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Syracuse University
#12 USF
SU Homestand Continues Saturday
10/16/2009 9:30:40 AM | Men's Soccer
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video/Audio
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orange men's soccer team returns to conference play on Saturday, Oct. 17 when it faces its second ranked opponent in three games in the form of #12/14 USF. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium.
The match is the second of three straight home matches for the Orange and live streaming video and audio of the contest is available on SUathletics.com via Orange All Access. Saturday night is "Stuff the Stadium Night" and this is "Orange Soccer Alumni Weekend" as the program welcomes former players, friends and their families to take in the match.
WOODRUFF TAKES OVER TEAM POINTS LEAD
Senior captain Hansen Woodruff took over the team scoring lead Tuesday against Hartwick. Woodruff registered an assist on SU's only goal of the match to increase his season points total to 10 (4g, 2a). With the assist, the 11th of his career, he closed to within two points of 10th on SU's career scoring list with 61 points. Woodruff has notched double-digit points in all four of his collegiate seasons, including a career-best 24 in 2007.
PAPALEO SCORES FIRST OF THE YEAR AGAINST HARTWICK
Sophomore forward #L.J. Papaleo# tallied his first goal in a Syracuse uniform in the team's non-conference tilt with Hartwick on Oct. 13. Papaleo was on the end of a sequence that began with an Orange free kick in the 31st minute. The goal increased his season point total to three. Papaleo is the son of former Syracuse All-American goalie Joe Papaleo. L.J. played his rookie year at Albany and scored 10 points before transferring to Syracuse for the 2009 campaign.
HILL A WEAPON ON SET PIECES
Senior center back Pete Hill has made the Orange a more dangerous team on set pieces this season. Hill has two assists on the year, both coming on balls served into the box on free kicks. Hill recorded his second helper of 2009 on Papaleo's goal against Hartwick. His first assist occurred on classmate Hansen Woodruff's first goal in SU's home opener against Cornell. Hill has started all nine games he's played this season. He had a string of 45 consecutive starts that stretched from 2006 to this season before missing time with an injury.
SCOUTING USF
The Bulls are 8-2-2 overall and got back on the winning track with a 3-2 victory over non-conference rival Florida Atlantic on Oct. 14. USF enters the match ranked 12th in this week's NSCAA/adidas rankings and 14th in the most recent edition of the Soccer America Top 25. The Bulls had risen to as high as No. 3 nationally prior their 1-0 loss at Louisville and draw against St. John's. Both of the teams losses this season have come on the road and USF is 3-2-0 overall in away matches this season. The Bulls other loss was at West Virginia on Sept. 25, 1-nil.
The Bulls have five players with at least five points. Reshirt sophomore Bernardo Anor leads the way with five goals and one assist for a total of 11 points. He has been USF's primary finisher this year as no one else has more than two goals. Junior defender Javed Mohammed has seven points, including a team-best five assists. Overall, the Bulls have 16 goals on the year and have scored at least once in 10 of their 12 matches. Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella is one of the best stoppers in the BIG EAST. He is second in the conference with 64 saves. For the season, he owns a 0.72 goals-against average with four shutouts. He has been tabbed the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week twice this season, most recently after making seven saves in a 2-nil home win against Cincinnati on Oct. 3.
The Bulls are coached by George Kiefer who is in his eighth year at the USF helm. Kiefer, a disciple of Connecticut head coach Ray Reid, owns a 87-45-18 record and has guided the Bulls to three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2008 BIG EAST Championship. Kiefer spent seven seasons as an assistant to Reid (two at Southern Connecticut State and five at UConn) before taking over the Bulls.
SYRACUSE-USF SERIES
Saturday's clash is the fifth meeting between the two teams with the Orange holding a 2-1-1 advantage in the rivalry. Each side has defended its home turf in the series with both Orange wins coming in Syracuse and the Bulls' holding a 1-0-1 mark in games occurring in Tampa. The Orange visited the Sunshine State last season and emerged with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against a nationally-ranked Bulls squad.
