Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMSOC | Syracuse overcomes sloppy field, frustrations in victory
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 9/8/08, 1:36 AM EST Section: Sports
The team woke up at 6:30 a.m. and had breakfast at 7 a.m., far different from the normal wake-up procedure for night games.
"That might have done it," Schomaker said. "This is the first time I've played a morning game in four of five years, but at the same time, it could have been we were a little tired. We picked it up at the end and definitely our maturity showed."
The referees did not seem to make things easier for Syracuse and FGC. There were constant whistles for offside calls and plenty of whistle blowing that each squad seemed to think was going in the other team's direction.
Seventeen seconds into the second half, junior forward Tom Perevegyencev shot a ball off the top cross bar that careened to Schomaker, who headed it toward the goal where it was stopped by a hand of an FGC defender. Schomaker thought he had the goal, but instead, the Orange had to settle for a penalty kick, which Rowley did not convert.
Rowley was hit later in the game with a yellow card for arguing a possession call that went against the Orange, and one FGC player was ejected. Several times, Foti and assistant coach Jaro Zawislan yelled at the referees about a play that did not go in SU's favor. Even Kyle Hall, who is often calm and collective on the field, seemed agitated by one of the calls.
Foti thinks his team got too caught up with worrying about the refs and it became a distraction to his players. He said his team needs to focus more on just playing soccer.
In the end, though, the coach will take the victory considering the circumstances.
"Playing in these environments where maybe things aren't going your way, you have to be able to survive," Foti said. "You have to be able to function. I thought we did OK with it today."
mrehalt@syr.edu
"That might have done it," Schomaker said. "This is the first time I've played a morning game in four of five years, but at the same time, it could have been we were a little tired. We picked it up at the end and definitely our maturity showed."
The referees did not seem to make things easier for Syracuse and FGC. There were constant whistles for offside calls and plenty of whistle blowing that each squad seemed to think was going in the other team's direction.
Seventeen seconds into the second half, junior forward Tom Perevegyencev shot a ball off the top cross bar that careened to Schomaker, who headed it toward the goal where it was stopped by a hand of an FGC defender. Schomaker thought he had the goal, but instead, the Orange had to settle for a penalty kick, which Rowley did not convert.
Rowley was hit later in the game with a yellow card for arguing a possession call that went against the Orange, and one FGC player was ejected. Several times, Foti and assistant coach Jaro Zawislan yelled at the referees about a play that did not go in SU's favor. Even Kyle Hall, who is often calm and collective on the field, seemed agitated by one of the calls.
Foti thinks his team got too caught up with worrying about the refs and it became a distraction to his players. He said his team needs to focus more on just playing soccer.
In the end, though, the coach will take the victory considering the circumstances.
"Playing in these environments where maybe things aren't going your way, you have to be able to survive," Foti said. "You have to be able to function. I thought we did OK with it today."
mrehalt@syr.edu
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