WASHINGTON – The No. 2/3 Georgetown University men's soccer team defeated the Syracuse University Orange Friday evening at the SU Soccer Complex in Syracuse, New York. With the victory, the Hoyas stay at a perfect 3-0, while the Orange falls to 1-2 on the young season.
Head Coach Brian Wiese

• "Georgetown/Syracuse is a fun game in any sport and tonight felt like a rivalry game. It was really hard and we had to battle more than we've had to in previous games. It wasn't the prettiest soccer game from our point of view, but it's satisyfying to get a win on the road against a good team that made it really hard for us.

 
There weren't a lot of moments tonight, but to see Dante (Polvara) and John (Franks) executing something we had talked about at halftime was really fun to see. It was a perfect ball and a really composed finish. I'm thrilled to see John starting the season like this."
How it Happened

• It was end-to-end action in the first half as both teams generated dangerous chances but with few shots on target.
• Georgetown's best chance came off of an SU corner as a counter attack resulted in a 3v1 for the Blue & Gray. The play was tracked down by one of the Orange players who managed to break it up before any damage could be done.
• The teams would go into the half in a scoreless tie.
• The lone goal of the game came from sophomore John Franks as he received a long pass from the left side from junior captain Dante Polvara. Syracuse keeper Russell Shealy came out of the box and Franks fired to the right post and buried it to make it 1-0 in the 58th minute of action.
• Syracuse searched for the equalizer with a number of good looks, but the Hoya defense and GU keeper Giannis Nikopolidis managed to thwart each attack.
• As the minutes wore on, the physicality increased as the game turned into a classic rivalry match.
• The teams combined for six cards including an SU red card in the 88th minute.
• In the final seconds, Cuse managed one last chance as everyone came forward. However, GU managed to clear and hang on for the 1-0 victory.

Of Note

• Georgetown was outshot 6-3, but had two shots on goal while Syracuse did not manage any.
• The Hoyas were awarded eight corner kicks to Cuse's two in the game.
• Nikopolidis picked up the shutout in the net, despite no saves, marking his second of the season.
• The goal was the second of Franks' career.

Up Next

• The Hoyas will host Santa Clara at Shaw Field on Monday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Live stats will be available on GUHoyas.com and the game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi on FloSports featuring Georgetown alums Dan Helfrich and Tom Greaser. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.