With its final three Big East games of the season looming, the Syracuse men’s soccer team will get something of a breather against a non-conference opponent.

Then again, nothing is a given for this team.

Still in search of a Big East tournament berth, Tuesday night will grant the Orange a brief respite from the struggles of conference play, as Syracuse takes on Adelphi at 7 p.m. in SU Soccer Stadium.

‘Our record is obviously not very good,’ SU senior midfielder Kenny Caceros said. ‘But we’re still in it and that’s our attitude going into the next few games.’

Tuesday night’s game will not have any direct influence on Syracuse’s Big East standings, but what the team does on the field will have an effect on the outlook for the remainder of the schedule.

A win against Adelphi would provide the Orange with some much needed confidence and momentum heading into its final stretch of Big East games. Another loss could further deflate Syracuse’s postseason chances and even bury the team deeper into its current hole.

History is on the Orange’s side. Syracuse leads the all-time series against Adelphi (16-11-0) and has won the last two meetings against the Panthers.

But the task is easier said than done. Adelphi comes into SU Soccer Stadium boasting an 8-2-4 record on the season. And prior to a loss at Houston Baptist on Saturday, the Panthers had a nine-game unbeaten streak.

Given Syracuse’s immense offensive struggles this season, a victory over the Panthers will have to be earned. Fortunately, the Orange is coming off one of its best performances of the season.

Against South Florida on Saturday night, Syracuse created more offensive opportunities, but had no goals to show for it. Still, the players said they took away some confidence from that performance that will carry over into the next game.

‘Eventually we think we’re going to have to get a break,’ senior midfielder/forward Elliott Townsend said after Saturday night’s loss. ‘Eventually we think things will turn around.’

Syracuse has begun to show signs of that turnaround in its last few games. Syracuse put forth a dominating offensive performance against Rutgers just over two weeks ago. The Orange also played close games against Villanova and non-conference rival Hartwick, scoring in both contests.

Against the No. 12 team in the country, USF, the Orange managed to keep constant pressure in the offensive zone. The offense did not come away with any goals, but the ability to set up scoring plays and create open looks at the net is an encouraging sign for a team struggling to put the ball in the net.

The Orange has also given up its fair share of goals in the last several games. In total, Syracuse has allowed 12 goals in its last four games.

Many of those goals came in the latter portion of the second half of games, when Syracuse was struggling to maintain its energy. If the Orange can maintain pressure and keep Adelphi from finding the back of the net, the team’s chances of pulling out a victory will increase substantially.

‘We’ve just got to stay composed,’ senior captain Hansen Woodruff said. ‘We just have to stay composed and make sure everything goes on target.’

Syracuse will face its final non-conference opponent of the season Tuesday night. The timing could not be better for a team that is one conference loss away from standing on the outside looking in at the Big East tournament.

The Orange cannot lose any ground in the Big East even if they fall to Adelphi on Tuesday, but the meaning of an Orange win cannot be understated.

‘If we play the way we know we can, we think we can get into the tournament,’ Woodruff said. ‘We just have to keep our heads up and stay positive.’

azmeola@syr.edu

Published on October 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm