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When Tomas Hut committed to Syracuse, the Orange were out of scholarships.

Hut played at Army for two seasons and entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season. SU was coming off a National Championship, winning the College Cup over Indiana with starting goalkeeper Russell Shealy leading the way. Shealy was later selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

As the Orange looked for reinforcements in net, Jason Smith and Hut were viable options. Smith started discussions with the Orange ahead of Hut’s May 2023 visit and was extended one of SU’s final scholarships.

Syracuse was on a team trip in England when it called Hut to inform him that Smith accepted its offer. Hut understood the situation, but told SU head coach Ian McIntrye that he would walk onto the team.

After making 14 starts across two seasons at Army, Hut didn’t touch the field for the Orange in 2023. A year later, Hut is now the full-time starter in his senior year.

To prepare for his starting role, he spent the past summer at a training facility five days a week, while also playing for New Jersey Copa FC of USL League Two. Hut returned to campus early and dedicated himself to SU’s summer training regimen, earning the starting spot over Smith and Jahiem Wickham.

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Hut made his Syracuse debut against Colgate on Aug. 22, leading the Orange to a 1-0 win. Three days later, he collected his second shutout in just two contests and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

While Smith and Wickham split starting duties in 2023, Hut kept his training level high.
With Army, Hut limited opponents to 1.17 goals per game across 17 contests. But transferring to a new program in the ACC was a major adjustment, former SU goalkeeping coach Michael Flynn said. When Hut wanted additional practice, he texted Flynn. The two would arrive at the practice field 15 minutes ahead of team training sessions, or stay after.

In the locker room, Hut built strong connections with the squad and injected himself into the team’s identity.

McIntyre tended to bring only two goalies on road trips, but Hut garnered enough respect to allow the team to bring him with them. Had the season stretched longer, Hut may have had a chance to earn minutes, Flynn said.

Early in the spring, Smith suffered a hand injury and Hut received increased repetitions. Hut said he viewed the spring as a “fresh slate,” and took advantage of it.

“(Hut) had a really good spring, and made our job very difficult because we had three goalkeepers that on any given day, (McIntyre) could have played any one of them and they all would have given us a chance to win,” Flynn said.

Hut carried the momentum into his summer training at Advanced Physical and Technical Training, an indoor facility near his hometown of Metuchen, New Jersey. From June through the beginning of July, Hut improved his technical skills and strength through pickup games and workouts with other college and professional players.

When forwards and wingers worked on shooting drills, Hut played goalie. In just an hour, he faced over 200 shots.
“(Hut) does incredibly well to make saves,” Matt Nigro, AP2T’s Technical Director, said. “He closes angles really well, and then in a tighter space and a smaller goal, he’s a unit, so he looks even bigger in there.”

The eight-on-eight pickup games were on fields that are about a third of the length of a college soccer field, and the goals were slightly smaller than regulation. The design created fast-paced play and helped Hut improve against different angles than he typically sees, Nigro said.

Tomas Hut emerged as Syracuse’s starting goalie this year, earning the spot over Jason Smith and Jahiem Wickham. Joe Zhao | Video Editor

Joey Zalinsky, a Rutgers defender who trained at AP2T, said Hut was easy to play with because of his advanced communication. Hut could see the whole field and helped Zalinsky and other players when opposing players were closing in.

The pickup sessions were a round-robin style that ended with a championship at the end of each day. Though, because Hut was one of just three goalies at AP2T, he received little breaks.

“In pickup … he’s stopping two or three should-be goals and making them saves, and then outletting the ball,” Nigro said. “He’s quite good with his feet as well, so he’s definitely a guy you want on your team.”

While at AP2T, Hut followed a training regimen built by Corey Parker, SU’s assistant athletic director for Olympic sport performance. While in New Jersey, Parker assigned Hut to exercises like clap push ups and core strengthening drills that he did at home or at nearby gyms.

By staying consistent with his training, Hut increased his vertical jump by three inches and decreased his 30-meter time by one-tenth of a second. SU administered a grip strength test to over 60 athletes, and Hut garnered the highest score.

Hut returned to Syracuse in early August and continued to grow his game. With his vision and constant feedback from the back line, defender Andre Cutler-DeJesus said his job comes down to just executing.

Whether he’s on the pitch at SU, or training at AP2T, people gravitate to him. When Hut made his first visit to Syracuse, he drove the conversation with SU’s coaching staff, demonstrating the same confidence he has when he commands the net.

“(Hut) always shows up with the right attitude and the same intensity and energy every time,” Zalinsky said.

Published on September 26, 2024 at 12:01 am

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32