Ask Tom Perevegyencev what he thinks is the hardest part about moving from Hungary to Syracuse, adjusting to American culture and beginning life as a college student, all while trying to play soccer for a Big East program. His answer may come as a surprise.

‘The most difficult thing is, I’d say the food,’ Perevegyencev said. ‘It was too fattening for me. I’m used to, you know, just having nice food at home and made for myself. And here, I came here, the dining halls, the food is just not the same.’

While this may seem trivial, Perevegyencev said American food often did not sit well with him during some of his first days with SU men’s soccer.

The men’s soccer squad opens its home schedule on Sunday against Fordham at 1 p.m. at Syracuse Soccer Stadium.

His different taste in food made it hard for him to eat well at a time when he needed all the energy he could muster. Perevegyencev was trying to earn playing time on a team that had seven other players listed as midfielders/forwards.

In his first season with the Orange, Perevegyencev did not appear in any matches. SU head coach Dean Foti said his new forward ‘wasn’t quite on the same page as everyone else.’ Meanwhile, freshmen forwards Kyle Hall and Hansen Woodruff emerged as breakout scorers and accounted for most of the team’s offense, while Perevegyencev looked on from the bench, something he said was difficult for him to do.

But after spending the summer training with his club team in Hungary, Perevegyencev has found his place with the Orange. He has appeared in all six matches and is the team’s second-leading scorer, with two goals. Foti said after a summer of hard work, Perevegyencev has found his niche.

‘He’s in a good situation because when we bring him into the game, the game might be 25, 30 minutes old and defenders are tired, they’re starting to get towards the end of the half,’ Foti said. ‘And here comes a guy like Tom who can run at you with the ball. If you’re a defender, you don’t want to see this guy coming.’

Perevegyencev’s two goals have both come in situations like Foti described. Against Penn State, he scored in the 44th minute. In the Seton Hall game, he netted one in the 42nd minute. Foti described his late first-half success as a product of his speed. He said Perevegyencev is of a rare variety – a player who can run just as fast with the ball as he can without it. Playing alongside, Hall has noticed the same thing.

‘When he gets the ball, he takes on defenders and he just keeps going,’ Hall said. ‘He’s got a little edge that defenders don’t know about.’

At first, Perevegyencev’s speed and finesse didn’t translate to American soccer. Differences in soccer style between the two continents forced Perevegyencev to work harder than in Europe, where players generally rely more on tactical maneuvers than endurance.

‘I wasn’t really used to working as hard as they do over here,’ Perevegyencev said. ‘I wasn’t used to making all the runs, and just running and running and running. So I had to adjust to that.’

Hall said the two have similar playing styles – fast, attacking forwards. The two gravitated toward each other in the beginning of their freshman season last year. Perevegyencev said of all his teammates, he learned the most from Hall.

‘I guess because we were both new players to the team, we kind of bonded, same personalities and same style, we’re both forwards,’ Hall said. ‘He was just kind of a cool guy to hang out with.’

As Perevegyencev answered questions outside the locker room in Manley Field House, his teammates all jokingly shoved him on their way out the door. Hall described his teammate as someone with a good sense of humor who likes to joke around. The two often spend bus rides sitting in the back cracking jokes. When asked to recount some funny moments the two have shared, Hall just laughs.

Said Hall: ‘There’s just too many’

Published on September 14, 2007 at 12:00 pm