No. 20 Syracuse (7-4-4, 1-3-2 Atlantic Coast) ended its season-long six-game unbeaten streak as it lost to Clemson (6-8-1, 1-6), 3-2, on Tuesday night in South Carolina. The contest was a makeup game that was postponed due to Hurricane Florence.

On a day in which SU received its highest ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll, it conceded three goals for the first time since Sept. 7 and granted a lower-tier ACC opponent its first conference victory. The loss all but secures the Orange’s standing as a low seed in the ACC tournament which begins next week. Syracuse has five points in conference play. The only team with less, Clemson, now has three.

“We’ve been very good this year and we had a poor first 45 minutes,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “We were a little bit sloppy, we had a difficult call go against us for the penalty and I don’t think we responded great to that.”

The Tigers strong first half ultimately decided the match. CU’s Tanner Dieterich converted a penalty kick in the 14th minute, the fourth such goal SU has allowed this season. The PK was awarded after Clemson peppered Syracuse’s backline with two consecutive corner kicks. After a foul call, Dieterich scored the Tigers’ first goal in two games.

Syracuse didn’t register a shot in the ensuing 15 minutes, racking up four fouls. Less than five minutes after inserting defensive midfielder Djimon Johnson in the game for John-Austin Ricks, Clemson doubled its score. Robbie Robinson ripped a low shot from outside the box that bested Orange goalie Hendrik Hilpert. SU only mustered four shots in the first half.

The Orange started the second half and quickly shifted momentum. Jonathan Hagman missed a shot wide and SU earned a corner kick in the 53rd minute. Hugo Delhommelle found defender Len Zeugner inside the six-yard box and halved the deficit.

SU generated the next three shots, but never found twine. After junior transfer Severin Soerlie blasted a shot wide, Clemson’s Adrian Nunez finished a counter attack with his sixth goal of the year in the 80th.

“Response second half was excellent,” McIntyre said. “…. Gave up a soft goal but came firing in the end.”

Immediately, McIntyre subbed on three offensive-minded starters: Tajon Buchanan, Ryan Raposo and Hagman. Two minutes later, Raposo found Massimo Ferrin near the goal line to bring the Orange within one goal.

Syracuse retained the pressure: Buchanan had a header saved. Ferrin missed high and a last-second corner kick was futile. The Tigers ended SU’s season a year ago in the first-round of the ACC tournament. In 2017, Clemson knocked out the Orange on penalties in the conference tournament. Tuesday night was a chance at payback, and perhaps more importantly, a chance to pick up a much-need ACC win. SU failed at both.

“We weren’t at our best,” McIntyre said. “As a coach, I own that.”

The Orange return home for its season-finale against Boston College (4-6-3, 2-5-0) on Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m.

Published on October 23, 2018 at 9:48 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez