Syracuse hosts Boston College on Saturday in NCAA Men’s Elite Eight

SYRACUSE, N.Y.  (Via Syracuse University) – A spot in the College Cup is up for grabs when No. 6 Syracuse hosts Boston College in the quarterfinals of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 5. Start time is set for 2 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. The winner will advance to the national semifinals, which would the first in either program’s history.

SCOUTING THE ORANGE (15-5-3)
Syracuse is making it first appearance in the Elite Eight in program history. The Orange is coming off a 3-1 victory against Seattle in the third round. Syracuse never trailed, scoring 1:30 into the match. Redshirt junior Liam Callahan (Amherst, N.Y.) had two assists, while three different players recorded goals as Syracuse advanced past the third round for the first time in three tries.

The Orange boasts one of the top-scoring offenses in the nation. Syracuse currently ranks seventh in the country in points (131), ninth in goals (45) and 10th in assists (41). Sophomore Julian Buescher leads the Orange in scoring with 27 points (8 goals, 11 assists), while junior Ben Polk is right behind with 26 points. He leads the team with 11 goals.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES (11-7-2)
Boston College advanced to the Elite Eight by winning a penalty kick shootout last weekend at third-seeded Georgetown. The match officially ended in a 1-1 tie, but the Eagles won the shootout, 5-4. The team is making its second appearance in the quarterfinals under the leadership of head coach Ed Kelly.

Boston College has a balanced offensive attack, led by Simon Enstrom, who ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in scoring with 22 points (9 goals, 4 assists). Zeiko Lewis has recorded 18 points (5 goals, 8 assists) this season, while Trevor Davock has 17 (6 goals, 5 assists). Goalkeepers Alex Kapp and Cedric Saladin have shared time in goal this season for the Eagles. Kapp has a 0.98 GAA and a .750 save percentage, while Saladin has a 1.59 GAA and a .691 save percentage.

THE SERIES
Syracuse and Boston College will meet for the 28th time on Saturday. The Eagles own a 16-10-1 advantage in the all-time series. The squads met on Oct. 30 in Newton, Mass. in the regular-season finale. Boston College scored twice in the first half and held off a Syracuse come-back attempt in a 2-1 victory.

UP NEXT…
The winner of Saturday’s match advances to the College Cup where it will face either No. 2 seed Clemson or No. 10 seed Maryland in the national semifinals on Friday, Dec. 11 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.