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Sunday, November 9
SU Soccer Stadium
1 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Duke
Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Men's Soccer Hosts Duke in ACC Quarters
11/7/2014 12:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Top-ranked Orange begins postseason play Sunday against Blue Devils
SYRACUSE, N.Y. --Â The Orange (14-2-1) play host to the Duke Blue Devils (9-8-1) in an ACC Championship quarterfinal match on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. Syracuse earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament after finishing with a 5-1-2 conference record and claiming a share of the Atlantic Division title. The seventh-seeded Blue Devils are making their first trip to Syracuse. Duke defeated NC State by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday in one of the two ACC first-round games.
Tickets for Sunday's contest are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and senior citizens. Syracuse and Duke students will be admitted free with their college IDs.
More: Championship Bracket | Tournament Central
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT NOTABLES
The Orange is making its first ACC Championship appearance and its 14th conference tournament appearance overall. Syracuse played in 13 BIG EAST Championships from 1982-2012. Syracuse has a 7-11-1 overall record in league tournament games. The Orange holds a 3-3-0 all-time record when serving as a No. 2 seed and Syracuse is 1-4-0 in conference tournament quarterfinal matches. The Orange's only quarterfinal win was against West Virginia (2-1) in the 1999 BIG EAST Championship.
TOURNAMENT TESTED
There are 12 players on the Syracuse roster that were on the 2012 squad that also reached the postseason. The group includes key contributors Skylar Thomas, Jordan Murrell, Nick Perea, Alex Bono, Tyler Hilliard, Noah Rhynhart, Juuso Pasanen and Stefanos Stamoulacatos. In the four 2012 postseason matches (1 BIG EAST, 3 NCAA), Bono recorded 26 saves and recorded a shutout against Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Stamoulacatos scored the equalizing goal in the Orange's second-round NCAA Tournament win at VCU.  Hilliard and Murrell were credited with assists during that postseason run as well.
ORANGE RANKED NO.1
Syracuse earned the No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA poll for the first time in school history on Nov. 4. The Orange received 11 first-place votes and 579 points to edge No. 2 Indiana (9 first-place votes, 555 points) for the top spot. The Orange has been ranked in the top five for five straight weeks dating back to Oct. 7. Before 2014, the Orange's highest previous ranking was sixth during the 1984 season. Men's soccer is the fifth Syracuse program since 2012 to top the polls, joining men's basketball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and field hockey.
FAMILIAR FACE ON THE SIDELINE
Duke assistant coach Mike Miller makes his return to the SU Soccer Stadium Sunday. Miller was an Orange assistant from 2010-13 before leaving to join the Blue Devils. While at Syracuse, Miller trained the goalkeepers, including three-starter Alex Bono, and served as the program's recruiting coordinator.
THE DUKE SERIES
The overall series is tied at one win apiece. The Blue Devils won the first meeting, 3-0, at the 1991 MetLife Soccer Classic. The Orange captured the second pairing, winning 2-1 in Durham last season. Chris Nanco scored the winning goal in the 75th minute and the triumph was the team's first as a member of the ACC. Sunday's game marks Duke's first trip to Syracuse.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke is 9-8-1 overall and has won four straight, including Wednesday's 3-2 victory against NC State. The Blue Devils have struggled on the road this season. Duke is 1-6 away from Koskinen Stadium. The lone victory came at Virginia Tech on Oct. 31.Â
Brody Huitema leads Duke in points (15) and he is tied with Cameron Moseley for the team goals lead (5). Sean Davis has 10 assists (tied for the most in the ACC) and ranks second on the squad with 12 points. Â
Joe Ohaus has played most of the minutes in goal. Ohaus has 45 saves and a 2.00 goals-against average with one shutout.Â
Duke alum John Kerr is in his seventh season as the head coach at his alma mater. Kerr owns a 70-50-18 record with the Blue Devils and has guided the team to four NCAA appearances. The national player of the year in 1986, Kerr also spent nine seasons at the head coach at Harvard.
UP NEXT ...
The winner of the Syracuse-Duke match will play either Louisville or North Carolina in the ACC semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
Tickets for Sunday's contest are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and senior citizens. Syracuse and Duke students will be admitted free with their college IDs.
More: Championship Bracket | Tournament Central
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT NOTABLES
The Orange is making its first ACC Championship appearance and its 14th conference tournament appearance overall. Syracuse played in 13 BIG EAST Championships from 1982-2012. Syracuse has a 7-11-1 overall record in league tournament games. The Orange holds a 3-3-0 all-time record when serving as a No. 2 seed and Syracuse is 1-4-0 in conference tournament quarterfinal matches. The Orange's only quarterfinal win was against West Virginia (2-1) in the 1999 BIG EAST Championship.
TOURNAMENT TESTED
There are 12 players on the Syracuse roster that were on the 2012 squad that also reached the postseason. The group includes key contributors Skylar Thomas, Jordan Murrell, Nick Perea, Alex Bono, Tyler Hilliard, Noah Rhynhart, Juuso Pasanen and Stefanos Stamoulacatos. In the four 2012 postseason matches (1 BIG EAST, 3 NCAA), Bono recorded 26 saves and recorded a shutout against Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Stamoulacatos scored the equalizing goal in the Orange's second-round NCAA Tournament win at VCU.  Hilliard and Murrell were credited with assists during that postseason run as well.
ORANGE RANKED NO.1
Syracuse earned the No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA poll for the first time in school history on Nov. 4. The Orange received 11 first-place votes and 579 points to edge No. 2 Indiana (9 first-place votes, 555 points) for the top spot. The Orange has been ranked in the top five for five straight weeks dating back to Oct. 7. Before 2014, the Orange's highest previous ranking was sixth during the 1984 season. Men's soccer is the fifth Syracuse program since 2012 to top the polls, joining men's basketball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and field hockey.
FAMILIAR FACE ON THE SIDELINE
Duke assistant coach Mike Miller makes his return to the SU Soccer Stadium Sunday. Miller was an Orange assistant from 2010-13 before leaving to join the Blue Devils. While at Syracuse, Miller trained the goalkeepers, including three-starter Alex Bono, and served as the program's recruiting coordinator.
THE DUKE SERIES
The overall series is tied at one win apiece. The Blue Devils won the first meeting, 3-0, at the 1991 MetLife Soccer Classic. The Orange captured the second pairing, winning 2-1 in Durham last season. Chris Nanco scored the winning goal in the 75th minute and the triumph was the team's first as a member of the ACC. Sunday's game marks Duke's first trip to Syracuse.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke is 9-8-1 overall and has won four straight, including Wednesday's 3-2 victory against NC State. The Blue Devils have struggled on the road this season. Duke is 1-6 away from Koskinen Stadium. The lone victory came at Virginia Tech on Oct. 31.Â
Brody Huitema leads Duke in points (15) and he is tied with Cameron Moseley for the team goals lead (5). Sean Davis has 10 assists (tied for the most in the ACC) and ranks second on the squad with 12 points. Â
Joe Ohaus has played most of the minutes in goal. Ohaus has 45 saves and a 2.00 goals-against average with one shutout.Â
Duke alum John Kerr is in his seventh season as the head coach at his alma mater. Kerr owns a 70-50-18 record with the Blue Devils and has guided the team to four NCAA appearances. The national player of the year in 1986, Kerr also spent nine seasons at the head coach at Harvard.
UP NEXT ...
The winner of the Syracuse-Duke match will play either Louisville or North Carolina in the ACC semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
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