Ryan Hall wanted to hide his face.

With a towel draped over his head, Hall slowly crossed the parking lot that separates the Syracuse Soccer Stadium and Manley Field House last night after Syracuse’s (5-5, 1-3 Big East) 3-1 loss to Villanova (3-8, 1-4).

It was the second straight game in which the Orangemen lost to an opponent who entered winless in conference play.

‘We stole that one,’ Villanova coach Larry Sullivan said. ‘That was grand theft auto.’

Over its last two games Syracuse has lost by a combined score of 6-1 against opponents with overall records totaling 3-14 entering the contests. Like Saturday’s matchup with Providence, the Orangemen allowed three first-half goals last night and, once again, failed to score a first-half goal against one of the conference’s most feeble opponents.

‘It’s more shocking than anything,’ Hall said. ‘Losing 3-1 to Villanova’s just embarrassing.’

After the final whistle blew, Syracuse shuffled to its bench, reserves standing aloofly to one side, almost afraid to speak with the starters who sat haphazardly on the bench.

Some wore shirts, some sat bare-chested. Some guzzled water, some spat on the grass. The unit had one thing in common. None looked up from the ground.

‘It’s an up-up-uphill battle from here,’ senior Kevin Boyle said. ‘You can’t lose to two teams everyone else beats and expect a good result.’

The loss dropped the Orangemen to .500 and gave them three Big East losses, only two less then they had all last season when they failed to qualify for the Big East tournament. Worse yet, the defeat dropped them into 13th place in the 14-team Big East with a matchup against last-place West Virginia looming Saturday.

‘The names on the paper don’t play,’ SU assistant coach Jaro Zawislan said. ‘In theory, we have players who have accomplished something. We need to find some consistency and stop digging ourselves holes.’

SU head coach Dean Foti did not speak with the media after the game.

While the Orangemen had already disposed of NCAA Tournament thoughts for the moment, now any postseason plans are in serious jeopardy.

‘I’m sure that’s in the back of some guys’ minds,’ midfielder Ryan Hickey said. ‘People are going to see this and think we’re falling apart, but we’re not.”

Like Saturday’s loss at Providence, Villanova scored early last night, catching SU goaltender Alim Karim off his line with a header from 16 yards out. A misplayed dump by SU defender Matt Chew and a slip by Hall set up the second goal, while Villanova’s Ross Brindle scored on a breakaway to put the Wildcats up, 3-0, in the first 40 minutes.

Unlike the Providence loss, Syracuse insists it didn’t underestimate its opponent. Instead, the Orangemen failed to score on a pair of point-blank attempts while their opponents ravaged the Syracuse net.

‘It wasn’t like last time,’ Boyle said. ‘Tonight, the guys left their hearts on the field. It’s sad, really.’

After the third goal, Boyle looked at the sky, holding his palms upward, asking for answers as to why the Orangemen continue their frustrating road.

He received no answer. Just like SU hasn’t received any all year. Just like it hasn’t for three years. In each of those seasons, talent has been in place for drives deep into the Big East tourney.

In 2000, the Orangemen earned a national ranking, began discussing NCAA Tournament seeds and lost their final five games, missing the tourney entirely. In 2001, they dropped their final four games, failing to even make the Big East tournament.

And already buried in second-to-last-place in league, SU still must face the Big East’s big fish of Connecticut, Rutgers and St. John’s.

‘You’re telling me that (we’re) a .500 team with all the talent in that locker room?’ Hickey asked. ‘No way.’

Then why does it seem the Orangemen are headed to another mediocre season?

‘That’s the big question mark,’ Hall said. ‘I don’t know. If we did, I’m sure we’d fix it.’

Published on October 2, 2002 at 12:00 pm