Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

After securing a pivotal 13-10 rivalry win over then-No. 7 Johns Hopkins on March 9 to boost its NCAA Tournament resume, Syracuse had nine days between hosting Manhattan.

Head coach Gary Gait called it a “mental break” for the Orange before they embark on a loaded back half of their regular season schedule that features five ranked opponents in its final seven games.

Attack Joey Spallina said Syracuse “got back to basics” during the pause. He mentioned its shooting as a point of emphasis during the reprieve. Yet, in its first game back from its respite, SU needed a quarter to fully calibrate itself.

After being held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time since Feb. 4, 2023, No. 10 Syracuse (6-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) opened the second half of its regular-season slate in authoritative fashion, obliterating Manhattan (4-4, 2-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic) 18-2. The Orange overcame their slow start by scoring 15 unanswered goals while holding the Jaspers scoreless after the 6:12 mark of the second quarter.

“I thought they came in focused, ready to play,” Gait said of SU postgame. “I thought the execution was awesome… They just proved to be ready and we’re focused and dialed in. What I was probably most impressed with is the fact that there wasn’t a drop-off.”

As Gait noted, the Orange kept their foot on the gas throughout to put Manhattan under continuous duress. They recorded 71 shots, 42 of which were on target. They won the ground-ball battle 49-19. They forced 20 turnovers. Gait’s only complaint was his team’s shot accuracy, as SU mustered just a .254 shooting percentage. Part of that was Hapward’s 24 saves, who Gait said played “out of his mind.”

Hapward — who has the sixth-best save percentage in the country at .605 — repelled the Orange’s first five shots. He denied shot after shot from Syracuse’s fearsome attack, doing it in bulk, as if crushing dreams was easier on a Costco plan.

“Connor Hapward’s done that all year for us,” Manhattan head coach Doug Sage said. “He saw a lot of rubber tonight. We were hoping we could have buckled down and maybe kept that a little closer, but Connor has been unbelievable this year. I think he’s one of the best goalies in the MAAC, and I think he could compete with most goalies in the country.”

The Jaspers rewarded Hapward’s heroics, notching the opening goal at the 6:26 mark. Drew Hiner snuck one past SU goalie Jimmy McCool on Manhattan’s first shot on target. Syracuse called timeout, seeking to pick itself off the canvas and find a way past Hapward. Still, it couldn’t convert, finishing scoreless in the opening quarter.

“We were playing well. See the net and hit the net. Don’t just shoot it at the goal,” Gait said of his message following the scoreless first quarter.

Spallina said his mindset after Syracuse was held off the board in the first quarter was to “shoot anywhere but (Hapward’s) stick.” But the junior remained sanguine, stressing the Orange were getting to “good spots” but weren’t converting.

To finally break through, the Orange needed a behind-the-back finish from Trey Deere — who started in place of the injured Finn Thomson — off a Spallina feed from X less than a minute into the second quarter on their 16th shot of the day and ninth effort on target. After two more Hapward stops, Spallina grabbed the lead for SU with a shot between Hapward’s legs.

Gait praised the Orange’s domination at the faceoff X, saying John Mullen was “awesome.” The sophomore won his first 10 faceoffs and 14-of-15 on the day. The mismatch — where SU won 21-of-23 faceoffs — was expected, as SU ranks sixth nationally in faceoff winning percentage, while the Jaspers have the 11th-worst unit.

“It gave us a lot of confidence when we weren’t shooting well,” Gait said of Mullen’s consistency. “As long as we’re getting the ball back, we’re OK.”

Spearheaded by its assertiveness at X, Syracuse unleashed an offensive tsunami in the second quarter. The Orange tallied four straight goals in two minutes and 10 seconds to extend their lead to 7-2 in the blink of an eye.

Spallina fed Tyler McCarthy in front for an easy goal to make it 4-2. Michael Leo got down the alley to beat Hapward. Deere put one away on a cut toward goal. Luke Rhoa fired one into the upper right corner.

“It’s hard when we’re playing make it, take it, but I’m proud of our boys for sticking together and executing the game plan,” Sage said.

In the final minute of the second quarter, Owen Hiltz clanged a shot off the crossbar, but the rebound landed right back in his stick. He quickly fed Leo, who buried SU’s eighth goal. Seconds before halftime, Sam English made it nine, capping a seven-goal cushion after a scoreless first quarter.

The Jaspers had no answer once the Orange found their rhythm. Greg Elijah-Brown and Leo struck early in the third, pushing the lead to 11-2. English added another off a Spallina feed, making it 13-2 and capping a 10-0 Syracuse run.

From there, SU cruised. Gait said every fit SU player saw action. And, as he complimented, the Orange kept pouring in the goals. Freshman Payton Anderson dunked one from close range, then scored again 14 seconds later. Deere registered his fourth with a slick turn-and-shoot finish.

After a Herculean first-quarter performance by Hapward in net, Syracuse powered past the Jaspers in its final easy test of the season. It was a fitting outcome for the Orange after they used their midseason break to regroup — just like Spallina said, refocusing on the simple things.

“We focused on shooting the ball well and working on our game,” Spallina said. “Obviously, the first quarter didn’t go as planned, but after that, we settled down and got back to the basics.”

Published on March 18, 2025 at 9:11 pm
Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal