Season in Perspective: Syracuse Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey
As tough as it is to imagine, we are here folks. Fall sports are ongoing and although no fans are allowed at any sporting events held at Syracuse University, fans can get excited again and at the very least keep up with their favorite orange squad by watching highlights, keeping up with reporters on social media at the game site and so on.
We start with volleyball. The ladies in orange got off to a phenomenal start, sweeping the Pittsburgh Panthers and earning the fifth spot in national ranks (with 50 teams competing). This marks the first time the team has been ranked in program history, led by head coach Leondin Yelin and star outside hitter Polina Shemanova, who had a stellar performance in the sweep, executing 28 kills, 28 digs along with eight blocks. The ladies followed the remarkable sweep of the three-time defending ACC champs with a subpar performance against nationally-ranked Notre Dame, dropping their first game on the road this season. There were some positive takeaways from the loss as Junior Elena Karakasi recorded a team-high 46 assists, Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk, the 6-foot-5 sophomore, recorded a career-high nine kills, and freshmen and defensive specialist Lauren Hogan set a career-high with 25 digs. Next up, the ladies travel to Louisville as the Cardinals await for an intriguing matchup vs Syracuse. The game is scheduled for Oct.9, 7 pm.
The Syracuse men's soccer team is still awaiting the start of their much anticipated season due to a game cancellation (vs Navy) and a delay (vs Pittsburgh). Well, sure enough, the wait ends tonight as the Orange host the number two team in the country in Pittsburgh. Players to watch in this game include Pitt transfer Tim Ekpone, who will be a key defender against his former squad and should see time on the pitch. One storyline to follow along for this season will be how quickly can the team come together on the pitch with a condensed season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The orange finished last season with eight wins and were eliminated in the second round of the championships. Having lost 12 players from last season, including Ryan Roposo and Massimo Ferrin, the two top goal scorers and assist-man for Syracuse, the incoming freshmen and transfers will have a lot to carry on their shoulders. This will be the first of two games this season vs Pitt, who are coming off a strong 3-1 victory against Notre Dame (#5). The game is set to kick-off tonight at 7 pm on the SU Soccer Stadium.
Coming off a 12-7 record from last year, the Syracuse field hockey team is off to a rocky start to the 2020-21 season. After losing their season debut to Virginia, (1-0) the ladies had a chance at redemption. The two teams met again later in the week and the ladies in orange showed resiliency. Down by two scores to start the second half vs the nationally-ranked Virginia squad, Syracuse notched up the intensity, scoring a marvelous two goals to tie things up and sending the game into overtime. The game would see double-overtime in which thee Cavaliers would prevail, handing Syracuse consecutive losses to start the season. Mid-fielder SJ Quigley led the team in total points, assisting on freshmen Florine van Boetzelar's (midfield) first career goal and scoring two her own. The ladies look to bounce back in their home opener vs Boston College and get in the win column. The game is set for Oct. 10th, noon at Syracuse.
