Since Ian McIntyre took over as Syracuse head coach in 2010, the Orange have had just one season without a clear No. 1 goalkeeper.

But after three years of Alex Bono and four years of Hendrik Hilpert, SU entered its 2019 season with two goalkeepers vying for the starting role. Jake Leahy has been with the Orange since 2016 and made the first start of his career in Monday’s 3-1 win over Binghamton. Christian Miesch — a native of Switzerland — transferred from Stony Brook to SU this fall and started in SU’s season-opening loss to Georgetown.

“We’ve got two excellent young goalkeepers I think you’re going to hear a lot about in the future,” McIntyre said before the season-opener. “I think we’ve got two starting goalkeepers, and that’s a good problem to have.”

Through three exhibitions and two regular season matches now, McIntyre hasn’t given the nod to either keeper. Ahead of Syracuse’s (1-1) matchup on Friday with Yale and Sunday against New Hampshire, Leahy sees it as “his job to lose,” while Miesch said he’s “focusing on what he can, and not what he can’t.” McIntyre was not available to comment on Wednesday about whether he had made a decision.

Miesch and Leahy split time in all three of SU’s preseason exhibition scrimmages. In the first scrimmage against Niagara, McIntyre gave 30 minutes to both. The next two exhibitions, each goalie played one half, alternating starts in each.

McIntyre opted to start Miesch in the season-opener at No. 13 Georgetown, where the Orange conceded three goals, two from open play and one off a corner kick. The sophomore transfer made three saves in SU’s defeat. On Monday night, McIntyre tapped Leahy for his first career start. After allowing the opening goal, the redshirt junior made two saves and earned his first win as SU rallied to beat Binghamton 3-1.

When Leahy arrived in 2016 to Syracuse, McIntyre said he was “an 18-year-old happy to be here.” He sat and waited behind Hilpert, while dealing with a significant shoulder injury that sidelined him for his first two seasons at SU. Leahy redshirted a season and his first appearance came not for SU, but for Syracuse FC, a local team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League.

Miesch played in the fourth division of German soccer before moving to FC Sion Academy back home in Switzerland. That’s where he learned of the opportunity to move to the United States and play collegiately. He spent his first collegiate season with Stony Brook in the America East. In 16 starts in goal, Miesch kept four clean sheets and earned All-America East second team and was on the All-Rookie team.

“If you still have that goal of going somewhere, namely MLS or any professional environment, the ACC is the place to be,” Miesch said. “The people really have bigger ambitions and that’s why they come here.”

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Bono started from 2012-14, before he was drafted by Toronto FC, where he currently plays. Following Bono was Hilpert, who when he first arrived in 2015, split time with Austin Aviza. Hilpert started 16 games to Aviza’s nine, and Hilpert was the clear top choice for his last three years of school.

“There’s a responsibility of being the starting goalkeeper at any school, especially Syracuse,” Leahy said. “We’ve had a very good lineage of excellent goalkeepers and I can’t speak highly enough of Hendrik, I learned a lot from him in my time being here.”

When Hilpert graduated, it appeared that Leahy would have the job. Leahy said he assumed he’d be the starter — he was the most experienced returning keeper. McIntyre acquired Miesch to challenge for the starting role.

“I’m totally used to that growing up,” Miesch said, of competition for the starting role. “Without competition, it wouldn’t be the same.”

Published on September 4, 2019 at 10:24 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo