No. 22 Syracuse Men’s Soccer Advances to ACC Semifinals in PKs Over No. 9 Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (SYRACUSE ATHLETICS) — Graduate student Daniel Diaz Bonilla’s penalty kick shootout goal helped lift No. 22 Syracuse over No. 9 Virginia Sunday afternoon, Nov. 4. The game was tied, 1-1, after regulation and two, 10-minute overtime periods, but the Orange won the shootout, 4-3, to advance to the ACC semifinals.
This is the second straight season ’Cuse has beaten the Cavaliers in penalty kicks in the ACC Tournament, having won the shootout, 5-3, last season to advance to the ACC Championship match for the second time in program history.
Junior Mateo Leveque scored the equalizer in the 84th minute to help sent the game into extra time.
Syracuse outshot Virginia, 24-9, including a 14-2 shots on target advantage. The Orange also had eight corners, to the Cavaliers two.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After a scoreless first half of play, Virginia’s Leo Alfonso found the back of the net at 50:40 to give the home team the 1-0 lead.
Syracuse continued its offensive attack and eventually found the equalizer with less than seven minutes to play.
Senior Lorenzo Boselli passed the ball off to Leveque just outside the box. Leveque then dribbled to the center of the box and sent the ball into the lower left side of the net for the score.
In penalty kicks, Syracuse missed its first attempt. Virginia held a 2-1 advantage before missing two of its final three attempts to set up Diaz Bonilla’s game winner.
Josh Belluz, Jeorgio Kocevski, Noah Singelmann and Diaz Bonilla scored for the Orange.
OF NOTE:
- Syracuse is now 8-4-6 in the ACC Tournament and have won four of the six matches that go to penalty kicks.
- The Orange extended its unbeaten streak in the ACC Tournament to five games (3-0-2) and the last 10 postseason games, including the NCAA Tournament.
- With the assist, Boselli now leads the team with 14 points.
- ’Cuse had a season-high 24 shot attempts and a season-best 14 shots on target.
- The Orange have allowed two-or-fewer shots on target in five straight matches.
- Leveque became the seventh different Syracuse player to score multiple goals this season.
UP NEXT:
Syracuse will return home to face North Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The game will air live on ACC Network.
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