Joey Spallina named Player of the Week by Inside Lacrosse, ACC
Joey Spallina scored four goals against then-No. 5 Notre Dame Saturday, breaking through tight defense from ND's Shawn Lyght. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Syracuse attack Joey Spallina earned Inside Lacrosse’s Player of the Week award, the publication announced Tuesday. Spallina is the first SU player to earn the honor this season.
The attack also received the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, his third time earning the award this season.
Spallina’s recognition follows a five-point performance in the Orange’s 14-9 win over then-No. 5 Notre Dame Saturday. Spallina’s four goals came largely from operating in front of the net, as opposed to his traditional spot at X. He also got the better of ND’s Tewaaraton Watch List defender Shawn Lyght, who limited Spallina to just one point when the Orange faced the Fighting Irish last season.
Spallina’s first two finishes came from the left goal-line extended, as he found open space in the attacking zone and made Notre Dame pay for its lapse of coverage. He notched his third goal of the day with a quick release to the right of the net before ND defender Nate Schwitzenberg could recover.
Spallina’s final goal of the game halted a 4-1 Fighting Irish run, as he faked out short stick midfielder Ben Ramsey, another member of the Tewaaraton Watch List, and turned and fired a shot into the bottom corner. Spallina also dished out a fourth-quarter assist to a cutting Trey Deere on a feed from X.
After Syracuse recorded its first top-five win of the season, it has a chance to notch another signature victory when it faces No. 1 Cornell on Long Island Saturday. The Big Red’s CJ Kirst is the only player to win Inside Lacrosse’s Player of the Week twice this season for his nine-goal performance versus Yale on March 22 and his six-goal display against then-No. 12 Denver on Feb. 22.
