Men's Soccer

Kenny Lassiter’s goal lifts Syracuse to 1-0 overtime win against Bucknell

A pass came in from near the left sideline and Syracuse forward Chris Nanco backheeled it to forward Kenny Lassiter, leaving him one-on-one with his defender at the top of the box.

Lassiter poked the ball forward and to his left before firing a low shot to the right from just a few yards out. Bucknell goalie Mike Lansing dove and got a piece of the ball, but the backspin carried it into the goal on the bounce.

Lassiter jogged around the penalty area, hardly celebrating, and midfielder Juuso Pasanen ran up from behind to put his arms around Lassiter’s neck. The rest of the Syracuse team soon followed with a huddle.

Lassiter’s goal less than four and a half minutes into overtime lifted No. 15 Syracuse (1-1) over Bucknell (1-1) at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania on Sunday.

“It was a great soccer match tonight,” head coach Ian McIntyre said. “I think we had the lion’s share of the ball and the chances but it could go either way … It goes in and it was more a relief for the guys because we put in a lot of hard work tonight.”



Goalie Austin Aviza made eight saves and Nanco led SU with five shots — three on goal. Though Lassiter didn’t start the game, he started the second half and tallied 48 minutes before scoring the game-winner.

Much like in SU’s 2-1 loss to Hofstra on Friday, the Orange controlled possession and the pace in the first half, pushing through balls and sending several crosses into the box.

But unlike Friday, Aviza was tested early.

Twenty-five minutes into the half, Bucknell midfielder Sebastiaan Blickman struck a hard shot from the middle of the field and about 20 yards out. Aviza dove to his right to deflect the shot out of play. Then on the ensuing corner, Aviza had to grab a ball off the ground that was bouncing around in front of the net at the feet of several players.

“When called upon tonight I thought he did what he had to do and I thought it was very solid for a freshman goalkeeper,” McIntyre said. “A college shutout, that’s terrific.”

After four substitutions throughout the half, McIntyre’s squad ended the half with six freshmen on the field. It was a hot and muggy night and two road games in 48 hours were taking its toll on the players, McIntyre said.

The team was short-staffed, playing without starting midfielder Liam Callahan, who received a red card in the first game of the season.

Aviza came up big again in the latter 45 minutes. He fought off a chance from just seven yards out then dove to snag a bouncing long shot that was headed for the far post.

“Second half I thought it evened out a little bit,” McIntyre said.

The Orange took back control of the game in the overtime period, and Bucknell didn’t get a shot off. Less than a minute in, Lassiter settled a pass to his right and struck a waist-high shot from inside that box that was saved.

Nanco tried to volley a cross in and forward Noah Rhynart put a shot on net before Lassiter’s goal ended the game.

“For however long it went, five, six minutes I thought we were outstanding,” McIntyre said of the overtime period. “We created chances. Kenny will probably be the first to say he should have put the (first) chance he had away.”

Syracuse will host UC Riverside in its home opener on Friday.





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