.png)
2008 Season Review
Armed with a talented batch of seniors, the Orange posted its first winning season since 1999, going 8-6-3 overall in 2008. In the process, Syracuse extended its non-conference unbeaten streak to 20 matches, the longest such streak in the nation, and went 5-2-2 at the SU Soccer Stadium to record its 11th winning season at home in the last 13 years. In a conference stacked with talented teams, the Orange netted multiple wins against ranked BIG EAST foes, including a thrilling come-from-behind win versus Louisville in the season finale.
Individual accomplishments poured in for the Orange throughout the season. Syracuse earned six BIG EAST Honor Roll nods. In addition, seniors Robert Cavicchia and Karol Wasielewski were awarded BIG EAST Goalkeeper and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively, during the season. Postseason accolades included All-BIG EAST Second Team nods for senior Kyle Hall and junior Hansen Woodruff, as well as honorable mention laurels for Wasielewski. Woodruff was also named to the NSCAA All-Region Second Team for the second straight year, and Hall capped off his successful collegiate career by being selected 39th overall in the MLS Draft by Toronto FC.
Syracuse roared out of the gate, allowing just one goal in its first six outings and recording five shutouts on its way to a 4-0-2 start. Led by Cavicchia’s flawless play in net and a pair of goals by Tom Perevegyencev, the Orange powered past Canisius, 3-0, in its season opener. A crowd of 1,257 fans, the second-largest gathering in the history of the SU Soccer Stadium, was on hand for the win as Syracuse started the year 1-0 for the fourth consecutive season.
After a 1-1 tie against Colgate in its second outing, the Orange traveled to Oneonta, N.Y. for the 33rd annual Mayor’s Cup. Cavicchia’s strong play between the posts and a late goal by Hall sealed a 1-0 win against UNC-Wilmington in the tournament opener. Two days later, a strong defensive effort and timely goal-scoring propelled the team to a 3-0 triumph against Florida Gulf Coast and the first Mayor’s Cup title in school history.
With the start of BIG EAST play on the horizon, the Orange returned to the SU Soccer Stadium for a matchup with Northeast Conference power Monmouth on Sept. 11. Cavicchia shined once again, making five saves, but Hawks’ goalie Bryan Meredith was just as good, finishing with six stops as the two squads played to a 0-0 draw.
In its BIG EAST opener at Marquette, senior forward Spencer Schomaker netted his first goal of the season in the 75th minute to clinch a 1-0 victory. It was SU’s fourth shutout in a row, matching the first time since 1994-95 the Orange blanked four straight opponents.
The next five games proved to be the most demanding stretch of the season as the Orange faced a ranked conference opponent in every match. After losing its first game of the year, 3-0, at third-ranked Notre Dame, the Orange returned home to take on #22 Providence and posted a convincing 3-0 victory.
The win against the Friars set the stage for one of the most exciting matches of the year two days later when SU hosted #5 Connecticut on Sept. 28. The game pitted two natural BIG EAST rivals against one another and drew 1,114 fans to the SU Soccer Stadium, the third-largest crowd in the history of the facility. Syracuse was the more dangerous team for the majority of the match and nearly won it in the first overtime when Wasielewski hit the post with a header off a corner kick in the 99th minute. Play continued, however, and the Huskies took advantage of their good fortune as O’Brian White scored on the first shot of the second overtime to hand the Orange its second defeat of the year.
The hard-luck loss to Connecticut could have deflated the team’s spirits, but the Orange went on the road to #13 USF the following week and earned a point in the league standings with a 0-0 tie against the eventual conference champions. The match marked the team’s seventh shutout in 10 games to start the year.
The Orange’s BIG EAST gauntlet continued with a match at #5 St. John’s on Oct. 8. The Red Storm entered the contest with the stingiest defense in the nation, but the Orange struck for two goals in the first half and played the eventual national semifinalists to a 2-2 draw in the opening 45 minutes. But it was St. John’s who emerged victorious, scoring twice in the second half to post a 4-2 triumph.
After the two difficult road matches, the Orange returned home for three straight contests, beginning with Rutgers on Oct. 11. The Scarlet Knights dealt SU a 3-2 setback in overtime, but the team responded with a pair of victories to jump start its stretch run. The Orange held DePaul to five shots, and Perevegyencev notched the game-winner in the 86 minute in a 1-0 shutout of the Blue Demons on Oct. 18. Three days later, the team completed its third straight undefeated non-conference season with a 3-2 win against Adelphi. Schomaker had the match of his life against the Panthers, scoring all three Orange goals, including the winner in the 76th minute. It was the first hat trick for an SU player since the 2001 season.
Back on the winning track, Syracuse hit the road for two crucial league matches at Cincinnati and at Villanova. Both were 1-0 defeats and the loss to the Wildcats, whose goal came on a penalty kick early in the contest, eliminated the Orange from BIG EAST Tournament contention.
Following the losses, Syracuse still had hopes of earning an NCAA at-large berth if it could defeat #21 Louisville at home in the regular-season finale. Those hopes were nearly dashed as the Orange fell behind 2-0 to the Cardinals. But SU rallied for a pair of late goals to force overtime and completed the comeback on a strike from Woodruff in the 93rd minute. The win sent Syracuse’s six seniors out victorious in their final home match and kept the team in contention for a spot in the 48-team NCAA field.
Despite beating the Cardinals and boasting a strong RPI, SU missed out on its goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament. However, the 2008 Orange proved all season it could compete with the top teams in the nation and it will go down as one of the best defensive squads in school history. SU registered eight shutouts, the highest team total since the 1989 squad had 10. Syracuse also posted a 1.01 team goals-against average, the seventh-best mark in the SU record books. Cavicchia capped his stellar four-year career with 72 saves on the season, and finished in the top five at Syracuse in career saves, wins, goals-against average and shutouts.
Offensively, Schomaker and Perevegyencev tied for the team goal-scoring lead with six each, and four different players finished with two game-winning goals. Schomaker was the overall scoring leader with 17 points.
Â
