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ALOISI EARNS ALL-BIG EAST HONORS
Senior defender Chris Aloisi was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team in 2003. Aloisi started 16 games for the Orange, helping the squad record five shutouts. The fifth-year senior was only the second player in Syracuse history to be named team captain three times (John McCallion).
ALOISI DRAFTED TWICE
Senior Chris Aloisi was chosen in two different professional drafts following his final campaign. He was a sixth-round pick of the Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy. Aloisi was also a second-round choice of the A-League’s Syracuse Salty Dogs. Aloisi signed a developmental contract with the Galaxy. He made his MLS debut in a 3-2 victory versus the Chicago Fire on June 12. Aloisi started and played the entire match.
TEAM AWARDS HANDED OUT
Senior Chris Aloisi was named both the Defensive Most Valuable Player and the winner of the Frank Schantz Award. Freshman Frank Bruno was named the Orange’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. The Schantz Award is given to those individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the SU program through their on-field performance, character and citizenship.
ORANGE HONORED WITH ACADEMIC AWARD
For the third straight year, Syracuse earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Team Academic Award. The honor goes to those program’s that have a team grade-point average of higher than 3.0. SU has won the award every year since the 2000-01 academic year.
SU TIES SCHOOL RECORD WITH FIVE TIES
Syracuse finished the 2003 campaign with a 4-8-5 overall record and a 1-5-4 mark in the BIG EAST. The five ties tied the SU school record for draws in a season. The 1990 squad went 10-6-5. The Orange’s four conference ties were the most since BIG EAST regular-season play began in 1982. Three of Syracuse’s draws were versus top-25 teams. SU played to a pair of scoreless ties, the most since the 1990 team played three 0-0 games.
STRING OF TOP-25 WINS CONTINUES
The Orange ran its streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory against a ranked team to seven with a 2-1 win versus 22nd-ranked Connecticut on October 26. SU has nine wins against top-25 opponents since 1997 and went 1-3-3 versus ranked teams last season.
Syracuse Victories vs. the Top 25 (since 1997)
August 30, 1997 2-0 vs. #25 Connecticut (Home)
October 11, 1997 1-0 vs. #18 Notre Dame (Away)
October 25, 1998 2-0 vs. #15 Rutgers (Home)
October 20, 1999 2-1 vs. #21 Cornell (Home)
October 9, 2000 5-1 vs. #21 Adelphi (Home)
October 14, 2000 1-0 vs. #1 Connecticut (Away)
October 17, 2001 3-2 (OT) vs. #8 Rutgers (Away)
October 12, 2002 2-1 vs. #14 Rutgers (Home)
October 26, 2003 2-1 vs. #22 Connecticut (Home)
JOHNSON FINISHES AMONG ALL-TIME TOP TEN
Senior forward Kirk Johnson capped one of the most productive careers in school history with three goals and three assists for nine points in 2003. He completed his career as SU’s sixth all-time leading goal scorer with 30, finishing fifth all-time at 0.44 goals per game. He moved into seventh on the SU all-time assists ledger with 18 and was one of only seven players in school history to average more than 0.25 assists per game (0.27) for a career. Johnson cracked SU’s all-time top five with 78 points. He averaged 1.16 points per game for his career, becoming only the fifth SU player ever to score more than 1.0 point per game.
SU PLAYERS EARN WEEKLY BIG EAST AWARDS
Three Orange players were honored by the BIG EAST during the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Alim Karim was named the league’s Co-Goalkeeper of the Week on September 8 after recording consecutive shutouts versus Albany (W, 1-0) and #19 Seton Hall (T, 0-0). Senior Kirk Johnson and freshman Rich Asante were named Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, on October 27. Johnson had a goal and two assists in two games as SU defeated Cornell, 4-0, and #22 Connecticut, 2-1. It was the fifth time in his career that he won the award. Asante scored his first career goal against the Big Red and then was an integral part of the defensive effort against the Huskies.
KARIM PACES GOALKEEPERS
Sophomore Alim Karim started 15 of the Orange’s 17 games in 2003, playing a total of 1,469:27. Karim made 65 saves and amassed a 1.53 goals against average and a .722 save percentage. He led the team with four shutouts. Junior David Rabazzi and sophomore Rich Scheer started once. Rabazzi didn’t allow a goal in 62:17 minutes of action, making two saves. Scheer allowed two goals and made two saves in 112:49 minutes of play.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Three of SU’s Canadian players - sophomore goalkeeper Alim Karim and freshmen Richard Asante and Frank Bruno - played for the Canadian Under-20 team that advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships. Karim started all five games in the tournament, recording a pair of shutouts. Asante and Bruno have also earned significant playing time. It was the first time that Canada ever advanced to the round of eight. Its only previous trip past the first round was in 1997 when the Canadians lost to Malaysia, 2-0, in the round of 16. The team’s run ended with a 2-1 loss to eventual finalist Spain.
FOUR TIE FOR TEAM SCORING LEAD
Four players earned team scoring honors with nine points last season. Freshman Frank Bruno and sophomore Ilias Calaitzidis led the team with four goals each. They both had one assist. Senior Kirk Johnson and sophomore Jeff Evans each scored three goals and tallied three assists.
HOME COOKING
Syracuse continued its trend of defending its home pitch with a 4-1-3 record at the SU Soccer Stadium in 2003. The only loss came to Virginia Tech on October 5. Since beginning play at the facility in 1996, the Orange has gone 38-24-5 (.604). SU has had six consecutive winning seasons at home since going 3-6 in 1997.
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