Orange To Face Seven NCAA Tournament Teams in 2016

2016 Schedule

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A rematch of last year's national semifinals against Clemson highlights the Syracuse men's soccer squad's 2016 schedule. Overall, the Orange will face seven teams that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament. Syracuse is coming off its most successful season in school history, making the program's first appearance in the College Cup.

"Our coaching staff, players and SU fans are looking forward to embracing the challenges of our 2016 schedule," head coach Ian McIntyre said. "We will have a tough preseason, a good balance of new opponents and renewed rivalries, as well as the wonderfully exciting test of ACC soccer. We will work extremely hard as a group to grow and evolve as a team throughout the campaign. We hope that we will be playing our best soccer at the business end of our season. We cannot wait to get started!"

The Orange will play three exhibition matches, beginning with New Hampshire at the SU Soccer Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 4 p.m. Syracuse will then go on the road to take on Michigan State (Aug. 18) and Ohio State (Aug. 21). The Orange officially open the season at the SU Soccer Stadium on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. against UMass in the first round of the Central New York Classic. The second round takes place on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. when Syracuse hosts Loyola Marymount.

After a pair of home matches against Colgate (Sept. 1) and St. John's (Sept. 4), the Orange travel to Raleigh, N.C. to face NC State in their ACC opener on Friday, Sept. 9. Syracuse returns home to face two NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago in Hofstra (Sept. 13) and Boston College (Sept. 16). The Orange defeated the Eagles, 1-0, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to advance to the College Cup.

Syracuse plays at Cornell on Sept. 20 before traveling to Notre Dame on Sept. 23 in a rematch of last year's ACC Tournament final won by the Orange, 1-0. North Carolina visits the SU Soccer Stadium on Sept. 30 before Syracuse goes on the road for matches at Albany (Oct. 4) and Louisville (Oct. 7).

The Orange host Virginia Tech on Oct. 14 before traveling to Hartford on Oct. 18 for their final non-conference match of the season. Syracuse returns to Clemson, S.C. to take on the Tigers on Oct. 21. The teams met in last season's national semifinals in Kansas City. After neither team could score in regulation and two 10-minute sudden-victory overtime sessions, Clemson won the penalty kick shootout, 4-1, to advance to the national championship game.

Syracuse ends the regular season with a home contest against Wake Forest on Friday, Oct. 28. The ACC Tournament opens on Wednesday, Nov. 2 with the finals slated for Sunday, Nov. 13. The NCAA Tournament kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 17 with the College Cup to take place on Dec. 9 and 11 in Houston, Texas.

The Orange finished the 2015 season ranked No. 4 in the final coaches poll, which is the highest final ranking in school history. Syracuse posted 16 victories, just one shy of the single-season school record, and claimed the program's first ACC Championship. The Orange earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the College Cup for the first time in school history.

Syracuse University Athletics

Orange To Face Seven NCAA Tournament Teams in 2016

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