Owen Hiltz selected No. 8 by the Carolina Chaos in PLL Draft
Owen Hiltz was selected with the eighth pick of the 2025 PLL Draft. Hiltz has scored 132 goals in his four seasons with SU. Ike Wood | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse attack Owen Hiltz was selected No. 8 overall by the Carolina Chaos in the Premier Lacrosse League Draft on Tuesday. Hiltz is SU’s second first round selection in the PLL Draft following Sam English, who was selected third by the California Redwoods.
In four seasons with Syracuse, Hiltz has been one of its most productive players. He’s recorded 132 goals and 98 assists in 61 total appearances, only failing to score five times. During his career, Hiltz has become known for his dead-eye shooting and high-risk skip passes. The Orange could rely on his offensive versatility right away as a freshman in 2021.
Hiltz was the No. 2 player in the 2020 recruiting class and made an instant impact with SU. As the last remaining player from John Desko’s tenure, he recorded 29 goals and 19 assists as a freshman during Desko’s final season at the helm. Hiltz missed the entire 2022 season with an upper-body injury before returning with 53 points in 2023.
Every year, Hiltz has improved his production. As a redshirt junior, he led Syracuse with 38 goals, helping it clinch an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2021. This season, Hiltz has been an essential part of Syracuse’s offense. He had “the best fall of his career,” and the results have been evident.
On Friday and Sunday, Hiltz scored seven goals across two games to help the Orange win their first Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament since 2016. His 41 goals are 11 more than the next closest SU player. He’s two points shy of recording a career-high in points (66), which he can set in Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament First Round matchup against Harvard.
