Syracuse Men’s Soccer Advances to ACC Championship in PK’s over UVA

By: Andrew Selover | @AndrewSelover

CitrusTV Men’s Soccer Beat Reporter

Syracuse players stepped to the penalty spot five times in a penalty shootout to determine an ACC tournament semifinal between Syracuse and Virginia, and all five times the Orange converted. In the end, SU knocked off UVA 5-3 in the penalty shootout in what was a 2-2 draw after double overtime. It was Colin Biros who sent home the fifth penalty and sent students flooding the field in celebration.

When asked about choosing his shootout lineup, head coach Ian McIntyre said, “They bully me, basically. Biros has been a pain in my backside. He told me that he has to be the number five penalty taker to take all the glory. We have a number of guys that we feel are not just good penalty takers, but players with technique and players with self-confidence.”

Biros added, “I have confidence in moments like that when the team needs me to step in and make a play. Like I said before, it’s not just my moment. If any of our guys miss their penalties, if Russell (Shealy) misses a save, then we do not win. It was a complete team effort, and I am just happy that we could finish it off.”

Syracuse is headed back to the ACC Championship, where they haven’t been since 2015, a year the Orange took home the title for the first and only time in program history, SU will face Clemson, a team it already knocked off 2-1 on the road earlier this year. The championship is scheduled for noon on Sunday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.