Syracuse Earns First Home Win of the Season Against Colgate

A strong second-half display from Syracuse gave the Orange a 3-0 win over Colgate. It was three second-half goals from Carlos Zambrano that gave Syracuse its first home win of the season, and Coach Ian McIntyre became the winningest coach in Syracuse men's soccer history, passing Dean Foti. 

The Climb to 142

When Coach McIntyre first came here, it never crossed his mind to be the winningest coach in Syracuse men's soccer history. In his first year, the team won two games, and in his second year, they won three. "I was fortunate enough to have a job and guys believing in what we were trying to do," he said.

Now, Coach McIntyre has the most wins in the program, with 142, including the team's first national championship in 2022. "Being here this long, this is home," he said. "I've been very fortunate to have wonderful support from the University, and it was nice to do it at home with this group."

The Carlos Zambrano Show 

After a flat first half from the Orange, the team needed someone to step up and be a difference maker, and Zambrano did that. 

The second half was night and day compared to the first half. It was a strong start to the second half from the Orange. The team was energetic in possession and began to create goal-scoring opportunities. 

The deadlock broke in the 58th minute. Sachiel Ming received the ball out wide and drove into the penalty box, beating three players before being brought down from behind on a challenge made by defender Ethan Harris. The referee awarded Syracuse the penalty even after video review.

Before tonight, the Orange had missed their last two penalty kicks, which both came from different players. Zambrano was the one who stepped up and smashed the ball down the middle, giving 'Cuse a 1-0 lead. 

After the first goal went in, the Orange had some newfound confidence.

Two minutes later, in the 60th minute, Zambrano made it 2-0. He grabbed his second goal of the night directly from the corner, an olimpico. 

Zambrano completed his hat trick in the 66th minute. He received the ball at the top of the box with his back to goal and was then able to turn using the outside of his foot. He drove into the penalty box and smashed the ball with his left into the right corner of the side netting, completing his hat trick in under 10 minutes. Zambrano is the first player to score a hat trick for Syracuse since 2019, when Ryan Raposo scored his against North Carolina. 

What's Next

Syracuse returns to ACC play on Saturday to visit Cal. This will be the first time these two programs have met. Syracuse's current record stands at 3-4-2 and a conference record of 0-2. The Golden Bears are 4-3-2 overall with a 1-1-1 record in the ACC. Cal won 1-0 last time out against UNC Asheville.

Previously Published on CuseNation for 247 Sports