Syracuse didn’t need long to show where Friday night was headed once the Orange finally opened the game up. After spending much of the first half pressing and probing without reward, they leaned on their bench, and the substitutes changed everything in a 2-0 win over Loyola at SU Soccer Stadium.
The final numbers told the story of control: Syracuse outshot Loyola 23-5 and spent long stretches on the front foot. But the Orange’s early chances kept dying at Connor O’Keefe, as crosses and attacking moves produced pressure without a finish. That changed when head coach Ian McIntire started reaching deeper into his roster.
McIntire first pulled star striker Jordan Grey in the 23rd minute and sent on Badr Laghiji. Then came a wave of changes in the 32nd minute, with Dario White, Emmanuel Cophy, Pedro Gulli, and Bryson Rodriguez all entering at once. Every one of those subs ended up involved in the scoring before halftime.
The breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute, moments after McIntire’s challenge on a possible handball did not overturn the call. Cophy found Badji sprinting down the left side, and rather than force a shot, the freshman slipped the ball to Rodriguez at the top of the box. Rodriguez unleashed a knuckler that dipped and fluttered into the upper right corner, leaving the Loyola keeper stranded.
Just two minutes later, Syracuse struck again. Badji showed off some quick footwork after pulling a defender with him, then backheeled the ball to an open Dario White. White sent in a perfect cross to Pedro Gulli, and the graduate transfer headed it past O’Keefe for his first goal for the Orange.
The half ended on a rougher note for Syracuse. Captain Nathan Scott went down after a collision with Loyola defender Carmine Iavarone in the 40th minute, tried to keep going, and eventually left in the 43rd with a leg injury. He exited under his own power, but clearly after taking a hit.
That wasn’t Syracuse’s only midfield concern. Kelvin Da Costa, the only Orange player named to the ACC’s pearson players to watch list, was already out after suffering a late injury late last game against New Hampshire. After the match, McIntyre said both players were being evaluated on a day-to-day timeframe.
With two key central midfielders unavailable, Syracuse shifted into game-management mode after halftime. That job got easier when Loyola defender Timi Adekunle was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in five minutes, both for fouls on Ivan Irinimbabazi and Garrett Holman.
The Orange never found the third goal, even during a hectic stretch in the 76th and 77th minutes. Sachiel Ming and Jordan each missed wide, and Felix Huebner, who came on for O’Keefe at halftime, made saves on close-range efforts from Bryson Rodriguez and Landon Darko. Syracuse kept the ball for most of the final 10 minutes and closed out the win.
“We had two teams coming off with a little bit of desperation,” said McIntyre. “We used our depth today, subs coming off the bench had an impact, and then I just think we lacked a little bit of quality in the second half to score that third goal and put the game away.”
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