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
ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Syracuse men's soccer team had an unusual way to celebrate its 3-0 victory over Florida Gulf Coast Sunday afternoon¬ - helping fix the divits in the field.
Immediately after the win, the team helped replace the grass back in the divits made during the game.
The field, along with other elements, created some adversity that the Orange had to overcome in its Mayor's Cup clinching victory over FGC.
"I think both teams struggled early on to figure out if this was going to be a real sloppy day or if this was going to get better as the day went on," said Syracuse head coach Dean Foti. "We (Foti and FGC coach Bob Butehorn) were hoping it would dry out as the day went on, and I think it did, but there were some really sloppy parts of it."
With the rain from Saturday night and the continuous use of the field over the past few days, it was no surprise the field was sloppy.
Syracuse's game against FGC was the fifth game in three days on Elmore Field at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. The field took a continuous beating over the weekend and with the rainfall last night, created slippery conditions for the players.
About 15 minutes into the game, Foti was on the sideline fixing parts of the field he could. Senior forward Spencer Schomaker took some spills as players could not get a grip of the field. It was soft in many locations, which made footwork challenging for the squads.
"It affected the game tremendously," said senior midfielder Pete Rowley. "Anytime you play on a field like that you get tired, it's like running on sand. That's a credit to our team because we probably used 17 or 18 guys today, and we just subbed people in. You have to be that much better with the ball, and that's what we were able to do today."
While the field helped create sloppiness on both ends of the field, the time of the game may have also factored into some sloppiness.
The game began at 11 a.m., which is the earliest start time for the Orange this season and its only game in the morning. Schomaker and Rowley could not remember a time that the Orange had to play this early in their time at Syracuse.
Immediately after the win, the team helped replace the grass back in the divits made during the game.
The field, along with other elements, created some adversity that the Orange had to overcome in its Mayor's Cup clinching victory over FGC.
"I think both teams struggled early on to figure out if this was going to be a real sloppy day or if this was going to get better as the day went on," said Syracuse head coach Dean Foti. "We (Foti and FGC coach Bob Butehorn) were hoping it would dry out as the day went on, and I think it did, but there were some really sloppy parts of it."
With the rain from Saturday night and the continuous use of the field over the past few days, it was no surprise the field was sloppy.
Syracuse's game against FGC was the fifth game in three days on Elmore Field at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. The field took a continuous beating over the weekend and with the rainfall last night, created slippery conditions for the players.
About 15 minutes into the game, Foti was on the sideline fixing parts of the field he could. Senior forward Spencer Schomaker took some spills as players could not get a grip of the field. It was soft in many locations, which made footwork challenging for the squads.
"It affected the game tremendously," said senior midfielder Pete Rowley. "Anytime you play on a field like that you get tired, it's like running on sand. That's a credit to our team because we probably used 17 or 18 guys today, and we just subbed people in. You have to be that much better with the ball, and that's what we were able to do today."
While the field helped create sloppiness on both ends of the field, the time of the game may have also factored into some sloppiness.
The game began at 11 a.m., which is the earliest start time for the Orange this season and its only game in the morning. Schomaker and Rowley could not remember a time that the Orange had to play this early in their time at Syracuse.
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