When Ian McIntyre took over the fledgling Syracuse University men’s soccer program in 2010, he had one goal in mind: utilize the stable of young, talented prospects from upper New York state and keep them from going to other colleges. At the top of that list was goalkeeper Alex Bono.



Bono grew up in nearby Baldwinsville, N.Y., and once McIntyre convinced him to stay close to home for university and buy in to the program, it became clear that the then 18-year-old was going to play a huge role in the team’s turnaround.



“We weren’t frightened to play a number of young players,” said McIntyre.



McIntyre handed over the starting goalkeeper’s job to a freshman in Bono, whom he described as “confident, but not flawless.”



That confidence and his 6-foot-3 frame, helped propel the Orange to a 14-6-1 record in Bono’s first season. Syracuse was the most improved team in the nation, posting a win-loss...