After an Albany own goal in the 50th minute gave Syracuse a one-goal lead, Louis Clark did everything in his power to give the Orange a much-needed insurance goal.

Clark brought the ball downfield and found an open Lars Muller. Muller generated space and delivered a strike to a streaking Tony Asante. Asante steadied himself and tactfully placed the ball past the outstretched right arm of goalie Tim Allen.

The goal gave Syracuse some breathing room en route to its season-opening 2-0 win over the Great Danes in front of a record 1,581 fans at SU Soccer Stadium. The Orange is 4-1-1 against Albany all time and has now won seven of its last eight home openers.

Coming off a rough three-win season, the win Friday gives Syracuse confidence to start off its 2012 campaign.

“It was brilliant to get a goal of our own, one that wasn’t an own goal,” Clark said. “I thought it gave us the confidence that we needed.”

The goal was the first of Asante’s SU career. A former star at Monroe College, the Ghana-born forward made his mark in the first game of the season.

“When Louis got the ball and Lars made the run, I knew he was going to give it to Lars,” Asante said. “As soon as Lars got it, I was wide open, so I called for the ball and he gave it to me.”

Head coach Ian McIntyre subbed Clark, Muller, Asante and freshman midfielder Stefanos Stamoulacatos into the game in the 60th minute and the tempo changed immediately.

The group brought a sense of urgency and precision and created plenty of scoring opportunities. Asante missed a good chance to score less than a minute before his eventual goal, but was ready when the time came.

“In soccer, you’re going to get chances and you’re going to miss some and you’re going to make some,” Asante said. “As soon as you miss, you’re hoping you’re going to get the next one. And we did get it.”

Syracuse controlled the pace of the game and maintained the ball with regularity. The Orange outshot the Danes 22-7 and attempted 11 corner kicks compared to two for Albany.

“I felt that we were in control of the game,” McIntyre said. “However, we’ve been on the other end of these games, so to keep the ball and to get rewarded for our play was great.”

Though he only faced two shots on goal, freshman goalie Alex Bono posted a shutout in his collegiate debut. The No. 1 recruit in New York state calmly thwarted the few opportunities the Danes had and played with poise and intensity.

Bono played his first game in front of the largest crowd in SU soccer history. The record surpassed the previous high of 1,493 in the season opener against Notre Dame in 1996.

“(The fans) were unbelievable,” Clark said. “They’re like a 12th man out there.”

After a 3-12-1 campaign last year, the season opener gave hopeful fans something to cheer about.

Syracuse got off to a slow start in the first half, as its shots sailed wide or over the top of the goal.

In the eighth minute, Stamoulacatos drove a shot toward the box, but the ball went to the right and out of bounds.

Another chance came in the 28th minute, when Muller received a lob and tapped it to Ted Cribley. Cribley made a move and fired a shot, but the ball skirted to the left of the goal.

The players’ efforts were finally rewarded in the 50th minute when a Ben Ramin throw ricocheted off Albany defender Philip Persson and into the net for an own goal. It wasn’t the sharp, definitive goal that Syracuse was looking for, but it gave the team an edge that would prove to be the difference.

The offense clicked at just the right time. The chemistry on the field translated to a critical insurance goal that gave the Orange a win and some momentum going forward.

“When they get the ball,” Asante said, “all you’ve got to do is make your run and they’ll find you.”

Published on August 25, 2012 at 8:08 pm

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