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2006 Season Review
The 2006 Syracuse men’s soccer season was filled with exciting individual performances, as well a memorable milestones as the Orange remained in the hunt for the postseason until the final week of the regular season. Syracuse finished the year with a 7-8-1 overall record which included a 3-0 start and an undefeated mark in non-conference matches for the first time since the BIG EAST began sponsoring a soccer regular season in 1985. The year culminated with a shutout victory against DePaul in the regular-season finale and Richard Asante becoming the Orange’s highest-ever selection MLS SuperDraft. Hansen Woodruff led the team in scoring with 16 points, including seven goals. Woodruff, goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia, and forward Kyle Hall each ranked in the top 10 in several of the conference’s statistical categories.
ASANTE BECOMES SYRACUSE’S HIGHEST MLS DRAFT CHOICE
Midfielder Richard Asante put the finishing touches on his collegiate career by being selected with the first pick of the third round (27th overall) by the Toronto FC in the 2007 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft on Jan. 12. He is the Orange’s highest-ever MLS draft pick and fourth MLS draftee produced by head coach Dean Foti. Asante was one of SU’s most consistent players in 2006. He almost never came out of the game and he finished the year with a pair of goals, including the game-winner against Binghamton. Asante was named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Region Second Team and earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention laurels for his 2006 performance. He played in 63 career games for the Orange from 2003-06 and started his last 35 SU matches, including all 16 in 2006. He tallied 14 career points (five goals, four assists) from his central midfield spot.
WOODRUFF MAKES BIG SPLASH
Freshman Hansen Woodruff proved to be SU’s most lethal offensive threat in his first collegiate season. The Stuart, Fla. native led the Orange in points (16), goals (7) and game-winning goals (4). As the season wore on he developed a knack for coming through when the team needed it most. All seven of his goals were either game-winning or game-tying scores and three of his tallies came with less than three minutes left in regulation or in overtime. Woodruff tallied both of the Orange’s BIG EAST game-winners, including a score in the 56th minute against DePaul in the season finale. Woodruff was selected as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Oct. 9 after scoring the golden goal against Villanova on Oct. 7 to lift SU to its first league win of the year. His 16 points were the most by an Orange freshman since 2001 when Jarrett Park tallied 24 points.
SU NETS MOST GOALS SINCE 2003
Syracuse scored 18 goals in 16 matches during 2006, besting its team total for each of the previous two seasons. The Orange’s 18 tallies was the most since the 2003 season when SU finished the campaign with 20 scores. Hansen Woodruff led the way with seven tallies and Kyle Hall (5), Pete Rowley (2), and Richard Asante (2) were the Orange’s other multi-goal scorers. Six of SU’s 18 scores came in the first two games as the team netted three goals in consecutive wins against Niagara and Loyola to start the season. It was the first time Syracuse posted back-to-back three-goal games since 2001.
NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE CONTINUES
The Orange has posted a 26-16-5 record against non-BIG EAST opponents since 2000 and went undefeated in non-league games in 2006, posting a 5-0-0 mark versus non-BIG EAST squads. It is the first time since BIG EAST regular-season action began in 1985 that SU has maneuvered through its non-league slate without a loss. The Orange defeated Niagara, Loyola, and Albany to start the year and also posted victories against Hartwick and Binghamton. In the last seven seasons, including 2006, the Orange has finished at .500 or better in non-conference matches six times. The only year it didn’t was in 2004 when SU was 2-5 in non-league encounters. Since the beginning of the 2005 campign, the Orange is 9-1-3 in non-BIG EAST clashes.
PACKING 'EM IN
For the first time in the history of the Syracuse Soccer Stadium, the Orange drew two crowds of 1,000-plus in the same season. Against Connecticut on Sept. 17, SU recorded its largest crowd of the year with 1,038 fans attending the game. It was the fourth-largest crowd in the history of the facility. The match out-drew the previous season-high of 1,018 patrons that attended SU’s 2006 opener versus Niagara on Aug. 25. The attendance for the Connecticut match represented the largest crowd since 1,066 fans took in a game between SU and St. John’s on Oct. 19, 2002. Syracuse averaged 609 fans per game for nine home matches, a number that ranked in the top 50 nationally.
HANDING OUT TEAM AWARDS
Offensive MVP - Hansen Woodruff
Woodruff led SU in points (16), goals (7) and game-winning goals (4). His 16 points were the most for an Orange freshman since 2001 and his seven scores ranked seventh in the BIG EAST.
Defensive MVP - Brad Peetoom
Peetoom was again the anchor of the SU defense, winning Defensive MVP for the third straight year. A 2006 captain, Peetoom helped the team to four shutouts and was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Aug. 28 for his performance in SU’s season-opening win against Niagara. He has started all 49 games he has played in the last three seasons.
Frank Schantz Award - Richard Asante
The Schantz Award is given to those individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the SU program through their on-field performance, character, and citizenship. Asante, also a 2006 team captain, scored two goals and had one assist from his midfield spot. He earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention laurels and was named to the NSCAA All-Region Second Team.
