Men's soccer

Alseth breaks out with 2 goals, offers another scoring option for Syracuse against N.C. State

Oyvind Alseth had to wait almost 2,528 minutes for his first career goal in a Syracuse uniform.

Once the sophomore got it in his 33rd career game on Tuesday, though, it didn’t even take eight minutes for him to get a second.

“I honestly don’t know what was going on out there,” Alseth said. “I guess I was just feeling it.”

Against Bucknell on Tuesday, Alseth scored the first two goals of his career and added an assist, helping SU pull away in the second half for a 4-1 win. He hasn’t seen his name on the score sheet often, but the right winger will look to continue his rare offensive form when the Orange (13-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) faces North Carolina State (6-5-3, 1-3-2) at Dail Soccer Field in Raleigh, North Carolina at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The Orange has scored 14 goals in its last five games after tallying just 15 in its first 10, and Alseth’s newfound finishing touch gives SU yet another viable scoring option going forward.



“We try to get the wings to drive forward and help the strikers score goals,” forward Chris Nanco said. “It was a great showing from him and I’m really happy for him.”

Twelve minutes into the second half against the Bison, Julian Buescher lofted a cross from the left side toward the far post. Alseth won the header and directed it across goal, but goalkeeper Clarke Fox got a right hand on it, deflecting it just wide of the left post and preventing Alseth from finally putting one in the back of the net.

Sixteen seconds later, Korab Syla sent a cross to Alseth in the same spot at the far post. He won the header again, but this time, the ball was directed to the right post and it snuck past Fox.

“He’s got the quality going forward, strikes a great ball, but to score with his head was nice as well,” head coach Ian McIntyre said. “I think it hit him on the ear and went in.”

Alseth, who has previously said he had an abundance of prepared celebrations in his back pocket, ran to the right corner flag and simply saluted toward the field while Emil Ekblom, Syla and Buescher joined him.

On Alseth’s second goal, in which he dribbled past a diving Fox on the right side of the box and fired the ball top shelf, the celebration got a little more creative.

“I’ve had too many celebrations on my mind these past couple weeks, couldn’t figure which one to chose the one time I finally score,” Alseth said of his reaction after the first goal. “But the selfie one (on the second goal) was pre-planned with Julian and Juuso (Pasanen). We Europeans, we had that one figured out.”

In the last five games, Syracuse has conceded five goals compared to just one through its first 10 matches. But it’s also received a spark from Alseth that could take some pressure off the forwards to score.

“Coach has been complaining a lot that I haven’t been scoring,” Alseth said. “I’m told by my teammates all the time and it was good to finally get it out of the way and get my first two goals.”





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