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Tune-up games are over for Syracuse in 2025. Its 18-2 drubbing of Manhattan Tuesday signified that. Now, SU faces five ranked opponents in its last six games, which includes its entire Atlantic Coast Conference slate.

The Orange’s first challenge comes Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome hosting Colgate. The Raiders have won five of their last six games after beginning the year 0-2. They have one of the best offenses in the nation, matching up comparably with SU’s attack led by star junior Joey Spallina — who’s one goal or assist away from 200 career points.

Here’s how our beat writers think No. 10 Syracuse (6-2, 0-0 ACC) will fare against No. 18 Colgate (5-3, 2-1 Patriot League):

Cooper Andrews (5-3)
March Madness
Syracuse 16, Colgate 15 (OT)

Since Syracuse basketball fans no longer experience the annual thrill of March Madness, I think it’d be fitting for SU’s lacrosse team to step up and deliver some excitement. The Orange should come out on top over Colgate Saturday, and I’m convinced it’ll be a down-to-the-wire classic.

This is a heavyweight fight between two of the most potent offenses in the United States. In one corner, the Raiders boast the third-best scoring offense in the nation (15.75 goals per game), while in the other, the Orange sit at the No. 7 spot (15.25 goals a contest). Two teams with very similar high-octane styles should yield a shootout result in the Dome Saturday. But, something’s gotta give.

And I believe Syracuse has a slight edge.

It starts at the X — with faceoff specialist John Mullen. He’s been nothing short of electric, leading the nation with 118 faceoff wins. His .674 win percentage ranks fourth in the country, too. Colgate doesn’t have the resources to contend with Mullen. Its two rotating faceoff men have totaled sub-.500 win rates at the X. Mullen will feast.

On the other side, SU’s defense is a force to be reckoned with as opposed to the Raiders’ middling unit. The Orange give up 7.50 goals a game, which ranks fourth in Division I. Close defensemen Billy Dwan III and Riley Figueiras will make enough plays for Syracuse to win.

Zak Wolf (7-1)
Take the over
Syracuse 18, Colgate 15

Boy, is this one going to be fun. Like my tagline mentions, if you’re a betting person — which I’m not — hammer the over. Both offenses are elite, with Syracuse averaging 15.25 goals per game and Colgate totaling nearly 16, which both rank in the top seven in the country. In half of Colagte’s games this season, the final score has totaled over 30 goals.

The only disappointing part about this matchup is that Colgate lost to a below-average Bucknell team last Saturday. Before that, the Raiders were one of the hottest teams in the country. It’s possible they were looking ahead to Syracuse, but they’ll certainly be up for this one. The brotherly duo of Liam and Rory Connor have combined for 80 points this season and will be a lot to handle for SU. The Orange have strong close defenders, but the most efficient way to defend the Connor’s is Mullen.

The sophomore faceoff man is on a tear. He’s fourth in the country in faceoff win rate with 67.4% and Colgate has won just 45% of its attempts. Mullen will help keep the ball out of the Raiders’ hands and give Spallina and Owen Hiltz plenty of chances to put up big numbers. As good as Colgate’s offense is, it hemorrhages goals and Syracuse isn’t a team you want to play with a bad defense. Give me the Orange in an entertaining one.

Nicholas Alumkal (5-3)
Rollercoaster vs. the Raiders
Syracuse 17, Colgate 15

Colgate scores in bunches, averaging the third-most goals per game in Division I at 15.75. But the Raiders also give up plenty — their 13.12 goals allowed per game ranks 15th-worst in the country. I agree with my fellow scribe Cooper: this one has nail-biter written all over it. But Syracuse will survive the rollercoaster against the Raiders and notch a fourth straight win.

On Tuesday, Manhattan goalie Connor Hapward stood tall early, blanking the Orange in the opening quarter. But once Syracuse found its rhythm, it poured in 15 unanswered goals and shut out the Jaspers for the final 36 minutes. Colgate will be a much stiffer test. Jack Turner, tied for fifth nationally with 3.5 goals per game, is the real deal. And Liam is one of the nation’s best facilitators, dishing out 2.9 assists per contest, sixth-best in D-I.

Still, Syracuse’s defense has quietly been elite, ranking fourth in the nation in goals allowed per game. As Gait emphasized postgame Tuesday, the only time SU surrendered more than 11 goals came in an “anomaly” — a 15-14 upset loss to No. 12 Harvard, when goalie Jimmy McCool posted his only sub-.500 save percentage of the season.

When the final horn sounds Saturday, Syracuse will have done just enough defensively to keep Colgate from lighting up the scoreboard. And the Orange’s attack will exploit the Raiders’ leaky defense. It’ll be dizzying at times, but when it steps off the rollercoaster, Syracuse will have secured another valuable win.

Published on March 21, 2025 at 10:32 pm