Jimmy McCool wins 2025 ACC Goalie of the Year award
SU's Jimmy McCool has won the ACC Goalie of the Year award. McCool’s 157 total saves rank first among all ACC goalies this season. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse’s Jimmy McCool stamped an impressive first year as a starter Tuesday, winning the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Goalie of the Year award. The redshirt sophomore goalie has tallied 157 saves in 14 appearances this season, ranking first among all ACC keepers.
The 20th-ranked class of 2022 recruit spent his first two years stuck on the bench behind Will Mark, a two-year starter from 2023-2024. Mark, a Long Island University transfer, finished his short tenure with a stacked resume, becoming one of SU’s best goalies in recent memory. McCool had big shoes to fill. Yet, he’s been even better than Mark. The numbers don’t lie.
McCool’s .559 save percentage, which ranks 16th in Division I, is higher than any single-season total Mark posted while with the Orange. Mark also never took home the conference’s goalie of the year honor, highlighting McCool’s seamless transition to starting in between the pipes.
The road wasn’t easy for McCool, though. He got benched in SU’s then-stunning loss to Harvard in late February after allowing 10 goals on 15 shots. But he’s bounced back with a string of stellar performances, including four games where he tallied 15 saves or more. McCool’s 9.55 goals against average is the 17th-best mark in the country.
McCool also earned a spot on the 2025 All-ACC Team along with attacks Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz, as well as midfielder Sam English.
With two years of eligibility left, McCool has potential to grow into one of SU’s best goalies of the 21st century. He’ll likely be thrust onto the grand stage this May when the Orange play postseason lacrosse, the largest test of his young career thus far.
