No. 6 Syracuse (2-0) continues its season-opening homestand when it welcomes Colgate (2-0) to SU Soccer Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. Both the Orange and Raiders beat Loyola Marymount and Massachusetts in the Central New York Classic last weekend.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Thursday night’s match.

All-time series: Colgate leads 29-27-10

Last time they played: Syracuse beat Colgate 2-0 last September to extend its winning streak to three against the Raiders. Senior forward Chris Nanco followed up his own shot with a first-half goal. Ben Polk scored late to give the Orange a 2-0 advantage.

The Colgate report: The defending Patriot League champion Raiders were selected to finish third in the conference this year, with good reason. Seniors Ethan Kutler and Zach Tamen lead the way on the offensive and defensive sides, respectively. Kutler is the best offensive player in the Patriot League, and the same could be said for Tamen on the other side. They both just earned Patriot League weekly awards for being the best at their positions. Tamen has started in 55 career games and anchors the Raiders defense.

How Syracuse beats Colgate:

Minimize Kutler. In 19 starts last year, he scored nine goals and assisted on six. That’s 63 percent of Colgate’s 2015 goals he either scored or assisted on.

The Raiders return only one other player who scored at least three goals last year — sophomore Adam Ouligian. The defender was one of only three Raiders to start in all 19 games. Minimizing Kutler will force the Raiders to rely on players who are not familiar in attacking.

Offensively, Syracuse can continue to boast its spread firepower. Five of its goals have come from four different players and a different player assisted on each goal.

Stats to know:

25 — Career goals for Colgate forward Ethan Kutler.

6 — Shots for redshirt junior Kenny Lassiter. That leads the team.

60 — Percent of Syracuse goals that freshman Johannes Pieles has either scored or assisted on.

Player to watch: Ethan Kutler, forward, No. 14

The senior forward, who won Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all league last season, has 25 career goals and 15 assists. Kutler has scored two of Colgate’s three goals this season, including his penalty kick goal that lifted the Raiders over Loyola Marymount last week and his goal from the left wing in a win over Massachusetts on Sunday. His dynamic attacking ability and strong defensive skills make him the league’s premier player.

Published on August 31, 2016 at 3:42 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21