On Tuesday, the Syracuse Orange men’s soccer team played out a 3-0 win against Colgate. This win was coach Ian McIntyre’s 142nd victory as Orange boss, surpassing his predecessor Dean Foti.
Coach Mac was able to get the victory for Syracuse and the record in front of the home crowd, as this was their first home win of the season. This record is a bright spot in a difficult season for the Orange, however, this victory is a good way to right the ship.
McIntyre has brought the Orange to the highest of
highs that this team has ever seen, and has been consistently seen as one of the best coaches in the ACC and formerly the Big East, as he won one Big East coach of the year award in 2012, and two ACC coach of the year awards in 2015 and 2022. He was also named the United Soccer Coaches national coach of the year in 2022.
McIntyre had some great seasons with the Orange; however, his first major success came in 2015. During that 2015 season, Syracuse won its first-ever ACC championship and also made the College Cup playoffs before coming up short. The Orange came into the ACC tournament as a seven seed, and notched a win against NC State, a penalty victory over North Carolina, an upset over Clemson, and finally a 1-0 win against Notre Dame to secure the ACC title.
After the ACC tournament, they began to run through the NCAA field as well. They started with a comeback victory over Dartmouth in the first round, before dispatching Seattle due to two Liam Callahan assists and a Kamal Miller dagger. A 1-0 win over Boston College due to a Ben Polk goal was all that was needed to bring the orange to their first College Cup national semifinal, where they would unfortunately lose to Clemson on penalties.
While the 2015 season was great, most Orange fans will likely remember McIntyre for the 2022 season. In that season, not only did they win the regular-season ACC championship, but also the ACC postseason title as well. They beat North Carolina, Virginia on penalties, and Clemson 2-0 in the final to secure another ACC title and head into the NCAA tournament with momentum.
However, this season will always be remembered for what happened in the tournament. Syracuse began rattling off close win after close win, beating Penn 2-1 in overtime, then Cornell 1-0, and then Vermont 2-1 to make it back to the College Cup. They would go on to defeat Creighton 3-2 to advance to the final against a contender for the best program in college soccer history, Indiana. After a close 2-2 draw, Syracuse would win their first-ever national championship on penalties. This achievement is the crown jewel of Coach Mac’s career with the Orange, and the all-time wins record adds even more to his resume as a member of this program.
“I look back on it down the road with a lot of pride,” McIntyre said in the postgame interview after the 3-0 win against Colgate, speaking about his record. He goes on to speak more about his career with the Orange and how this night is not about him, but about the players on the field.
McIntrye’s long career with Syracuse soccer has been overall extremely successful. Between his victories in 2015, 2022, and beyond, the culture he has cultivated around Orange soccer, and the great players he has developed in his time in charge, he has made a mark on this program that will be felt for a long time. As he continues his career, he will continue to lead us to more wins and sucessful seasons in the future.
And hey, another national championship or two wouldn’t be too bad either.
McIntyre’s squad is back in action today, when they head to Berkeley to play at Cal.
