'Cuse Tops Virginia Tech in Overtime

Saturday, October 4

Blacksburg, VA

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-1-0, 3-1-0ACC

Virginia Tech

7-4-0, 2-2-0ACC

OT 3

OT 4

Syracuse

Virginia Tech

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

10/4/2014 9:51:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Ekblom scores deciding goal in 107th minute

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Sophomore Emil Ekblom scored in the 107th minute to lift No. 9 Syracuse (9-1-0, 3-1-0 ACC) to a 1-0 victory over Virginia Tech (7-4-0, 2-2-0 ACC) on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Thompson Field. The goal was Ekblom's team-leading sixth of the season and his fifth game-winning goal of 2014.

The victory extended the Orange winning streak to five and marked the team's first-ever win against the Hokies.

Junior goalkeeper Alex Bono recorded six saves to earn his fifth straight shutout and his ninth clean sheet of the season. In the process, he extended his shutout streak to 482:31, eclipsing the previous school record of 461:59 set by Chris Whitcomb during the 1986 season. Bono and the Orange defense have not conceded a goal since the second half of the Notre Dame match back on Sept. 13.

Bono made three of his saves in the first half. Both Virginia Tech and Syracuse recorded four shots each in an evenly-played period. Virginia Tech put three of its attempts on frame, but Bono was there for the Orange each time.

Syracuse came out aggressively in the second half, generating three early corner kicks and continually putting pressure on Virginia Tech in the attacking third. The Hokies defended them all successfully and ultimately outshot the Orange in the period, 4-2.

Both teams recorded one shot on goal apiece in the first overtime. Bono denied Virginia Tech's Ricardo John in the 95th minute and John's follow-up attempt went high. Approximately three minutes later, Tech keeper Ben Lundgaard came up with a save on a header by Skylar Thomas off a Julian Buescher corner kick to keep the game scoreless and the match proceeded to a second extra session.

That set the stage for Ekblom, who redirected a pass from Chris Nanco following an Oyvind Alseth cross, past Lundgaard for the golden goal with 3:24 left in the second overtime.

Ricardo John led the Hokies with a game-high six shots, five of which were on frame. Lundgaard had three saves for Virginia Tech.

The Hokies outshot the Orange in the match, 11-10. They also held a slim 10-9 advantage in corner kicks.

Syracuse returns home on Tuesday, Oct. 7 to face Albany in a non-conference match at 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. The game will be televised locally on Time Warner Cable Sportschannel and is available nationwide on ESPN3.

Match Notes: The victory ended Syracuse's four-game losing streak to the Hokies … Bono now has 27 shutouts, four short of the Syracuse career record of 31 held by Joe Papaleo (1979-82) … The Orange's three ACC victories already equal its conference win total from 2013 … The game was Syracuse's first overtime match of the season ... With nine wins in its first 10 games, the 2014 Orange equaled the 1984 squad for the best start to a season in program history.