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Ian McIntyre’s gameday wardrobe typically doesn’t vary. McIntyre often pairs black dress pants and a light blue polo with an orange tie. Saturday night, McIntyre’s outfit didn’t change. Though, there was a minor addition.

Over his dress shirt, McIntyre sported a bright Orange T-shirt, which players on Syracuse and Notre Dame wore pregame. The front read Pediatric Cancer Awareness Match with the SU and ND logos. On the back, purple letters read Malia. It was a way to honor Malia Jusczyk, the daughter of one of McIntyre’s college teammates at Hartwick University.

Jusczyk tragically passed away on June 14, 2023, following a long battle with neuroblastoma — a form of cancer that affects 650-700 children per year in the United States. Jusczyk fought off cancer once, but before her relapse in 2021.

Prior to SU’s matchup with Notre Dame Saturday, McIntyre had a simple message for his team. He wanted them to have a night to celebrate Jusczyk and what she stood for.

“I wanted us to put together a fight, and I wanted us to put on a performance that (Malia’d) be proud of,” McIntyre said. “I think, and I hope, that we did that.”

The message from McIntyre worked. In a wild back-and-forth affair, Syracuse (5-4-3, 1-2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) took down Notre Dame (5-2-3, 2-2-0 ACC) 2-1. All three goals were scored within seven minutes of each other, but Gabe Threadgold’s 60th-minute strike was the difference. SU had to dig deep during the final 15 minutes but held on for its first ACC win this season.

During the early portion of the season, McIntyre often stated he was excited to see where his team would be come October. He boasted a young squad with 13 freshmen. Syracuse had just one freshman a season ago. SU’s youth had been evident throughout its first 11 games in 2024 — especially during conference play.

Entering Saturday, the Orange held a lead in three of their four ACC games but failed to hold on for the full 90 minutes. It started with a tie against Boston College on Sept. 6. Then another draw with Louisville on Sept. 20, where the Cardinals scored a last-minute free kick.

The problem extended last Friday when the Orange suffered a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Wake Forest. Sam Layton gave Syracuse the lead in the second half, but two goals in two minutes from the Demon Deacons helped down SU.

Following a decisive 3-1 win over UAlbany Tuesday, SU’s next conference test came against Notre Dame, who hadn’t lost a game since Sept. 14. The Fighting Irish came one game away from winning the national championship in 2023 and were led by NCAA leading goal scorer Matthew Roou. Before Saturday, the striker produced 10 goals in just nine games.

Yet the Orange were up to the task Saturday, pulling out the win.

“We’re still a work in progress,” McIntyre said. “We weren’t terrible before this game. We’re not awesome after this game. But I’m so happy for our guys.”

The first half didn’t provide much action. Both teams combined for just one shot on goal which came via Roou just 35 seconds in. McIntyre felt Notre Dame started the first 20 minutes better, but thought his team built momentum heading into the second half.

The Orange then struck first with their first shot on goal. In the 54th minute, Threadgold drilled a low cross into the box, which somehow missed everyone in the box, but Ben Rosenblatt cleaned up at the back post. The defender fired a left-footed strike into the top left corner to open the scoring.

It was a familiar position for Syracuse, one it’d been in just eight days ago against Wake. Soon after, history looked to be repeating itself. Five minutes after SU took the lead, Notre Dame earned a free kick in the final third. Mitch Ferguson found himself open at the far post. He headed the ball back across goal to Roou, who didn’t waste his chance, heading home his 11th goal of the season, knotting the game 1-1.

This time, Syracuse made sure not to lay an egg and throw away another game from a winning position. Ninety-six seconds after conceding, the Orange were back in front.

Michael Acquah worked towards the end line, firing another low cross, but nobody was in position for a shot. It rolled to the back post and Threadgold was first to it. He unleashed a low shot that deflected off defender Kyle Genenbacher and through goalkeeper Blake Kelly’s legs, putting Syracuse ahead.

“We didn’t let Notre Dame land a second punch,” McIntyre said. “We scored that goal a couple minutes after them … those moments after you score a goal or concede a goal are critical.”

Syracuse learned from its previous mistakes and anchored down during the final 30 minutes. Tomas Hut came up with two crucial saves in three minutes, first to deny KK Baffour and then Bryce Boneau. On both stops, Hut got down low at his near post to keep SU in front.

Notre Dame continued to push for an equalizer, but it came up empty. Syracuse’s backline of Dominic Bell, Layton and Andre Cutler-DeJesus, along with help from Chimere Omeze, who operated as a midfielder for most of the game, held strong.

Outside of Boneau and Baffor’s efforts, Hut wasn’t tested. Desperate for an equalizer, ND put together one final push in the final minute. Roou floated a cross, which Threadgold headed away at the back post for a corner. Jacob Bartlett got to a bouncing ball, poking it towards goal, but Cutler-DeJesus deflected the shot. Bartlett got another chance, but Cutler-DeJesus slid and blocked it again with two seconds remaining.

As time expired, Syracuse players streamed onto the field. Cutler-DeJesus immediately sprinted upfield, emphatically pumping his first twice before being greeted by the crowd.

It wasn’t difficult to see how much the win meant. For a team that failed to hold onto numerous results, the relief was evident.

On top of that, Syracuse was playing for something bigger than soccer. McIntyre wanted to get a win for the Jusczyk family after what they’ve been through. It wasn’t always pretty, but McIntyre’s team answered the call.

“If we can put a few smiles on some faces tonight, then we’ve done our job,” McIntyre said.

Published on October 6, 2024 at 12:34 am

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22