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Syracuse needed a flight to Richmond. It had just defeated Cornell in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, but had a “nightmare of a time” finding transportation to face its next opponent, VCU. 

The circumstances gave SU its first opportunity to travel on a private charter plane, then-freshman goalie Alex Bono said. But it wasn’t any of the planes that Syracuse uses now with Private Jet Services Group. Bono described it as a “janky prop plane” that got the team down to Virginia, where the Orange won 3-2 in double overtime. 

Eventually, Syracuse lost to Georgetown in the Sweet 16. But 2012, the first tournament appearance under head coach Ian McIntyre, marked the Orange’s first tournament appearance since 1984. The success came two years after SU hired McIntyre, who constantly recruited, finding “cultural architects” like Mark Brode and leading scorer Jordan Vale. Since McIntyre’s appointment, SU has made the tournament six times.

Brode, who started playing for SU in 2009, was initially recruited by McIntyre and assistant Jukka Masalin when the duo was at Hartwick, but Brode wanted to play in the Big East. When he played basketball in the Dome as part of a visit in high school, it was a “done deal.” 

But the Orange won only three games in Brode’s first season, and SU fired head coach Dean Foti. Once McIntyre and his staff were hired, Brode noticed the differences between the two coaches “from the jump,” especially with recruiting.

“They were constantly bringing guys that were competing, which in turn makes your team better,” Brode said. 

After Brode’s freshman year, McIntyre collected pieces for the 2012 squad. The Orange picked up defender Nick Bibbs and midfielder Ryan Tessler from the transfer portal. They brought in European players Ted Cribley, Louis Clark and Lars Muller, who became top scorers on the tournament team. In 2011, freshmen Nick Perea, Jordan Murrell and Tyler Hilliard were also recruited to supplement the starting midfield and backline.

“We didn’t have a lot to sell in our program at that time,” McIntyre said. “Our recruiting class was based on individuals that really wanted to be here.”

In the spring of 2010, when McIntyre first practiced with SU, Brode said the coaching staff forced players to run and work out much more than before.

Brode said when players arrived late or missed a tutoring session, they had to meet with SU’s trainer, known as “Big Dan,” at 6 a.m. as punishment. Brode said he became more involved in the gym and focused on getting better once McIntyre came in.

“The first two years were tough,” Tessler said. “But we had to set the standard and go through it.” 

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The Orange’s newcomers got their first opportunity to perform against Albany. Tony Asante, a transfer forward, didn’t think he was going to play because he twisted his ankle before the opener. Asante still practiced on the sidelines during the game, and McIntyre subbed him in.

Asante scored a tap-in goal in the 2-0 win over the Great Danes. In a postgame interview, Asante said SU could win the Big East.

In the next win over Binghamton, Vale scored on a header off a Murrell corner. Vale headed in at least three of his nine goals that season, always arriving late to the box before leaping to get his head on the ball. Cribley called Vale’s heading style “miraculous.”

Four days after Vale scored in a game against Colgate, SU defeated NJIT and St. Bonaventure in the 36th Mayor’s Cup Tournament. As conference play started against Seton Hall, the Orange won on a header from Vale. In the remaining seven conference games, SU went 4-3, including a double-overtime win over Rutgers and a 2-0 win over DePaul. 

While the Orange lost their first game in the Big East Tournament against No. 7 Notre Dame, their 12-6 record secured a spot in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Syracuse was unseeded and traveled to Cornell. 

In a freezing cold game, Cribley replaced his cleats at halftime because his original cleats molded. Still, Muller scored in the 10th minute and Bono made three saves to defeat Cornell. 

But the Orange had less success in the second round against VCU, allowing two goals in the first 14 minutes. Cribley said the Rams weren’t deserving of the lead, so the Orange felt confident they could come back.

Louis Clark notched SU’s first goal in the 21st minute. Nine minutes later, Stefanos Stamoulacatos tied the match. For the remainder of regulation, the Orange and Rams remained deadlocked at 2-2. Then, in the 107th minute, Vale drove toward the box and passed to Clark, who made a move to the net and fired the shot to send SU to the Sweet 16. 

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“Because of all the trials and tribulations that we’ve been through, and the confidence that we’ve brought through from the season, we’ve managed to pull it back to two,” Cribley said. “Then Louis scored the extra time goal…I get emotional just thinking about it.”

In the Sweet 16 against No. 6 Georgetown, Vale scored off a free kick from the left side of the pitch. But the Hoyas responded with a game-tying goal in the 85th minute, winning 4-2 on penalty kicks in overtime. Bono conceded the last penalty shot that eliminated the Orange, but looks back at 2012 as the revival for the program. 

On Saturday, Bono returned to Syracuse to reunite with some of his teammates, carving out an “alumni corner” in the stadium.

“None of us knew that we’d be sitting here 10 years later, ‘Oh they’re playing in Final Fours and Sweet 16s, and they’re competing for ACC and National Championships,’” Bono said. “So I know that we all take pride in that.”

Published on September 26, 2022 at 12:09 am

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