No. 25 Syracuse men’s soccer drops 2-1 heartbreaker to No. 12 Akron
By: Evan Zaretsky | @evan_zaretsky
AKRON, O.H. – No. 25 Syracuse men’s soccer (7-3-1, 1-2-1 ACC) hit the road for its first ranked nonconference matchup in October since 2022. SU battled with No. 12 Akron (6-1-2, 1-1-1 MAC) tonight.
The Zips struck early in the 9th minute on a free kick which saw Jack Roman sprint past three Syracuse defenders and loft a shot right over the head of Juan Martinez-Bastidas and into the net. Matt Dreas was given the assist.
Just seven minutes later, SU got on the board. Kristjan Fortier ripped a screamer from outside of the box in the top right corner, assisted by Badr Laghjii and Nathan Scott. The score marked the junior’s third of the season.
Two minutes into the second half, Syracuse had an opportunity with a penalty kick. But, Buster Honeywood’s shot went straight down the middle and deflected off the legs of Akron goalkeeper Brett Kamiski.
Akron took a late lead when Remi Agunbiade received a phenomenal ball from Braxton Hayes and scored to put the Zips up 2-1.
The road ahead for Syracuse continues to be grueling. The ‘Cuse returns home to face No. 11 Louisville on Saturday. The Cardinals have dropped just 1 of 11 matches this season. Kickoff from SU Soccer Stadium is set for 7. Be sure to follow @evan_zaretsky on X for live updates throughout the game!
