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SU begins Big East tournament against Irish By Josh Hyber STAFF WRITER
Syracuse’s players have talked all season about advancing deep into the Big East tournament. They want to make a statement in their last season in the conference. Now is their chance. Syracuse plays Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the Who: Notre Dame Where: South Bend, Ind. conference tourWhen: Sunday, 1 p.m. nament in South Bend, Ind., on Sunday at 1 p.m. Behind strong defense, goaltending and timely goal scoring, the Orange finished second in the National Division to set up the matchup with the Fighting Irish, the No. 3 team in the American Division. SU players are more confident than ever. Senior defender Skylar Sabbag went as far as almost guaranteeing victory. “I think we’re definitely going to put it past them,” Sabbag said. “I hope that we continue to play as long as we can, because I don’t want it to end.” SU goalkeeper Brittany Anghel said there is a bit of smack talk going on between her and Notre Dame forward Karin Simonian. Anghel and Simonian have played soccer together since they were 5 and grew up good friends on Long Island.
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“When I saw his goal versus Colgate I said, ‘Why didn’t you say you scored a cracker?’ He said it felt good, but I wanted to see what it was like on video,” George said. When the Orange squares off against St. John’s, George will finally get that chance. The game will be televised online on ESPN3, which will give George a chance to watch a game in its entirety instead of just bits and pieces or short highlights. George has had the chance to see many highlights, though, as Vale’s highlight clip in his rookie season continues to expand. With his success in Big East play, the accolades have piled up for Vale. He was named the Big East Rookie of the Week on Oct. 8 and awarded a spot on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the week ending Oct. 21. Vale’s immediate success doesn’t come as
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“I think that they think they’re going to kill us, but little do they know,” Anghel said. “We’re going to be out to get them. I think it’s going to be a good game.” Anghel and SU head coach Phil Wheddon know Notre Dame’s style of play well. Wheddon assists Fighting Irish coach Randy Waldrum with the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team, which Anghel played for last summer. The team has used its week off to watch Notre Dame film and focus on its game plan. “I think we’re all really excited because we know they’re a beatable team,” Sabbag said. “They’re a lot different team than they were in the past. … You can just see it and feel it in the air that we’re working really hard. We’ve got a big battle coming up on Sunday and we’re ready for it.” Last season the Orange lost its Big East quarterfinal game to Georgetown 3-1 after losing its final two regular-season games. This season, the Orange fell to American Division leader Marquette 2-0 before dominating St. John’s in a 3-0 win. Sabbag said with the momentum the team has and with the strides it’s made this season, the Orange is a threat to the Fighting Irish. “It’s always good to end on a high note,” freshman Jackie Firenze said. Firenze feels fortunate to be part of what could be a special team in only her first year.
much of a surprise to teammate Lars Muller. Muller knew Vale would excel for the Orange as soon as the team started practicing. Muller saw something different in Vale, a natural instinct and dexterity at finishing around the net, particularly with his head. “He’s more explosive than the other players in the box,” Muller said. “I think that’s why he scores so many goals with the head.” Though the 5-foot-10-inch Vale isn’t tall, Muller said he is tactfully aggressive when moving to the ball. Vale’s proficiency at scoring header goals has helped ignite the Orange to a victory on multiple occasions, including in a conference matchup against Rutgers. Vale’s most recent goal came in the 40th minute of Syracuse’s 2-0 win over DePaul. Juuso Pasanen lofted a ball into the box. Vale jockeyed for position and got the back of his head on the ball, which ricocheted past the keeper and into the net. Muller is excited at the thought that Vale has three more years in an Orange uniform. “You’re asking yourself, ‘How good is he going to be when he’s a senior?’” Muller said. “He’s a young kid, but he understands the game and it’s really nice to play with him.” Vale wasn’t sure of what to expect coming into his freshman season. He said the style of play is much more physical and fast-paced in America. Despite the necessary adjustments Vale knew he’d be ready for the challenge. “I was confident in coming in here with the
Firenze is from nearby Baldwinsville and has seen the team’s struggles as a spectator. “Anything is possible,” Firenze said. “We’ve been working hard and we have a great chance of continuing our season after Notre Dame, and we really think that we can beat them.” Senior Jenna Rickan said the team is excited to take that next step. “I think it’s a unique opportunity and I really would love nothing more than to beat them,”
“Anything is possible. We’ve been working hard and we have a great chance of continuing our season after Notre Dame, and we really think that we can beat them.” Jackie Firenze
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Anghel said. “It would be good to leave our stamp in the Big East and beat Notre Dame and move on from there, and hopefully win a Big East title.” jmhyber@syr.edu
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ziniu chen | staff photographer JORDAN VALE leads the Orange in goals, points and shots in his freshman season. Vale adapted to the college game quickly. team and confident in myself,” Vale said. “I was just hoping I’d carry that confidence into games and do well. As a team we have, and individually mostly I have.” Head coach Ian McIntyre has been impressed with Vale’s play thus far. The rookie leads the team in goals and overall points, and has been a spark plug for Syracuse throughout the season. McIntyre said Vale is aggressive with his runs into the box and has scored goals in a variety of ways at important times for Syracuse. “He’s made a quick transition to the college game,” McIntyre said. “He’s got the physicality and the technique. He’s got a terrific worth ethic. I think that’s probably what separates him — to play at the same tempo for 90 minutes.” tbhass@syr.edu
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