ITHACA, N.Y. – Men's soccer carried the momentum from its thrilling double-overtime victory in the team's home opener to the road on Saturday, dispatching local rival Binghamton 1-0 in regulation. The Big Red will look to stretch its winning-streak to three on Tuesday, as the team travels up I-81 to square off with Syracuse at 7 p.m.
 
Cornell Big Red (2-1-1; 0-0-0 Ivy League) at #20 Syracuse Orange (4-1-0; 0-1-0 ACC)
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014 | 7:00 PM | SU Soccer Stadium – Syracuse, N.Y.
All-Time Series: 39-23-7
Last Meeting (2012): Lost, 0-1 in NCAA First Round
Live Stats | Live Video (WatchESPN) *Subject to Blackout Restrictions (Map)
Television: Time Warner Sports
 
SCOUTING CORNELL
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell continued its run of strong play on Saturday evening, dispatching Binghamton in regulation 1-0 at the Bearcats Sports Complex. It was the fourth straight win in the Big Red's series with its local rival and improved the team's all-time record over the Bearcats to 12-4-1. The victory also improved the Big Red to 2-1-1 on the young season and was the second straight win overall. Conor Goepel was the lone goal scorer on Saturday, finding the mark in the 30^th minute of the first half. Sophomore Ralph Lee Price IV started the scoring play with a terrific through ball to Chris St. Germain. The junior forward then feathered a cross into the box to a streaking Goepel, who one-timed the cross into the net.
 
About Head Coach Jaro Zawislan
Zawislan enters his 6^th season at Cornell having established himself as one of the top coaches in the Ivy League during his short tenure. After taking over a program that was 1-15 the season before his appointment as head coach, Zawislan has transformed Big Red men's soccer into a consistent winner and a national presence in NCAA Division I. In his first five seasons on East Hill his teams have posted at least .500 winning percentages four times, while he has led Cornell to three consecutive winning seasons. He also directed the Big Red to its first Ivy League title since 1995 and first outright title since 1977 in 2012. His coaching record currently sits at 43-24-10 and his current .623 winning percentage is the second best mark in program history.
 
Zawislan is a graduate of Clemson University '93, while he was a four-year starting goalkeeper on the varsity soccer team. Upon his graduation he played professionally both in the United States and his native Poland, before pursuing a career in coaching. He made assistant coaching stops at Stanford, Creighton and Syracuse, before being named Cornell's 11^th head coach in 2009.
 
Last Meeting vs. Syracuse
The Big Red last met the Orange in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Syracuse ended Cornell's fairytale season with a 1-0 win at Charles F. Berman Field in front of a record crowd of over 1500. Lars Muller tallied for the Orange in the 10^th minute of action, putting the boys from East Hill in an early hole. The Big Red outshot the Orange 17-10 in the contest, but could not find a way to unlock the defense for a game-tying tally.
 
Dynamic Defense
The Big Red marked another shutout in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Binghamton. In 400:50 minutes of play this season the Cornell has only been solved once, an overtime goal in the 97^th minute against Xavier. The defensive start equals the 2012 team, which also only allowed one goal through four games played to start the season. Cornell currently ranks eighth in NCAA Division I in goals against average (0.22).
 
Parsimonious Paws in Net
Senior keeper Zach Zagorski kept the momentum going in his fabulous start to the 2014 season. He posted his third shutout of the season and eighth of his career. He currently leads the Ivy League in goals against average (0.23) and save percentage (.941). He currently ranks in the top-10 of NCAA Division I in both categories; ranking eighth in goals against average and fifth in save percentage. His 16 saves are the second most in the Ivy League. Zagorski is now tied with Dave Williams (1988-91) and Doug Allan (2000-02) for fifth on the program's all-time shutout list.
 
Captain Clutch
Conor Goepel did it again on Saturday, scoring the lone goal in the Big Red's 1-0 victory over Binghamton. The goal was the eighth game-winner of his career, moving him into a tie for second on the program's all-time list for the statistic. He has now scored both Cornell goals on the young season and ranks seventh in NCAA Division I in game-winning goals.
 
Sinister Schedule
The Orange will be the second ranked team the Big Red has played in five games this season. Syracuse checked in as the 20^th ranked team in the country in the latest poll put out by the NSCAA. It is the first time in the Zawislan era that the Big Red has played two ranked non-conference opponents. Cornell already has had one positive result against a top ranked foe, battling #2 Louisville to a scoreless draw in the season opening fixture.
 
SCOUTING SYRACUSE
 
Orange Headlines
Syracuse dropped its first game of 2014 last time out, falling 1-0 to #4 Notre Dame over the weekend. The 20^th ranked Orange have gotten off to a fast start this season, entering the matchup with a 4-1-0 record. The team boasts victories over Niagara, St. Mary's (Calif.), Rutgers, and St. John's. Syracuse has seemingly made a seamless transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
 
About Head Coach Ian McIntyre
McIntyre is in his fifth season at the helm of the Orange and has already brought the program to new heights. Taking over a struggling program for the 2010 season he had to weather two difficult seasons, while he installed a new direction for Syracuse soccer. The team has taken off in recent seasons, reaching the ten win mark in both 2012 and 2013. McIntyre led the Orange to its first ever NCAA Tournament win in a 1-0 victory over Cornell. He currently has a 33-36-8 record at Syracuse. Before his current position with the Orange, McIntyre made head coaching stops at Oneonta State and Hartwick. Overall, he has a 140-100-40 career record.
 
Aggressive Attack
Syracuse is known for pushing the pace in the attacking third of the field. The 2014 Orange boast a lethal offense that has already netted eight goals through five games this season. The team will shoot the ball from anywhere and everywhere, already racking up 80 shot attempts on the season, averaging 16 shot attempts per game. The dynamic sophomore duo of Emil Ekblom and Chris Nanco dictate the flow of the offense up top. Each player has two goals on the young season.
 
Bold Bono
Expect Tuesday's matchup to be a low scoring affair as two of the best goalies in the nation will be guarding the net. Junior keeper Alex Bono has been a brick wall for the Orange this season. He currently ranks fifth in NCAA Division I in goals against average (0.20) and is tied with Cornell keeper Zach Zagorski with a fifth ranked save percentage (.941). Bono recently had a long shutout streak snapped when #4 Notre Dame was able to find the mark in the most recent matchup for Syracuse. He began the season with a 434:05 scoreless minutes streak, posting shutouts in the team's first four fixtures. It will be interesting to see if either goalie can be bested tonight.
 
UP NEXT
Cornell kicks off a season-long five game home stand with the annual CU Inaria Classic this weekend. The Big Red will welcome Siena to Charles F. Berman Field for a Friday match at 7 p.m. The team will conclude the classic on Sunday with a 3 p.m. kick against Fairleigh Dickinson.