Syracuse men’s soccer battled Wake Forest through a scoreless opening 75 minutes Saturday before surrendering two late goals in a 2-0 loss at Spry Stadium.
Syracuse football plagued by second-half turnovers in home loss to Louisville (full coverage) The Demon Deacons controlled much of the offensive action, but Syracuse goalkeeper Juan Martinez-Bastidas kept the Orange within striking distance with a career-high eight saves.
Wake Forest held a 6-3 advantage in shots during the opening half, although neither team managed to break through before halftime.
Syracuse generated an early scoring opportunity when Kelvin Da Costa put a shot on goal in the second minute. Kristjan Fortier also contributed two first-half attempts, but the Orange struggled to establish consistent offensive pressure.
Martinez-Bastidas made several important stops throughout the contest, including saves against Daniel Krueger and Mason Sullivan in the 50th minute.
The Syracuse goalkeeper also turned away multiple attempts from Ethan Subachan and another from Tate Lorentz as Wake Forest continued pushing for the opening goal.
The Demon Deacons finally broke through in the 77th minute when Krueger found the back of the net off assists from Lorentz and Ronnie Garcia.
Wake Forest extended its advantage in the 85th minute as Alfred Debah scored with assists from David Ndong Nguema and Jeffrey White, putting the match out of reach.
The Demon Deacons finished with a commanding 21-7 advantage in shots, including an 11-2 edge in shots on goal.
Syracuse returns home next Saturday to face Virginia at SU Soccer Stadium in its final home match of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
