SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As the Cornell men's soccer team boarded the bus for its one-hour trip to Syracuse, the United Soccer Coaches released its weekly soccer poll which featured the Big Red for the first time in 2022.
A week after receiving just four votes, Cornell entered the top 25 at No. 22, marking the second consecutive year and the third time in the last four years of competition that the Big Red have been ranked in the poll.
On Tuesday night, at a brisk SU Soccer Stadium, eyes around the country may have been opened wider to the No. 22-ranked Big Red squad as Cornell upset No. 7 Syracuse, 2-1.
Matthew Goncalves was the lone Big Red player to get on the scoresheet as the first Cornell goal came on a Syracuse own goal.
Ryan Friedberg made five saves to earn his eighth victory of the season, establishing the program's single-season freshman wins record.
"I couldn't be more proud," said
John Smith, the Dr. Daniel P. Wood Head Coach of Men's Soccer. "We said before the game, 'Let's bring our identity,' which is sweat, courage, and working hard, and we did."
Cornell's back line of
Nick Allen,
Andrew Johnson,
Cam Maquat, and
Connor Drought were strong throughout the match. The Big Red defense kept Syracuse's offense at bay for majority of the contest and helped Friedberg out by blocking six of the Orange's 17 shot attempts.
"We celebrate blocked shots just as much as we celebrate goals," Smith said. "Some of the guys sacrificing their bodies, some great saves from Ryan, it's hard to keep a team like [Syracuse] out. To have done that, away from home, is a testament to not just the back five but the whole group."
The Big Red quieted the crowd early as Cornell jumped ahead in the 13th minute thanks to a Syracuse own goal.
Connor Drought played a cross from the left flank inside the 8-yard box which pinballed off a Syracuse defender and their goalkeeper, Russell Shealy, before the ball slowly crossed the goal line.
Noel Ortega and
Emeka Eneli had the Big Red's two shots on goal in the first half. Giona Leibold had the lone shot on goal for the Orange in the opening 45 minutes.
In the 67th minute, Goncalves was fouled inside the 18-yard box, leading to a Cornell penalty kick. On the attempt, Goncalves stutter stepped, forcing Shealy to dive to his left and Goncalves' right-footed strike went the opposite way of the keeper to put the Big Red ahead by two goals.
After the penalty kick goal, Syracuse tried its best to get back into the game, peppering Friedberg with all nine of its shot attempts in the half. The freshman goalkeeper made four of his five saves over the final 17-plus minutes.
A foul by Cornell inside the 18-yard box with 17 seconds left led to a Syracuse penalty kick, which was converted by Nathan Opoku.
Game Notes
• Tuesday was the 57th all-time meeting between the Big Red and Orange. Cornell improved to 32-19-6 over its Central New York rival, claiming its first victory over Syracuse since Sept. 19, 2017.
• Under
John Smith, Cornell improved to 37-7-4 when scoring the game's first goal and 24-3-1 when leading at halftime. This year, the Big Red are 8-0-0 when being the first to get on the scoreboard and 3-0-0 when leading at halftime.
• Scoring multiple times in a match has bode well for Cornell under Smith as the Big Red improved to 37-3-2 when potting at least two goals. The Big Red are 6-0-0 when doing so this season.
• When conceding one goal or less, Cornell now has a 38-7-6 mark under Smith.
• The own goal by Syracuse was the first to favor Cornell since Nov. 16, 2019, in a 4-0 victory against Columbia.
• The Big Red increased its road win streak to seven games, matching Vermont for the longest active Division I road win streak. Since the 2018 season, Cornell is 24-9-1 on the road, good for a .721 win percentage.
Looking Ahead
Cornell will seek its second straight 2-0 start in Ivy League play on Saturday when the Big Red travels to Providence, R.I., to square off against Brown. First touch from Stevenson-Pincince Field is slated for 4 p.m., with game action broadcast on ESPN+.
