When Sergio Camargo rocketed a shot off the post in the first half, all he could do was think back to Syracuse’s loss against Notre Dame. In that game, Camargo hit the post and the ball bounced right back to the goalkeeper. Syracuse went on to lose, 2-1, and the game started a four-match winless streak that had the Orange desperate for someone to save a late-season collapse.

Camargo, who might be SU’s most skilled player on the ball, took 20 shots in the nine-plus games he’d played but had no goals to show for them. With his 21st, the Coastal Carolina transfer finally found the back of the net and it couldn’t have come at a better time for a Syracuse team whose historic start seemed in the distant past.

In the 64th minute, Camargo poked a shot past Virginia Tech goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard and into the bottom-left corner of the net amid a scuffle on the edge of the 6-yard box. The senior’s first goal at Syracuse proved to be all the hosts would need, and the No. 10 Orange (9-3-1, 3-2-1 Atlantic Coast) held off No. 15 Virginia Tech (9-3-2, 2-3-1) for a 1-0 win at SU Soccer Stadium on Friday night.

“Delighted for him,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “When the one hit the post and kind of went across the goal … I think you saw his reaction. That’ll be good for him and good for the team.”

The Orange scored two goals in its four games prior to Friday, and its struggles continued in the first half.

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Camargo’s line-drive shot from 20 yards out caromed off the right post and across the face of the goal before trickling out of bounds. Jonathan Hagman was one-on-one with Lundgaard, but the latter dropped to the ground to save Hagman’s left-footed attempt from 15 yards out. Johannes Pieles, standing just inches off the goal line right in the middle of the net, had his tap-in deflected above the crossbar.

The Orange’s chances were there – SU generated six shots in the first half – but once again SU was unable to find the back of the net.

Sam Ogozalek | Staff Writer

After his goal, Camargo raised one fist and entered the mob near Syracuse’s bench. A smile spread across his face, a sense of relief for a player who’d been waiting to break through. His celebratory dance resembled the salsa – one he said is his “go-to” after a goal – even though he hasn’t yet given it a name.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to pull that out,” Camargo said. “I thought, ‘What do I have to do to get a goal this year?’”

Two minutes after Camargo’s goal, John-Austin Ricks replaced him and the senior didn’t return. In the end, though, his contribution had done enough to snap Syracuse out of the funk it has been mired in.

“He hasn’t had the most luck scoring this season,” senior forward Chris Nanco said with a smile. “It’s good for him to get one and get out of his funk.

“We had a rough last past two weeks. Just to get some points in the ACC … now we can start trying to go after some of the top teams in the ACC.”

First a 2-1 loss at then-No. 3 Notre Dame spoiled SU’s perfect season and brought an undefeated season back down to earth. A scoreless tie against UNC did little to alleviate the sting of the first defeat of the season before a shocking 2-1 loss at Albany sounded the alarm. And when the Orange’s winless streak extended to four games following a 1-0 loss to Louisville, the Orange needed someone to save a collapse.

“For the majority of those games I think we played very well,” McIntyre said Tuesday. “And we’re close to competing against the big boys.”

On Friday, albeit against less of a “big boy” than Notre Dame, North Carolina and Louisville, Camargo helped returned Syracuse to normalcy.

Published on October 14, 2016 at 9:00 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman