Last month, Jeorgio Kocevski scored in the 18th minute to help Syracuse knock off No. 1 Clemson on their turf.

“To score was an unbelievable feeling," Kocevski says.

Jeorgio doesn’t do much goal-scoring. That’s not his job.

“A lot of running, a lot of getting on the ball, controlling the tempo," Kocevski says.

As a midfielder, he’s the quarterback on the pitch. He gets his finesse and decision-making from years of practice. He grew up in Liverpool, but played for the Empire United Soccer Academy in Rochester. That meant spending hours in the car for practice and games.

“It was all worth it. I met some of my best friends from there. We would have carpools going from Syracuse to Rochester and back, those carpools were some of the best times in my life, they were super fun," Kocevski says.

It wasn’t long ago that he was the fan in the stands.

“Julian Buescher was one of my favorite players coming through here. He played the same position, I always tried to watch him and be like him," Kocevski says.

Now, he’s playing in front of the fans for his hometown team.

“I’ve always knew this was my school, coming to the games when I was younger I always knew I wanted to come here," Kocevski says.

He isn’t the only local kid playing on the hill. He plays alongside the Pagano brothers from Manlius.

“It just shows the difference talent in the Syracuse area. It gives us an extra edge on the field," Kocevski says.

That’s an extra edge that could bring this team back to the college cup for the first time since 2015.

“I would hope so. I think we have a great team. We just have to keep rolling on and see where it takes us," Kocevski says.