By Matt Bradshaw —

No. 11 men’s soccer (7-2-3, 3-1-2) recorded their third draw of the season with a 2-2 tie against No. 24 Syracuse(6-4-2, 1-3-1). Louisville recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the first half but were unable to notch the winning goal.

Senior Tate Schmitt scored U of L’s first goal, his third on the season, and senior Adam Wilson tied the game 2-2 with a converted penalty kick.

First half

Syracuse played fast and physical right from the start. Louisville struggled to keep up with their possession as the Orange scored the first goal of the game at the 16 minute mark.

The Cardinals managed to get a few shots off but nothing too close. Syracuse added to their lead with a tap-in at the 33 minute mark with the help of a defensive hiccup from U of L.

Time winded down towards halftime and it seemed Louisville would not answer Syracuse’s two goals. At the 42 minute mark, senior Tate Schmitt connected on a corner kick for a header and his third goal of the season.

The Orange led 2-1 at halftime.

Second half

Head coach Ken Lolla must have lit a fire in his team as the Cards came out blazing in the second half. Louisville’s midfield ran Syracuse with quick possession around the field and strong defense defending goal.

The match became extremely physical as both sides struggled for the edge. By the end of the half, both U of L and Syracuse received two yellow cards.

At the 57 minute mark, the referee called a handball in the box on the Orange. Senior Adam Wilson stepped up to convert the penalty and tie the match 2-2.

Neither team could find goal for a third time and overtime became necessary to decide the match. Louisville ended regulation with an 11-7 shot advantage.

Overtime

Another yellow card was issued to each side in the first period of overtime. Wilson offered the Cardinals’ closest chance with a corner kick that bounced just along the goal line with no one there to finish.

U of L had the clear advantage in the second period of time, nearly keeping the ball on Syracuse’s side the whole time. Nonetheless, the midfield was unable to connect with the forwards and find the winning goal. The score ended 2-2.

Men’s soccer hosts Lipscomb on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

You can follow the Louisville Cardinal on Twitter @thecardsports.

File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal