Scoring 10 goals in 13 games won’t earn a soccer team too many wins. Two goals in seven minutes, however, gives a team a better chance.

Having gone six games with one goal, including three 1-0 losses and a 0-0 tie, the Syracuse men’s soccer team welcomed No. 18 Cincinnati to Syracuse Soccer Stadium on Saturday night and the Orange found the net early in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Senior Ezra Prendergast gave SU a 1-0 lead off a deflected corner kick less than a minute into the game.

‘It’s something that we work on daily in training,’ Prendergast said. ‘(The ball) came down to me today, and I just took the opportunity.’

The second goal for the Orange came from junior Richard Asante, who launched a 25-foot shot for his second goal of the year.

‘I’m glad he’s looking for his shots … because he’s capable of scoring goals from that far out,’ Syracuse head coach Dean Foti said.

Scoring two goals early, let alone at all, was something unusual for the Orange. SU recorded 10 scores on 150 shots going into the contest and even after the two goals Saturday, the team averages less than one goal per game.

Asante that scoring and taking an early lead allows the Orange to play its game, saying SU doesn’t have to chase the other team the whole time.

Foti agreed.

‘We really dictated the play,’ Foti said. ‘We were able to finish some chances.’

While the Orange experienced trouble finishing all season, controlling other statistics is no problem. Syracuse outshot its opponents by 18 attempts all year, but trailed 17-9 in that category and 12-4 in shots on goal Saturday. But the Orange dominated the important category: goals.

After the team’s 1-0 win against South Florida on Oct. 9, Foti said the Orange can outshoot opponents all it wants, but SU needed to score. Goals win games and Foti’s team finally finished opportunities Saturday. Prendergast pointed to increased attentiveness as the key.

‘Most importantly, it’s the concentration level today more than any other time,’ he said. ‘The concentration level has to be there with every single player.’

The win over Cincinnati was the second time in three matches in which the Orange knocked off a Top 25 opponent, but between those victories Syracuse dropped a 2-0 game to Oneonta State. Foti said the Orange has to become more consistent in scoring in order to be successful.

‘I just think that the kids in some regard were a little bit immature in our mentality that we prejudge our opponent to be very good or not so good,’ Foti said. ‘Then we go out and adjust our play to whatever that thought is, which is incorrect, instead of going out to play to your potential everyday.’

Prendergast agreed, and even said that if the Orange pushes hard enough, a trip to the Final Four is not out of the question.

Said Prendergast: ‘The sky’s the limit.’

Published on October 16, 2005 at 12:00 pm