Syracuse men’s soccer senior Guido Cristofori is finally where he belongs — at the forward position and out of the trainer’s room.

After earning All-Big East Rookie Team honors with nine goals in his freshman season at West Virginia, Cristofori’s totals tumbled in his two seasons since transferring to the Orangemen. He tallied five goals in 2000 and only two in 2001. This year, Cristofori appears to have regained his scoring touch and enters tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting at Colgate (1-0-1) having already matched last year’s score count.

With two goals, Cristofori sits tied for first on Syracuse (1-2, 1-0 Big East) with fellow forward and reigning Big East Offensive Player of the Week, Jarett Park.

“When he connects with that ball you’ve got to get out of the way,” midfielder Ryan Hall said. “He’s got the hardest shot on the team. He’s just a horse. He runs through people.”

Cristofori, at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, is an excellent target for long passes, sideline crosses and corner kicks. SU coach Dean Foti had hoped to see better numbers out of Cristofori last year, but a season-ending injury to midfielder Ryan Hickey forced Cristofori to fill Hickey’s spot, rather than play his natural forward position.

The senior also suffered through myriad injuries, including a sprained back, sprained ankles and a concussion.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a player that plays well with an injury,” Cristofori said. “No matter how psyched up I get myself, somehow my injury still gets to me.”

Foti said the injuries particularly affected Cristofori because he relies on athleticism to score goals. Yet the injury-plagued season helped Cristofori learn the game’s finer points. During last Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Georgetown, Cristofori showed his new skills, displaying a knack for back-heel passes.

“He’s improved as a soccer player in regard to all the nuances of the game,” Foti said. “He’s not just an athlete who’s plowing through people, he’s a good soccer player.”

Cristofori has spent the past few weeks honing his shooting technique as well. Rather than blasting shots in the direction of the goal, he’s practiced placing them into the net from various angles and positions.

Each Tuesday, Cristofori misses the Orangemen’s normally scheduled practice due to classes. Instead, he spends an hour one-on-one with assistant coach Ed Schmitt.

“It’s literally me and a hundred soccer balls, ” Cristofori said. “It’s sprinting, him throwing the ball at me, at my head and rolling the ball to me. Somehow, the ball’s got to end up in the net.”

Cristofori hopes the practices pays off against Colgate.

Red Raiders coach Mike Doherty said his team relies on its defense to keep games close and opportunistic offense to escape with victories. Colgate’s defense consists of two seniors — including two-time All-Patriot League selection Marc Hubbard — and a sophomore. In two games, the Red Raiders have allowed two goals and enter tonight’s contest coming off a shutout of then-No. 12 St. Bonaventure.

The win bumped the Red Raiders to No. 6 in Monday’s NSCAA New York regional poll. Syracuse, meanwhile, sits at No. 8.

“I’m kind of interested to see how the team reacts (to the win),” said Doherty, whose team doesn’t have any freshman starters. “An immature team would still be enjoying that victory. If we’re a mature team, and I think we are, we’ll build on that momentum against Syracuse.”

Published on September 9, 2002 at 12:00 pm