Syracuse men’s soccer battled back to take the lead despite playing a man down for most of the match, but New Hampshire scored twice in the final 10 minutes to hand the Orange a 3-2 loss Sunday afternoon at Syracuse Soccer Stadium.
The defeat dropped Syracuse to 1-1-0 on the season, while New Hampshire also moved to 1-1-0.
The Orange faced an early challenge when a red card in the 10th minute left Syracuse with one fewer player for the remainder of the contest. Despite the disadvantage, Syracuse kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard throughout the first half and entered halftime in a scoreless tie.
New Hampshire finally broke through in the 53rd minute to take a 1-0 lead, but Syracuse responded with an offensive surge midway through the second half.
Kristjan Fortier converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute to bring the Orange level. Just two minutes later, Jordan Grey put Syracuse ahead, finishing a chance created by Dario White and Kameron Kist to give the Orange a 2-1 advantage.
New Hampshire, however, answered during the closing stretch. The Wildcats equalized in the 80th minute before Laurin Preuss scored the deciding goal two minutes later, completing the comeback and handing Syracuse its first loss of the season.
The Orange will look to bounce back when they return to SU Soccer Stadium on Friday, August 28, to face Loyola. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
