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Fifteen new faces were on display when Syracuse opened its 2023 season against Providence. While many incoming players had never competed together on the pitch, they were already familiar with one another. To help increase team chemistry, head coach Ian McIntyre hosted his annual talent show for the squad.

“I love this group. I love the guys and really enjoy spending time with them,” McIntyre said.

Every year before the regular season, McIntyre invites his players and staff over to his house for a lighthearted competition. Teammates are split up into groups based on age and where they live in Syracuse. From there, each cohort has to perform. For some, it’s an opportunity to showcase talents off the field.

One group did a card trick while another group sang and danced to Miley Cyrus, midfielder Tony Shaw said. The winning group made a video to a Katy Perry song.

“It’s the first time everyone’s together. The coaches, the coach’s wives, all of us. Everyone’s planning something together trying to impress one another. It’s one way that everyone’s building a bond,” Shaw said.

The team plans to hold an American Idol-themed gathering at McIntyre’s house on Thanksgiving. But to do that, the Orange would need to advance past the second round of the NCAA Tournament like they did last year.

“It’s become a staple that if you succeed, you go to Mac’s house for Thanksgiving,” midfielder Stephen Betz said. “That’s really inspired us to do well again, and it’s something that we all look forward to and enjoy.”

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The special events at McIntyre’s house have quickly integrated the new transfers. The talent shows and welcoming nature of the squad has generated the necessary chemistry to become back-to-back national champions.

“The transfers said when they [came to SU], they all felt really welcomed. They don’t have to reach out and try to make friends; they feel like people come to them,” Shaw said.

A senior transfer from Purdue Fort Wayne, Nate Edwards grew up watching SU soccer from his home in Brampton, Ontario. Upon arriving in Syracuse, Edwards said SU’s offseason workouts were rigorous. The amount of required fitness initially came as a shock. The emphasis Syracuse put into its high press was something Edwards never experienced before.

“As soon as I came in, Mac laid it out straight for us. He said there’s going to be challenges, but at the end of the day, we’re chasing another championship,” Edwards said. “To be No. 1, we have to train like we want to be No. 1 every day. That’s the emphasis we’re rolling with every day in training.”

SU’s transfers made an immediate impact on the team’s success. After opening its campaign with shutout wins over Providence and Binghamton, the Orange’s first challenge came on the road against then-No. 20 Penn State.

An SU red card opened the door for a Nittany Lions’ goal, breaking a scoreless tie in the 88th minute. But, NC State transfer Pablo Pedregosa equalized just 13 seconds later in an eventual 1-1 result.

“We’re quickly buying into … our Syracuse DNA,” McIntyre said. “The guys have really shown that on the field and they’ve shown resiliency. When we’ve been punched, we’ve punched back in games.”

While the Orange have started 3-1-3, they’re still attempting to fill the voids that Amferny Sinclair, Levonte Johnson, Nathan Opoku and others have left. The trio combined for 71 starts, while Johnson and Opoku were SU’s top-two point scorers.

“Last season, we were really successful because of our locker room. It was such a tight-knit group. We would always hang out together,” Shaw said. “Everyone had a common goal that we were trying to strive for. There wasn’t anyone going against the grain.”

While players may have come and gone, a championship remains the goal. Now, with a target on their back, the new group looks to become the sixth school in NCAA history to win two consecutive titles.

“When we began last year, we would always say we’re going to win the national championship,” Shaw said. “Every team says that. We had a feeling it was going to happen, but we didn’t know for sure. This year, we’re eating at the big boy table now. We know we can definitely do it. We’ve done it before, so why can’t we do it again?”

Published on September 20, 2023 at 10:57 pm