball to Kaloukian, who bumped into Braedon Smith as he sped down the middle of the field. It landed right at Smith’s feet, with a great look at the wide open net. Right as Smith wound up to fire, though, Julian Di Lucia slid in, knocking the ball away.

While Syracuse created a multitude of opportunities, the Orange never quite got the right look on Townend. The Raiders, however, made their offensive pushes count, putting all four of their shot attempts on goal. SU shot 16 times, while just four found the net.

Following an Omeze yellow card in the 81st minute, the Raiders pushed the field with pace. Liam Winograd’s free kick entered SU’s end, where Colgate set up a perfect give and go. Pipkin cut to the middle through three Syracuse defenders, leaving him completely free. Yet the Raiders could not cash in, as the ball went directly through Pipkin’s legs.

After five minutes of continued control from the Orange, Omeze’s goal broke the deadlock and gave Syracuse a tight 1-0 win. With an almost brand-new team, SU was on the right side of a late goal, a key that plagued the Orange multiple times a year ago.

“To stay in there and not just settle for a point on the road your first game, to turn that into a win, that’s what makes special teams,” McIntyre said.

Published on August 22, 2024 at 11:32 pm

Contact Nick: nsjepson@syr.edu