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In the 79th minute with Syracuse and Wake Forest tied 1-1, Daniel Burko was tripped, leading to a free kick close to midfield. Though, the Orange turned the ball over to the Demon Deacons immediately.

Wake Forest switched the ball to the right side to Travis Smith Jr. He worked the ball ahead to Dylan Borso, who dribbled past Braedon Smith in the corner. Three Syracuse defenders attacked Borso, who dished to an open Basit Umar in the middle of the box. Umar took one dribble before striking it to the right side of the net.

SU goalkeeper Tomas Hut stood on the goal line motionless as the Orange’s once 1-0 lead had been flipped on its head.

For the third conference game this season, Syracuse (3-4-3, 0-2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) failed to hold a lead as it fell 2-1 to Wake Forest (3-3-3, 1-1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Earlier this season, the Orange held 1-0 advantages over Boston College and Louisville and surrendered late goals, turning both games into draws. Now, SU is winless through four ACC matches.

“To not get something out of this game tonight, it’s brutal,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said postgame.

After a 5-1 win over Canisius on Sept. 17, Syracuse’s offense has dried up. In SU’s tie with the Cardinals on Sept. 20, it scored one goal. Four days later, the Orange were shutout by Cornell while getting outshot 17-9.

With a quick turnaround against Wake Forest, McIntyre noted that his players looked tired on the pitch.

As both teams looked to control the pace of play early, the Demon Deacons were the first to create strong scoring chances. In the eighth minute, Babacar Niang outsprinted Gabe Threadgold and fired just wide of the net. Two minutes later, Sidney Paris got a through ball for an open shot but missed high.

Syracuse’s strongest look of the half came in the 11th minute as Chimere Omeze made a move up the right sideline and found Nicholas Kaloukian for a one-on-one with Wake Forest goalkeeper Trace Alphin. Kaloukian struck the ball on frame, but Alphin denied it.

Threadgold created a chance with a cross into the box in the 16th minute, but the Demon Deacons defense pounced on the ball before SU could get a shot off.

For much of the first half, Wake Forest controlled the pace of play, putting the pressure on Hut and SU’s back line. Ernest Bawa made a dash into the box in the 43rd minute, and as defenders closed in, he fell. But after a video review, no penalty was called.

After 45 minutes, Wake Forest had six more corner kicks and five more shots than SU. The game grew physical in the second half, and each team received a yellow card in the opening 20 minutes of the period.

In the 66th minute, shortly after a yellow card on Jose Perez, Syracuse created sustained pressure on Wake Forest’s third.

On a corner kick, Nathan Scott fired a ball into the box and it trickled to the top toward Smith. He darted to the ball and struck it, but it ricocheted off Andre Cutler-DeJesus’ shoulder up into the air. Sam Layton was first to the ball and struck it into the net past Alphin for a 1-0 lead. It was SU’s first goal in its last 174 minutes.

Wake Forest responded by keeping the pressure high. Three minutes later, Amoni Thomas ripped a shot on-goal and Hut positioned himself for the stop. In the 72nd minute, Umar fired a shot just left.

The Orange pushed their attack, looking to build on their lead, but failed to capitalize on a close chance. In the 76th minute, Burko winded his way through two defenders and had a clean look but missed wide right.

The Demon Deacons got the ball back and commanded possession on the other end. Jeffrey White got the ball in the midfield and dribbled toward the goal. As SU defenders collapsed on him, he fed Borso on his right. Borso had a one-on-one with Cutler-DeJesus before juking to outside and cutting inward. Borso created just enough space for a shot, slotting the ball past Hut, who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep the effort out, tying the game 1-1.

In the 78th minute, Umar’s goal gave Wake Forest the lead. In a span of two minutes, Syracuse’s 1-0 lead became a 2-1 deficit.

“It’s about communication, making sure that we stay connected as a back three and as a team,” Layton said.

Syracuse looked for a response late but found little chances. After losing the lead, SU pushed its players high up the field, but it could only create two more shots.

In the final five minutes, Hut came up to the midfield line and sent a ball into the box. Burko settled it and passed to Smith on the left side with open space, but his shot sailed high, ending SU’s hopes.

“Moments kill you, and goals kill you as well,” Layton said. “So (we) just got to make sure we’re focused for 90 minutes.”

Published on September 28, 2024 at 12:18 am

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32