Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- The SU men’s soccer team will have to report to practice on Friday and that’s a good thing – it means they’re still in the game.
The Orange picked up its first NCAA tournament win in program history Thursday night, beating Cornell in Ithaca 1-0.
Lars Muller had the lone goal of the night. It came in the ninth minute of the game.
Next up, the team will take a trip to Virginia to face VCU on Sunday night.
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Lars Muller (Brandenburg, Germany) scored in the ninth minute, and the Orange defense recorded its 12th shutout of the season, as the SU men’s soccer team (13-6) held on to defeat No. 11 Cornell, 1-0, on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Berman Field. The victory marks the first Orange win in NCAA Tournament competition in program history.
“I am very proud of our guys to find a way to come into a difficult environment and record a result,” said SU head coach Ian McIntyre. “We would also like to congratulate Cornell on a wonderful season.”
The Orange quickly got on the board in the opening period, as it found chances early in the match. In the ninth minute, SU capitalized as Tyler Hilliard (Atlanta, Ga.) sent a well-placed cross into the box. Muller gathered the ball, turned and fired past Cornell goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer into the left side of the net.
The Syracuse defense handled the rest, as it continually turned away Big Red opportunities. Freshman goalkeeper Alex Bono (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) recorded three saves en route to his 10th shutout of the season. The Orange back four, anchored by Chris Makowski (Quakertown, Pa.), turned in another stellar performance for SU.
For Cornell (15-2), Pflasterer made three saves.
With the victory, the Orange advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament when it will travel to 14th-seeded VCU on Sunday, Nov. 18. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at SportsBacker Stadium.
Game Notes: The Orange’s 13 wins are the most victories for the program since the 1986 SU side recorded 16 victories … Syracuse has now recorded 12 team shutouts, the most clean sheets in a season since the Orange posted 13 in 1982 … SU has now defeated Cornell eight times in the last ten tries … Muller recorded his sixth goal of the season … It was Hilliard’s first career assist.
