For the first time in program history, Syracuse soccer is the national champion after the No. 3 seed Orange men’s team defeated No. 13 seed Indiana in a shootout, 7-6. This is the Orange’s first national championship following a thrilling game that went down to the wire every step of the way.
Syracuse soccer would start off the game with a goal from sophomore forward Nathan Opoku, who scored from inside the box in the 23rd minute of the first half to put the Orange up, 1-0. Indiana, though, would come back to tie the game at 1-1 in the 31st minute.
SYRACUSE WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! pic.twitter.com/tYYFzJSoBT
— Syracuse Men's Soccer (@CuseMSOC) December 13, 2022
Syracuse soccer would strike back quickly with another goal, scored by sophomore midfielder Curt Calov, off a cross from Opoku in the box, to give the Orange a 2-1 lead in the 32nd minute of the first half. The Hoosiers, however, didn’t back down. Indiana would tie the game, 2-2, in the 79th minute in the second half.
Syracuse soccer is the national champion for the first time in program history.
The two sides would go scoreless for the remainder of the second half and in overtime, as it was a nerve-wracking defensive battle by both sides. The game would then come down to penalty kicks, where the Orange would secure the national title, following a converted penalty kick by senior midfielder and Syracuse soccer captain Amferny Sinclair.
His conversion gave the Orange a 7-6 triumph in the shootout. Let’s also give huge credit to Syracuse soccer redshirt senior goalkeeper Russell Shealy for coming up with a couple of big-time saves in the penalty-kick shootout.
According to a press release from SU Athletics, Shealy was named the most outstanding defensive player of the 2022 College Cup, while Opoku received the most outstanding offensive player honor.
Joining the two of them on the All-Tournament team were senior forward Levonte Johnson, Calov, senior defender Christian Curti and junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski, according to cuse.com.
With its victory in the national championship game, Syracuse soccer finished up its historic 2022 season with a final record of 19-2-4. The squad’s 19 wins are the most ever in a single term by the Orange.
In the 2022 campaign, Syracuse soccer captured its Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season division crown, the ACC Tournament title, and now the national championship. Truly, a season for the ages.
From all of us here at Inside TheLoud House and all of us in Syracuse, New York, congratulations to head coach Ian McIntyre and the Syracuse soccer team. A great win and go Orange!