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As Richland Community College won the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship, Lorenzo Boselli and Sergio Baena rushed over to each other to celebrate.

While Boselli had a stellar game, scoring the match’s only two goals, reaching the pinnacle of JUCO was still bittersweet. Boselli had committed to Syracuse while Baena was going to Tulsa. It was a victory, but it was also their last game together.

“At that time we were together and we just kept complimenting each other and we just cried,” Baena said. “We had made it at that time and I’m never going to forget that moment.”

Boselli is now going for his fifth consecutive collegiate championship after playing a crucial part in Syracuse’s 2022 National Championship campaign. He primarily featured in the midfield last year but has since been pushed up the field by head coach Ian McIntyre entering this season. So far, the change has paid off. Boselli is SU’s leading scorer with three goals in four games — already matching his tally from last year.

“I knew he would do well, but I didn’t think he’d be doing this well,” Richland head coach Raul Herrera said of Boselli’s transition to Division I. “I love Lorenzo to death, and I’ll tell this to his face: I’ve been the head coach for five years and he’s not the best player we’ve had.”

Originally from Italy, Boselli came to Texas in 2019. He remembered seeing Southern Methodist University play and thinking, “I’m never going to get to that level.”

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Playing on both the left and right wings for Richland, Boselli beat opponents with his dribbling, Herrera said. If Boselli was on the right, he consistently reached the endline to put crosses in the box. On the left, he cut in and looked for his shot. Herrera said there wasn’t anything flashy about Boselli’s game, but he was still the “whole package.”

Despite playing out wide, Boselli positioned himself in the right areas to score goals. In 2021, he registered six goals and two assists in three NJCAA tournament games, including the lone two in the final.

“He was amazing. When we needed a goal, he scored. It sounds so simple, but that’s how it was,” Herrera said. “Just having somebody like that on the team, it’s always important.”

Now playing more centrally with Syracuse, Boselli is getting more scoring chances than ever. All-Americans Nathan Opoku and Levonte Johnson combined for 22 goals and 14 assists last season before departing to play professional soccer. McIntyre said SU can’t directly replace their production, but expects players like Boselli to chip in.

In Syracuse’s season opener against Providence on Aug. 24, Boselli recorded a brace. He latched onto a Giona Leibold cross to score his first goal and converted from a corner for his second. Both goals were headers. After the game, McIntyre said Boselli was the difference for Syracuse.

“He provides a skill set that we didn’t have in his ability to play between the lines to kind of wriggle away from pressure, and he’s adding goal scoring as well,” McIntyre said.

Boselli played striker until he was 15 before switching to the wing but never lost the qualities of a striker. Each of Boselli’s goals have come on one touch finishes, something he said was crucial to the position.

“For me being a striker this year, it’s all about making the right runs,” Boselli said. “The ball is going to come, I know Giona [Leibold], Nate [Edwards] and Mateo [Leveque] are going to make good crosses and then it’s up to me to finish the opportunities.”

SYRACUSE STRIKES FIRST 🍊

Lorenzo Boselli puts @CuseMSOC on the board in the ACC Men’s Soccer Championship. pic.twitter.com/wUVu0yst37

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 13, 2022

Through four games, Boselli is the only Syracuse forward with a goal. The rest have come from defenders. Even though attacking production has lacked, Boselli’s excelled at connecting quick passes in the final third with players like Nicholas Kaloukian and Felipe D’Agostini.

Boselli said he has been trying to stay close to the other forwards, but feels disconnected at times, believing his issues come from his familiarity playing in the midfield. McIntyre said Boselli will grow into the role as the season goes on.

Boselli didn’t break into Syracuse’s starting lineup until later in the 2022 season. He scored just three goals, two of which were some of the most important goals of the season.

Syracuse trailed Virginia 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals before Boselli scored the equalizer with six minutes left. Boselli said it was his favorite soccer moment and watched it on replay about 20 times. Four days later, he scored the winner against Clemson in the ACC championship, smashing home a half volley. The Orange went on to win 2-0 for their second-ever ACC title.

“Before coming to the U.S., I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t a big game kind of player, but apparently going to the U.S. changed me,” Boselli said.
After a championship last season, Boselli is self-assured. He’s leading the line in the No. 10 jersey, formerly worn by Opoku.

“I just felt confident and wanted to ask for it,” Boselli said. “Coach [McIntyre] gave it to me… it’s big shoes to fill because you know who had number 10 last year, and hopefully I’m half as good as [Opoku] was last year.”

Published on September 7, 2023 at 12:44 am

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22