The regular season’s final month has arrived for Notre Dame men’s soccer. At 5-1-3 but unranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, the Irish have played well, but apparently not well enough to capture national attention. Beginning with this Saturday’s trip to Syracuse, they would like to hit the accelerator and make a move down the stretch.
Syracuse surely hopes to do the same. The Orange have experienced a downturn since claiming a national championship in 2022 and enter Saturday’s contest at 4-4-3 overall and 0-2-2 in ACC play. You might be thinking it simply isn’t their year, but the Orange began this season with expectations higher than where they’re headed. They opened the year ranked 25th nationally having reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. At their current rate, the Orange would miss the tournament entirely.
Notre Dame has won each of its last four matches, unlocking its offense with the help of a lighter schedule. The Irish last defeated Trine by a 7-1 score on Tuesday after upsetting No. 12 Clemson by a 2-1 margin Friday night. During the win streak, Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 18-4.
Unsurprisingly, senior forward Matthew Roou has remained an integral part of Notre Dame’s recent success. The Irish talisman has scored in four consecutive games, following up back-to-back hat tricks with a game-winning goal against Clemson and a brace against Trine. Roou has already reached 10 goals on the season, equaling the career high he set in 2023. He leads the ACC in scoring by two goals and is tied with Jesus Barea (Missouri State) and Alec Hughes (Massachusetts) for the national lead. Senior midfielder and captain Bryce Boneau also leads the conference in assists after registering two against Trine.
Syracuse, on the other hand, has struggled at times to find the back of the net, ranking 11th in the ACC with 1.55 goals per game. The Orange lost 11 of their top 12 scorers from last year’s team, returning only Preseason All-ACC selection Nicholas Kaloukian, their leading point-getter in 2023. Daniel Burko, a transfer from Lincoln Memorial University, currently leads Syracuse with three goals after scoring 20 as the South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year last season. Graduate student Gabe Threadgold has come over from Washington to match him with six points on the year. Michael Acquah has emerged as another impact transfer, leading the Orange with three assists after sliding up from Lindsey Wilson College.
Syracuse has benefited from strong performances in goal from Tomas Hut this season. Hut, a former transfer from Army, did not play a single minute in his first season with the Orange last year, but he’s the full-time starter now. The senior keeper ranks third in the ACC with a .738 save percentage and second in the conference with 31 saves. He has been especially busy as of late, making 14 stops in his last three matches.
Looking ahead at their schedule, the Orange could really use a big result against Notre Dame. After hosting the Irish, they will finish their ACC schedule at Virginia before facing top 25 programs in No. 24 Clemson and No. 1 Pittsburgh. If Syracuse is to make a run toward the NCAA Tournament, it likely has to start Saturday or very soon after.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, has a huge week upcoming. The Irish will host a Michigan team receiving votes and a North Carolina squad ranked third in the country in the six days after facing Syracuse.
Saturday’s match between Notre Dame and Syracuse is set to kick off at 7 p.m. inside SU Soccer Stadium.
