When the final whistle blew in Syracuse’s 110-minute scoreless draw against Louisville on Sept. 13, Simon Triantafillou immediately laid on his back and put his hands on his head.

The Orange had just endured their third-consecutive double overtime game, and for all 20 minutes of extra time, played a man-down. Triantafillou was on the field for every minute of SU’s previous two matches. After pushing himself through the two overtime periods, the junior midfielder said he was “absolutely exhausted.”

“The legs are shot,” Triantafillou said thinking back. “The mind is shot.”

Syracuse (3-3-4, 0-2-2 Atlantic Coast) has played more minutes per game (98.7) than every other teams in Division I. The Orange has gone to overtime five times this season, including four straight games from Sept. 6-17. All but once, those contests ended in a draw after two 10-minute periods.

After the bout against Louisville, Triantafillou took off his shin guards, rolled down his socks and got back to his feet with the assistance of two teammates. The Ontario native knew he had to start readying himself for training the next day, and, more importantly, the Orange’s contest with Cornell four days later.

“We’ve played an extra game with all our overtimes,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “We’ve been grinding.”

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Following the Orange’s postgame huddle, players slowly retreated back to the locker room where recovery begins minutes after. Triantafillou said he typically follows the same routine after each match, but following a double-overtime game, he takes more time to recuperate his body. Each player seeks out what they need to tend to minor injuries or soreness.

Syracuse players’ recovery tools include ice baths, massages, compression boots and foam rollers. For Triantafillou, the ice bath “hurts too much,” so he wraps his knees and ankles instead. His goal is to get his body right for training the next day, even though it usually takes 48 hours for soreness and minor injuries to go away.

“By the end of those (overtime) games, your legs are shaking and you’re so tired mentally,” sophomore Ryan Raposo said. “It’s your individual responsibility to be at 110 percent by the time the next game comes.”

McIntyre controls the intensity of the first practice after a game based on the number of minutes played by each individual. It’s lighter than usual. For those that play the majority of each match, like Raposo and Triantafillou, their session is primarily led by SU’s training staff.

Trainers lead those players through stretching exercises and yoga, which is just enough to work up a sweat, Triantafillou said. Then, they lay back-down on a treatment table and put on compression boots to help reduce swelling and improve circulation from their feet up to their thighs. Unless injuries continue to linger, they’ll rejoin sessions with the rest of the team the next day.

“We will cater to the physical needs of the guys so that we can try to get them back as quickly as possible,” McIntyre said. “This time of year, it’s about recovering immediately with the quick turnarounds.”

On the morning of Oct. 1, the Orange’s match against Albany was canceled due to forecasted thunderstorms. Instead of another two-match week, SU had a week-long period between games, its longest stretch of the season. Raposo said the Orange was disheartened to have a game called off the day of, but the extra time to recover was “much needed.”

As Syracuse gears up for a challenging final month of the season — including games against No. 18 North Carolina and No. 11 Clemson — its players must maintain their recovery habits to stay fresh.

The Orange could have played fewer minutes if they held a 1-0 lead against Yale on Sept. 6 or a 2-0 lead against New Hampshire two days later. SU’s inability to convert chances and protect leads has led to the minutes piling up.

But McIntyre said he doesn’t think all of SU’s overtime games will affect how the Orange play late in the season, though, because its recovery plan should overshadow any concern of fatigue.

“Any coach would want a fresh group, any coach would rather not play five overtime games,” McIntyre said. “You may question quality and execution, but you don’t question this team’s resilience or commitment.”

Published on October 8, 2019 at 9:38 pm

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