Luther Archimede put his hands on top of his head. The freshman thought he’d done it — solving a Syracuse offense that lacked quality in the final third all night. He thought he had his first goal, a game-winner in double overtime with 90 seconds left. That would’ve been something. 

But they thought wrong. Archimede took off after a Massimo Ferrin corner kick too fast, ultimately offside. His hands slowly rolled down his face, now in disbelief. There would be no game-winning goal after 110 minutes of play. Just a tie.

“In a long, hard fought game, that would’ve been a big one to get,” Ferrin said. 

In regulation, then a pair of 10-minute overtime periods, Syracuse (1-1-1) combated its high-octane offense with Yale’s physical defense. As SU’s offensive opportunities piled up, so did Yale’s yellow cards. The Orange had more time of possession, 10 more shots, 12 total corner kicks — but its final third “lacked composure,” said head coach Ian McIntyre. 

The Orange played a better offensive game for most of Friday’s contest. But open shots were lofted too high, goalies dominated set pieces. A game-winning finish never came. Syracuse spent 55 minutes trying to recover from a costly equalizer from the Bulldogs to no avail, ending the two’s first matchup in 34 years with a 1-1 tie. 

“We huffed and puffed and didn’t create enough chances,” McIntyre said.

Gavin Lidell | Contributing Photographer

Yale mis-hits, errant throw-ins and soft clears gave a Syracuse final third that’s struggled early in games this season the chances it needed to pull ahead. But hard fouls and six yellow cards slowed its offense down. Near-goals were only coming from Syracuse, though, as Yale’s only real moment to score of the half came 12 seconds into the game. 

Sophomore Hilli Goldhar’s shot in the middle of the box 18 minutes in went directly at Yale goalkeeper Elian Haddock and hit off his gloves. No one was there for a rebound.

When a cross toward the Bulldogs keeper came again in the 34th minute, he did the same — knocked it out of his sight. But Simon Triantafillou saw it coming his way. Instead of going for a quick strike, the junior midfielder hesitated for a second, eyeing Haddock. The goalie went left and Triantafillou’s ball went right, straight into the net. 

As dark clouds at kickoff made their way above SU Soccer Stadium and rain ensued, the wet conditions coincided with a rejuvenated Yale offense to start the second period. The Bulldogs started to win the aerial battle and on one possession eight minutes into the second half, a Yale forward got past a pair of SU center backs. A cross from the left drew goalkeeper Christian Miesch left and after a Yale rebound, another cross rose too high for the SU goalkeeper. After hitting the crossbar, the ball trickled into the back of the net. 

“I have to watch the goal we conceded,” McIntyre said. “I was a little disappointed by it.”

For the rest of the second half, Syracuse’s offense, which started to regroup after conditions settled, would need to score again to pull off a game it deserved to win. Its best chances started on set pieces. Corners came in bulk and got the Orange closer to the net than it could on the ground. Yet, they couldn’t convert a single one.

“12 corner kicks is a lot,” Triantafillou said. “…We have to be better with those. They’re free, they’re free chances.”

Fouls and stoppages interrupted SU’s offensive flow and sometimes came with heated exchanges. McIntyre called it “wham bam soccer.” Final passes came from time-to-time, like one to freshman Brian Hawkins from six yards out. But the finishes didn’t — Hawkins’ attempt of a shot made it almost to the other side of the field, away from any of the action.

With three minutes left in regulation, Ryan Raposo flicked a ball to Ferrin as two Bulldogs converged, halting their momentum. The senior striker was alone, one-on-one with Haddock. Ferrin aimed top left. It went onto SU’s practice fields instead.

“I knew exactly what I wanted to do but made poor connection,” Ferrin said of 87th minute shot that went high above the net.

After a near-goal off a free kick flipped possession to SU in the first overtime, senior Matt Orr was awarded a free kick of his own. He placed the ball high and right, but Haddock jumped to it, tipping the perfectly placed ball toward spectators on the hill behind the net.

The thought of Archimede’s potential game-winner crossed the mind of some postgame. Ferrin said he couldn’t see it as he flicked the ball in, but it seemed close. McIntyre thought there wasn’t many others to mention — “there’s not enough of those to talk about, though,” he said.

When the clock hit all zeroes for a third time — this one officially deciding the game — freshman Noah Singelmann lay flat on his back, hands covering his face. His team had 55 minutes to recover and blew all of its opportunities. 

Published on September 6, 2019 at 10:00 pm

Contact KJ: kjedelma@syr.edu | @KJEdelman