Box Score HAMILTON – Colgate knew that it was in for a tough match against Syracuse and battled to the end in a 2-0 decision Tuesday night at Beyer-Small '76 Field. 

The Orange are currently undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country. Coming into the game, the Raiders hoped that they could build on their momentum from their 3-0 win over Boston University on Friday. Despite fighting hard and staying in the game for the full 90 minutes, Colgate couldn't find a way to score, and lost 2-0. 

After a back-and-forth stalemate for much of the first half, Syracuse players Levonte Johnson and Nathan Opoku found chemistry, with a series of short give-and-go passes penetrating the Colgate defense, allowing Opoku to shoot and score the first goal of the match.

At halftime, Colgate had taken four shots to Syracuse's three, a sign that the Raiders were still in this match. 

Tensions ran high as the gridlocked 1-0 score continued well into the second half, with the Syracuse squad frequently receiving yellow cards and warnings. During the match there were a total of 26 fouls and seven yellow cards — six of which were given to Syracuse. 

The game was chippy, as most close, high-contact games are, culminating in a slide tackle on Raider Aidan Davock with 11:15 left on the clock and giving Colgate a free kick and one of its last chances to tie the score. 

With just under nine minutes remaining in the game, a defensive miscommunication gave Orange player Jeorgio Kocevski an open shot, which he buried in the top right corner to stretch Syracuse's lead to 2-0. 

As the last minutes expired, the Colgate squad desperately tried to generate opportunities to score, but the Syracuse defense remained strong and left Beyer-Small '76 Field with a 2-0 decision. 

Andrew Cooke played hard throughout the entire 90 minutes, stopping five of the Orange's shot, keeping the game within reach for Colgate. Bobby Foose and Timmy Donovan came close to scoring one, registering the lone two shots on net. 


FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Erik Ronning 

"We played at a really high level tonight and I am proud of our effort. We now move forward and set our sights on Navy."

UP NEXT
The Raiders travel to Annapolis on Saturday to take on Navy in their second game of Patriot League play. The Midshipmen have bested Colgate in three of their last four matches, most recently by a score of 3-0 on Sept. 25, 2021. That being said, Colgate's encouraging 3-0 win over Boston University last week gives reason for hope that Colgate can leave Maryland victorious, and start the season with a 2-0 Patriot League record.