Two of the greatest goalkeepers in Syracuse soccer history will be at SU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday night.

Between the pipes for No. 20 Syracuse (4-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) — wearing his customary blue jersey, blue shorts and high blue socks — will be Alex Bono. With 22 career shutouts, the junior from nearby Baldwinsville, New York, is tied for second on the program’s all-time shutouts list.

After allowing his first goal of the season in SU’ s loss on Saturday, Bono hopes to take sole possession of second place with another shutout as the Orange hosts Cornell (2-1-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The goalie he’s looking to surpass, Robert Cavicchia, will be watching from the stands.

“It’s an honor and a privilege and I don’t take that lightly,” Bono said. “My career at Syracuse, I can’t really describe it in words. I can’t describe it in numbers or stats or anything. I couldn’t have asked for any better of an experience, and there’s so much more to go.”

Cavicchia, who played at Syracuse from 2005–2008, will not just travel from Toronto to watch his alma mater. He’ll be specifically watching Bono, who’s only a junior, attempt to further etch his name alongside Joe Papaleo, Alim Karim and Kevin Bacher as one of the top keepers the school has seen.

“Hopefully I will be able to congratulate Alex in person for tying and passing me on the all-time list,” Cavicchia said in an email. “I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to move up the ranks as one of SU’s all-time goalkeeping greats.”

With four shutouts in Syracuse’s first four games this season, Bono tied Cavicchia’s 22 career shutouts in 25 fewer games. Bono trails Papaleo (1979-82) — who is a family friend of Bono’s — by nine career shutouts, despite starting 27 fewer games than the school’s all-time wins leader.

As a freshman in 2012, Bono became the first freshman keeper since Cavicchia to start a season opener, and proceeded to record a shutout in seven of his first nine games. His 10 total shutouts that year were one short of Chris Whitcomb’s (1985-88) single-season school record. 

“We placed a ton of responsibility on him the moment he walked into the program,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “Alex, from the moment he stepped in, he’s been a presence back there.

“Certainly you measure goalkeepers with shutouts, but it’s more than that. It’s important times in important games making that save, but also to have the presence to calm us down when it’s necessary.”

The junior’s 434-minute shutout streak to start this season came to an end Saturday night when Syracuse lost 1-0 to visiting University of Notre Dame. Despite finishing with a season-high seven saves, Bono allowed a goal in 74th minute on a header from Irish defender Brandon Aubrey.

Of his four shutouts this year and 22 total, Bono pointed to last year’s shutout against Connecticut and its goalkeeper Andre Blake, Rutgers and St. John’s this year, and Cornell in the first round of the 2012 NCAA tournament as the shutouts he best remembers.

“Every shutout feels the same afterward because there’s a zero on the other team’s score at the end of the game,” Bono said. “That’s important for me and the rest of the team.”

Regardless of whether he comes up with a clean sheet, as he’s done in over 50 percent of his career starts, Bono has established himself as what McIntyre called “an elite goalkeeper.”

“Alex seems to be playing at the top of his game, and it’s great that he is high up on the records list and accomplishing so much and he is only in his junior season,” Cavicchia said. “The season has just begun. Hopefully he continues to play well throughout and will finish at the top of the list.”

Published on September 16, 2014 at 12:16 am

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu