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With Providence down 1-0, Miguel Candela sent a long ball in the 10th minute. Rodrigo Vaza streaked down the left side to reach the ball, but Syracuse’s Gabriel Mikina sprinted stride-for-stride with Vaza, forcing the ball out of play.

Providence couldn’t capitalize on the ensuing corner kick. On SU’s next trip into the Friar’s zone, Lorenzo Boselli headed in a corner to put the Orange up 2-0.

“We knew that if we got up on (Providence) tight, didn’t let them have the ball, they were going to take shots and score goals,” Mikina said postgame.

Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast) controlled the flow of the game from the start against Providence (0-1 Big East) in a season-opening victory. Boselli scored the game’s only two goals within the first 12:08, both coming off headers. On defense, Syracuse pressed high, making it difficult for Providence to create chances.

“If you give (Providence) too much time on the ball, they can pick you apart,” said Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. “Putting pressure on their back three and midfield was critical.”

Mikina and the Orange flew around the field making play after play to curb Providence’s offense. The Friars had difficulty through SU’s high press barely crossing midfield during the first half.

In the 23rd minute, Providence goalie Lukas Burns controlled the ball in the 18-yard box and rolled it out to Nathan Messer. Trying to break the high press, Messer delivered a pass to Gevork Diarbian in the center of the Friar’s defensive third. Upon Messer’s decision, Mikina got in front of Diarbian and took the ball away.

The defender dribbled forward, sending a pass to Nicholas Kaloukian, who was tripped up before he could get a shot off. While the Orange were unsuccessful to create a chance off Mikina’s play, they continued to dominate off their high press.

“Mikina has that physicality and he has that engine,” McIntyre said.

Syracuse made Providence pay on the offensive end for its inability to beat the press. Just over five minutes into the first half, Jeorgio Kocevski faked to his left on Messer and found an uncovered Nate Edwards on the right side. Edwards fired a cross that missed the SU front line.

Giona Leibold gained control of Edwards’ pass and cut to his left. Leibold ran along endline as Boselli cut toward the net. Leibold spotted the senior and floated a perfect ball up to him. Boselli finished with a header into the top right corner, scoring the Orange’s first goal of the season.

“It’s all about making the right runs, then the ball’s going to come,” Boselli said. “I know (my teammates) are going to make good crosses to us strikers… It’s up to us to finish the opportunities that we have.”

Six minutes later, Syracuse crisply moved downfield, breaking Providence’s own high press. Edwards ran along the right side, looking for a cross, but ran out of room on the end of the box. Edwards won a corner leading Mateo Leveque to take a corner kick for SU.

Leveque’s feed inside found Boselli, who was again in the right place at the right time. Boselli headed the ball toward the goal, ricocheting off Burns’ right hand and finding the back of the net, giving the Orange a 2-0 lead.

SU’s attacks resulted in 13 shots, nine more than the Friars. Eight of Syracuse’s shots were on target, compared to just two shots on goal from Providence. Even when Providence had clean looks, it rarely came close to converting.

The Friars got their first real look at cutting into Syracuse’s lead at the start of the second half. As the Orange remained in their high press, Providence finally broke it with Vaza splitting SU’s midfield. Vaza lightly tapped a pass to Brendan McSorley who controlled it with his right foot.

Buster Sjoberg was matched on McSorley, and stumbled after extending his leg out to poke the ball away. McSorley found a gap through SU’s back line that led right to Jason Smith, firing a low, bouncing shot to the left side. Smith dove to his left and deflected it out of play. It was Providence’s first shot of the game.

As the game wore on, so did the high press for SU. At the 17:54 mark of the second half, McSorley possessed it just past the midfield circle but was driven backward by Pablo Pedregosa’s aggressive defense. McSorley sent a pass behind him to Brandon Marshall, who was instantly chased by Boselli heading toward Providence’s goal. Marshall retreated, softly kicking it to Burns who came out of the goal area as the Friars looked to reset.

But the pass was too soft. Michael Suski couldn’t get to the ball first, colliding with Burns and creating a loose ball. It ended up right by Burns, as Providence looked to go the other way.

The Friars were slow in moving the ball upfield. Candela carried the ball forward, before dumping a long ball deep into SU’s zone. Rather than face Syracuse’s high press, the Friars’ lost patience late in the game and didn’t run a set offense.

“To limit that talented Providence team to the opportunities that we had, to have a clean sheet, very very important,” McIntyre said.

Published on August 25, 2023 at 12:26 am

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews