Syracuse, N.Y. — The dejection smeared across the faces of the Syracuse soccer players after a 1-0 loss to North Carolina in a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Sunday afternoon was the price of success.
SU coach Ian McIntyre challenges his recruits to leave their orange jerseys in a better place than they found them after they remove the garb for a final time. A talented bunch of Syracuse seniors more than cleared that bar the past three and four seasons.
But just as winning is a sign of success, so, too, is the pain that comes with falling short of heightened expectations.