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Syracuse University
#12 Louisville
Orange Faces Stiff Road Test At No. 12 Louisville
10/9/2009 9:33:19 AM | Men's Soccer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Syracuse takes on its first ranked opponent of the season on Saturday, Oct. 10 when it faces No. 12 Louisville at Cardinal Park. The Orange is seeking its second consecutive road win against a divisional foe after shutting out Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. on Oct. 2. Kickoff for Saturday's match is 7 p.m.
PLAYING AND BEATING THE BEST
Syracuse has posted at least one win against a ranked opponent in each of the last two seasons and knocked off a pair of nationally-ranked foes a year ago. The Orange shut out #22 Providence and also scored a 3-2 victory in overtime against #21 Louisville in the 2008 season finale. In 2005, Syracuse also netted a pair of victories against nationally-ranked clubs.
SEVILLANO FINDS SCORING COLUMN
Junior midfielder Manny Sevillano tallied the first point of his career with an assist on senior Elliott Townsend's goal against Villanova on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Sevillano has played in eight game for the Orange (2-9-0, 1-5-0) this season with six starts. A native of West Hartford, Conn., Sevillano joined the squad in the spring of 2008 and did not play in any games last season. This year he has been a key member of the Orange's midfield rotation.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals are perched atop the Red Division standings with 13 points. Louisville is 7-1-2 overall and 4-1-1 in the conference and posted a 1-0 win against No. 3 USF in its most recent outing. The Cardinals are one of five BIG EAST teams currently in the national rankings. Louisville is 11th in this week's Soccer America poll and 12th in the NSCAA/adidas listings. The team's only loss this season is a 4-0 defeat at Notre Dame on Sept. 25.
The Cardinals lead the BIG EAST with 24 goals scored, including six in a rout of DePaul on Oct. 3. Junior Mark Knight, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, is tied for third in the league with five goals and he leads the Cardinals with 12 points. Sophomore Colin Rolfe, last season's BIG EAST Rookie of Year, also has five goals. Rolfe scored the game-winner in against the Bulls in the 84th minute.
Defensively, Louisville's opponents only have 27 shots on goal. Senior Phil Edginton is the leader of the Cardinals' back four and that group's solid play has made life easier for sophomore goalie Andre Boudreaux, who has 19 saves and seven shutouts. Boudreaux also has one assist on the season, recording a point on Louisville's opening goal against DePaul.
Head coach Ken Lolla is in his fourth year at Louisville. He has guided the Cardinals to a 34-26-11 record in his tenure, and consecutive NCAA Tournament bids in 2007 and 2008. Prior to his appointment at Louisville, Lolla spent 13 years at Akron where he turned the Zips into a national power. He also served three years as the head coach of NAIA Belmont Abbey.
SYRACUSE-LOUISVILLE SERIES
The Orange and Cardinals have played four times since Louisville joined the BIG EAST Conference for the 2005 campaign. The series is tied at two wins apiece. Syracuse posted a 2-1 victory in double overtime in the first meeting between the two teams in 2005 at Cardinal Park. The Orange also registered a 3-2 overtime decision in the 2008 season finale. Syracuse rallied from a 2-0 second-half deficit in last season's match to force the extra session, and senior Hansen Woodruff netted the golden goal 2:36 into the overtime period.
