MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Eighth-ranked Vermont (16-3-2, 5-1-1 AE) visits third-seeded Syracuse (16-2-4, 5-1-2 ACC) in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday (Dec. 3) in Syracuse, N.Y. The opening kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET at SU Soccer Stadium and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ian Unsworth and Dean Foti on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch | Live Stats
Game Notes: Vermont
CatamounTV Press Conference: Coach Dow | Barrett | Nagy
 
WATCH PARTY
The UVM Alumni Association will be hosting a watch party in the Silver Pavilion of the UVM Alumni House on Saturday. The event starts at 1 p.m. Pizza and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. No registration is required for the event. Additional watch party locations around the country can be found at alumni.uvm.edu.
 
MAKING HISTORY
The 2022 Catamounts are the first team in program history to reach a fourth game in the NCAA Tournament, and the second to reach the quarterfinals.
 
SCOUTING THE ORANGE
The Orange are ranked No. 1 in the NCAA's RPI Ranking, and are the highest-remaining seed in the NCAA Tournament at No. 3. Syracuse opened the tournament with a 2-1 overtime win against Penn, and defeated No. 14 Cornell 1-0 to advance to the Quarterfinals. Levonte Johnson (24 points) and Nathan Opoku (23 points) lead the Orange with nine goals each. The 'Cuse duo account for 44% of the team's scoring and each received All-ACC First Team honors. Russell Shealy was named to the All-ACC Second Team, posting a 0.61 goals against average and .829 save percentage.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and Syracuse meet for the second time this season and seventh time in series history. The Catamounts and Orange played to a 1-1 draw on Sep. 2 at Virtue Field. Yaniv Bazini notched his first goal as a Catamount. UVM visited Syracuse in 2021, but suffered a 5-2 loss at SU Soccer Stadium. Matt Black scored on a penalty kick in the road contest.
 
AFTER THE 'CUSE MEETING
UVM went on a run after the Syracuse meeting earlier this season, winning 11-straight games. The Catamounts outscored opponents 31-3 during the winning streak, which was the second longest in program history.  
 
ALEX THE GREAT
Alex Nagy can tie the program record for career assists (26), set in the late 1970s, with a helper against Syracuse on Saturday. Nagy leads Vermont with 27 points this season, and ranks No. 8 nationally in points per game (1.69). The Catamounts were without Nagy when the two teams met earlier this season, due to a lower body injury.
 
CATS IN TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Catamounts earned an at-large bid to qualify for their 12th NCAA Tournament in program history. Vermont is 7-10-2 all-time in program history. UVM is looking for its first tournament win against an ACC opponent -- the Cats suffered a 2-1 (2OT) loss in 2016 at Virginia (Second Round. Vermont has two road wins in tournament history, including the victory over No. 11 SMU on Nov. 20.
 
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