Virginia Tech falls 2-1 at SyracuseVirginia Tech falls 2-1 at Syracuse
Men's Soccer

Virginia Tech falls 2-1 at Syracuse

Declan Quill scored his fifth goal in three games

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – In the first round of the ACC tournament, Virginia Tech (7-4-5) came up short against sixth-seeded Syracuse (8-6-3) Wednesday evening at SU Soccer Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Syracuse opened the match on the front foot, recording the first shot in the fourth minute which tested Virginia Tech goalkeeper Sam Joseph, who handled it well. Seven minutes later, the Orange threatened again with back-to-back attempts, the first denied again by Joseph, but the score remained even.

Declan Quill registered Tech’s first shot in the 18th minute, though it was blocked. However, in the 23rd minute, Syracuse broke through as Tim Brdaric connected on a header off a long cross to give the Orange a 1-0 edge.

Syracuse nearly doubled its advantage in the 33rd minute after a corner kick slipped past Tech’s defense, but the goal was waved off for offsides, keeping the Hokies within striking distance.

The Hokies finally leveled the score before halftime when Joao Felicio delivered a well-timed pass that slipped through Syracuse’s back line to Quill (41’), who tapped it home to equalize, 1-1, headed into the halftime break.

Virginia Tech came out with renewed energy in the second half, outshooting the Orange 11-5 after both sides had recorded seven shots apiece in the first period. Despite the Hokies’ momentum, Brdaric struck again in the 63rd minute with a close-range finish to put Syracuse back on top, 2-1.

Tech fired off seven shots after Syracuse’s go-ahead goal, six of them blocked, the last from Ian Marcano in the 88th minute, sealing the 2-1 result.

GAME NOTES

  • Virginia Tech moves to 7-4-1 overall against Syracuse
  • The Hokies out-shot Syracuse, 18-12, but had fewer attempts on frame with only seven
  • Tech held the 7-3 advantage in corner kicks
  • Declan Quill scored his fifth goal of the season
  • Defender Joao Felicio tallied his third assist of the season, all three coming on Quill scores
  • Sam Joseph added seven saves in the match for 46 total on the year
  • Joseph lands sixth in the ACC for 2.88 saves per game