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Survive and advance. That’s the name of the game this time of year in lacrosse. Winning is all that matters, even if it requires coming back from a five-goal deficit in the fourth quarter. That’s what Syracuse did in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Harvard. The Orange trailed 11-6 with 10:59 remaining. That’s before SU rattled off five straight goals in 99 seconds to tie the game 11-11.

Owen Hiltz’s goal on the first possession of overtime then sent the JMA Wireless Dome into a sense of delirium. Miraculously, Syracuse had saved its season with a 13-12 win. It lived to fight another day. Barely. The margin of error grows tighter as SU heads into the next round against No. 3 seed Princeton in Hempstead, New York Saturday.

The Tigers are a formidable foe, with their only losses of the season coming against Cornell (twice) and Maryland, the top two seeds in the tournament. They took care of business in the first round, defeating Towson 22-12, in their best offensive performance of the year. But the Orange are battle-tested. The first round proved that. Last year they fell in the quarterfinals, but now they have a chance to make their first championship weekend since 2013.

Here’s everything to know about No. 3 seed Princeton (13-3, 5-1 Ivy League) before it battles No. 6 seed Syracuse (12-5, 2-2 ACC) in the NCAA quarterfinals:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 21-9.

Last time they played …

Syracuse and Princeton have one of the most historic rivalries in college lacrosse. They’ve met 11 times in the postseason, including three straight national championships from 2000-02. Recently, the rivalry has cooled down, with no meetings from 2013-2022. It was rekindled on April 8, 2023, when Syracuse downed Princeton 16-13. It was SU’s first ranked victory of the season during a stretch where it won five of six games.

Joey Spallina put on a show, recording a then-career-high nine points (four goals, five assists), while Cole Kirst and Finn Thomson also tallied hat tricks. A big difference was the performance at the faceoff X, where SU went 20-of-33 — its best performance of the season.

The Tigers Report

In head coach Matt Madalon’s ninth year at the helm, Princeton has consistently been a top-5 team in the country this season. It’s led by an explosive offense that averages 13.5 goals per game — just behind Syracuse’s 13.59 — though it exploded well over that mark in the first round. Princeton punished Towson’s defense, scoring 16 goals across the second and third quarters as it breezed into the quarterfinal.

Coulter Mackesy and Nate Kabiri lead the Tigers and are one of the most dangerous attacking duos in the country. Mackesy, a Tewaaraton Award Finalist, recently became Princeton’s all-time leading scorer with 164 career goals. He’s totalled 60 points (41 goals, 19 assists) this season, with Kabiri right behind at 58 points (31 goals, 27 assists). Both players keep defenses occupied with their pinpoint outside shooting and can score from any angle, but their range opens up space on the inside for other scoring options.

On paper, Princeton’s defensive numbers are middling. It lets up 10.44 goals per game, which ranks 30th nationally. However, it’s anchored by Ivy League Goalkeeper of the Year Ryan Croddick. The junior has finished with double-digit saves in all but one of Princeton’s games this year, averaging 14.25 saves per game, the second-most of any goalie in the ACC, Big Ten or Ivy League. Princeton’s defense also includes First-Team All-Ivy League long pole Colin Mulshine, who will likely guard Spallina.

Syracuse will once again have a faceoff advantage, but Andrew McMeekin’s 50.7% clip at the X can prevent John Mullen from winning 24-of-28 faceoffs again, like he did versus Harvard.

How Syracuse beats Princeton

It’s been said ad nauseam this season, but Syracuse needs to start strong. Falling behind like it did against Harvard isn’t going to cut it. There needs to be a sense of urgency from the opening faceoff. It sounds simple, though at times this season, the Orange look like they’re sleepwalking through games. It all starts with Syracuse taking care of the ball. It turned the ball over a season-high 20 times last game, which simply can’t happen again.

Jimmy McCool will also have to be on his A-game. Princeton can light up anybody with its shooters, so the shot stopper will have to be alert. He made just one save in the first half against Harvard, but the sophomore did just enough in the second half to get Syracuse over the line. McCool needs to stand on his head if SU wants to advance.

Stat to know: Four

Syracuse has lost four straight NCAA Quarterfinal games. It’s gone a decade plus without making a Final Four for the first time since its first trip in 1980. In three of SU’s last four quarterfinal losses, it was a higher seed. In 2015, it fell as the No. 2 seed to Johns Hopkins. As the second seed again, the Orange fell to Towson. After seven seasons without a quarterfinal appearance, they returned last season as the No. 4 seed, falling short to No. 5-seeded Denver. Syracuse finally has a chance to put its quarterfinal nightmares to bed Saturday.

Player to watch: Tucker Wade, midfield, No. 19

While Mackesy and Kabiri are bullseye shooters from the outside, Tucker Wade offers a more physical style of play. Wade is a north-south dodger who doesn’t mess around while trying to get downhill. The sophomore is coming off by far the best outing of his career, registering a career-high five goals and seven points against Towson.

Wade isn’t Princeton’s first, second or even third option, but that’s what makes him dangerous. Syracuse held Harvard’s Sam King — a Tewaaraton finalist — to two goals last week, but the Crimson’s secondary options hurt SU. Wade has a chance to do the same Saturday. He has 26 goals and eight assists on the season, recording multiple points in Princeton’s last six games.

Published on May 14, 2025 at 11:26 pm
Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22