There were no celebratory dances after the Syracuse men’s soccer team’s 2-1 victory over Loyola on Wednesday night.

Instead of hugs and high-fives, the Orangemen exchanged business-like handshakes and marched off the Syracuse Soccer Stadium turf.

‘We know we can beat all these guys,’ forward Kirk Johnson said. ‘Not to sound overconfident, but when we play our game, we can beat almost everybody.’

Johnson and the Orangemen (4-2, 1-0) don’t dare voice any more bravado than that entering Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest at Seton Hall (3-2-1, 1-2 Big East). After all, last year’s 0-4-1 season-ending tailspin started with a tie against Seton Hall. Syracuse needs to keep its egos under control to avoid a repeat performance.

Since the team’s first win, a 3-2 decision over Georgetown, Syracuse coach Dean Foti has lectured the team on the dangers of overconfidence. Even as the team struggled to achieve victories against mediocre teams, his warnings continued.

‘What was good about (Wednesday’s) win is nobody was lax and settling into complacency,’ forward Jarett Park said. ‘We aren’t anywhere near where we should be and could be.’

But Syracuse’s older players need little reminder of what underestimating opponents can do. They remember the past two seasons.

Two years ago, the Orangemen peaked after a win against Providence. They proceeded to drop five straight games. Discussions of an NCAA bye were halted and the promise of 2000 turned into promises for 2001.

In 2001, the Orangemen again rose during the middle of the year, topping out at No. 18 after defeating then-No. 8 Rutgers. That victory was SU’s last over a ranked opponent before Wednesday night. It was also the final victory of last season. Syracuse nose-dived over the final two-and-a-half weeks and failed to make the Big East Tournament.

‘We’re high, hopefully not too high,’ said Guido Cristofori, who has points in five consecutive games. ‘We’ve gone through a few speeches trying to keep the team level-headed. (Foti didn’t like) a few things in the paper, the way questions were answered.’

Foti said his youthful teams didn’t know how to handle national prominence and grew overconfident toward each year’s end.

On Saturday, the Orangemen will have to motivate themselves without an impressive arena. While Seton Hall’s Owen T. Carroll Field seats 63 more than Syracuse’s home field, the turf looks like an overgrown high school facility.

The rectangular field is forced into the complex, shortening the distance between the endlines, while a baseball diamond encroaches on one corner.

‘It’s not a big stadium,’ Park said. ‘It’s not a lot of fans. For certain people, if you’re not going into a big arena, you don’t get up as much for a big game. They’re used to it, so they’re going to come out fired up while we could come out flat.’

The 2002 Pirates are dramatically different from the squad Syracuse faced last year. Gone are a pair of four-year starters in forward Greg Strohmann and defender Brian Ruth.

Strohmann’s been the most challenging Pirate to replace. Seton Hall coach Manny Schellscheidt was forced to insert freshman Michael Zotti in the front line along with senior Phil Swenda.

‘Losing Greg hurt a lot,’ Schellscheidt said. ‘Against Rutgers we had a lot of chances, but the guys just couldn’t put them away.’

Both players are quick, but also undersized, standing 5-foot-8. All three of Syracuse’s forwards stand more six feet. Seton Hall has been shut out in two of its three Big East contests.

The Pirates, however, were picked to finish one spot ahead of the Orangemen in the Big East preseason poll.

‘What’s the score going to be?” Schellscheidt wondered. “I really have no idea. All I know is we’re going to show up, and I’m sure Syracuse is going to show up.’

At least the Orangemen hope so.

‘(Losing) over and over again has finally made an impact,’ Park said. ‘(Foti) talks about it, but we never seem to correct it.’

Published on September 19, 2002 at 12:00 pm