SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Loyola University Maryland battled through first half deficit and a man-down situation in the second half, but couldn't overcome two first-half goals in a 2-0 loss to Syracuse on Friday night at SU Soccer Stadium.
The Greyhounds (0-3-0) kept Syracuse off the scoreboard after halftime despite playing the final 29-plus minutes with 10 men. Loyola goalkeeper Felix Huebner made five saves in the second half to keep the Greyhounds within striking distance.
Syracuse (2-1-0) scored twice in a span of just over two minutes late in the opening half. Bryson Rodriguez put the Orange ahead in the 34th minute, with assists from Badr Laghjibi and Emmanuel Cophy. Pedro Gulli doubled the advantage at 35:40, assisted by Dario White and Laghjibi.
Loyola had chances early, with midfielder Lukas Cortes registering three shots in the opening half. His best opportunity came in the 23rd minute, but the shot went wide.
The Greyhounds entered halftime trailing 2-0 but responded with a more resilient defensive effort after the break. Huebner replaced Connor O'Keefe in goal and immediately faced pressure from the Orange, making saves on Syracuse shots in the 53rd, 63rd, 68th and 77th minutes.
Loyola's task became more difficult in the 61st minute when defender Timi Adekunle received a red card for serious foul play, forcing the Greyhounds to play the remainder of the match a player short.
Edwin Espinal-Elvir produced Loyola's lone shot on target in the 60th minute, forcing Syracuse goalkeeper Kyle Jansen to make the save. Tyler Flynn added a shot in the 74th minute, but it went high.
The Orange finished with a 22-5 advantage in shots and held 60% of the possession. Syracuse also earned 11 corner kicks to Loyola's two.
Despite the disparity, Loyola's second-half effort prevented the match from getting away. The Greyhounds were outshot 14-2 after halftime but held Syracuse scoreless for the final 45 minutes.
Huebner finished with five saves in his second-half appearance, while O'Keefe made two saves before halftime.
