BERKELEY – The California men's soccer team created its share of chances in Saturday's ACC clash with Syracuse at Edwards Stadium, forcing seven saves out of the Orange goalkeeper. Yet the Golden Bears ended the match with a 2-0 loss.
 
Cal's record now stands at 4-4-2 (1-2-1 ACC). Syracuse is 4-4-2 (1-2-1).
 
Syracuse scored two second-half goals. First, Garrett Holman scored off an Ernest Mensah Jr. assist in the 65th minute and then Chimere Omeze struck in the 70th minute on a goal assisted by Gavin Wigg.
 
Cal almost answered right after the kickoff after the first goal. A Malcolm Zalayet cross found fellow forward Luka Lukic deep in the Syracuse box, but his header was saved by Tomas Hut.
 
At 66:11, Cal midfielder Noe Morales dribbled into the Orange penalty area and fired point-blank on goal, only to have his shot saved by Hut.
 
Lukic then had another header saved by Hut at 66:46.
 
Cal's last chance came at 88:19, as Morales crossed to Junhwan Park in the middle of the box, and the midfielder fired only to have Hut push his shot wide.
 
"It's extremely disappointing when you create so many good scoring opportunities, but you have to put them away," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "At the end of the day, they finished their chances and we didn't. It's as simple as that. We've got to figure that part out, make plays in each box and get out of here with a result."
 
Cal next plays an ACC match at SMU on Friday.
 
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