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A couple weeks away from its season opener, there’s a palpable buzz surrounding Syracuse men’s lacrosse.

The Orange are coming off their best campaign in fifth-year head coach Gary Gait’s tenure. Thirteen wins — SU’s most since 2017. An Atlantic Coast Conference Championship — its first since 2016. Not one, but two wins over Notre Dame. And an NCAA Tournament run that culminated in the program’s first Final Four appearance since 2013.

Key players such as Owen Hiltz, Sam English and Michael Grace have since graduated, but Syracuse’s nucleus is, for the most part, still intact. Now, the onus lies on the Orange’s seven returning starters to build on last season’s success and potentially return to Championship Weekend.

Based on their respective importance to SU’s success in 2026, here’s a ranking of the Orange’s top 10 players for this season:

10. Bogue Hahn, Midfield, Freshman

Trying to accurately predict how a true freshman adjusts to collegiate lacrosse is about as futile as playing darts in a bar, trying to hit a bullseye when you’re about two beers away from teetering over the edge. It’s a crapshoot. Bogue Hahn is simply the best bet of the bunch.

Hahn is Syracuse’s lone five-star recruit added this offseason, ranked as Inside Lacrosse’s No. 17 prospect in the class of 2025. He finished his storied career at McDonogh (Maryland) with 166 points, earning New Balance All-American and Nike All-American honors. If any freshman can make an immediate impact for SU, it’s Hahn.

9. Payton Anderson, Attack/Midfield, Sophomore

As a true freshman, Payton Anderson instantly made his mark in Gait’s lineup, collecting 17 points and starting four games. He delivered the game-winning goal in SU’s 9-8 win over Duke, sealing its ACC Championship.

Now a sophomore, it’s inevitable that Anderson will start for SU. The only question is where. In his four starts, he earned the starting nod at attack, but he also played in midfield. With vacancies in both areas, Anderson’s versatility makes him a crucial piece for the Orange.

8. Luke Rhoa, Midfield, Senior

Luke Rhoa has the unfortunate distinction of being the lowest-ranked returning starter on this list, but that’s not a slight on him at all. If anything, it speaks to the Orange’s depth from top to bottom in their starting lineup.

In his first season as a starter, Rhoa feasted on opposing defenses, notching career highs in goals (27) and points (33) en route to USILA Honorable Mention All-American honors. Without his four-goal performance against Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, SU’s Final Four run likely would’ve been a one-and-done exit.

7. Finn Thomson, Attack, Senior

Finn Thomson has spent three seasons with the Orange, and he’s been a focal point of SU’s attack for his entire career. He’s started 45 out of his 46 games, and the lone game he didn’t was his injury-marred return against Duke on April 19, 2025.

Yet, it still feels like Thomson hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential with the Orange. In his five-goal performance against Harvard on Feb. 22, 2025, Thomson seemed to be approaching it, but his season was interrupted by an arm injury after that. It’s no accident that his return from injury coincided with the Orange’s postseason turnaround.

6. Michael Leo, Midfield, Senior

Joey Spallina and Hiltz received all the plaudits, and for good reason. They were the engines that powered Syracuse’s attack all season in 2025. But when Thomson went down, someone had to step up to fill his production, and Michael Leo did just as good a job as anyone.

After notching career highs in goals (32) and points (44) — both marks ranking third on SU — Leo secured a spot on the USILA All-American Third Team. Now with Hiltz gone, Leo’s role in the Orange’s attack will grow as a senior, albeit from midfield.

5. Riley Figueiras, Defense, Senior

Historically speaking, the No. 11 has been bestowed upon some of Syracuse’s best defenders. Players such as Joel White, Brian Megill, Brandon Mullins and Brett Kennedy all earned All-American honors while donning the number. Most of those guys had to wait their turn before they finally earned it.

There’s a reason Riley Figueiras received it before even playing a game. After a freshman year ACL tear, Figueiras has made a business out of shutting down teams’ offenses. Whether it’s Notre Dame’s Chris Kavanagh or Princeton’s Coulter Mackesy, he neutralized potent attacks throughout the Orange’s run to Championship Weekend.

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4. John Mullen, Faceoff, Junior

Finally, a break from all these seniors. In lacrosse, play begins with a faceoff. If you can win more faceoffs than the opponent, more often than not, you win the game. The idea that more possessions are conducive to more success seems rather intuitive.

That’s precisely why John Mullen finds himself so high on this list. After splitting time with Mason Kohn as a sophomore, Mullen emerged as one of the country’s top faceoff specialists last season. His 283 faceoff wins — good for a 63% win percentage — ranked second in the nation, earning him USILA Second Team All-American honors.

3. Billy Dwan III, Defense, Senior

Next to Figueiras, Billy Dwan III stands as Syracuse’s more physically-imposing counterpart on defense. After taking over as a full-time starter in his sophomore year, he began to display his generational scoring ability, totaling 11 goals over the past two years.

He might not be as strong of a one-on-one cover guy as Figueiras, but Dwan’s versatility — and aforementioned 6-foot-4, 231-pound frame — make him one of the most intimidating defenders in collegiate lacrosse. He may have missed out on All-American honors last season, but he’ll likely return to those ranks in 2026.

2. Jimmy McCool, Goalie, Senior

Jimmy McCool responded about as well as he could’ve to his benching. When he coughed up a sizable lead in SU’s 15-14 loss to Harvard, watching Michael Ippoliti finish the game for him, the goalie could’ve easily lost confidence. Instead, he earned ACC Goalie of the Year honors, finishing the season with 216 saves and a 53.5% save percentage.

McCool’s resurgence directly spurred the Orange’s push to the Final Four, and if they return to that stage, he’ll be one of the biggest reasons why. Because if you can stop your opponents from finding the net, you can easily outscore them. Speaking of scoring …

1. Joey Spallina, Attack, Senior

Were you really naive enough to think this spot would belong to anyone else?

Seriously, think about it. Spallina has made a mockery of every list he’s been on since high school. He was the No. 1 player in the class of 2022 for decades, it seemed, and he has nearly managed to match the exorbitant expectations that were placed upon him as a child. He was the chosen one. The future. The preordained No. 22 to end all No. 22s, placed on Earth for the sole purpose of reviving Syracuse’s men’s lacrosse program.

If all goes right for Spallina, he should smash SU’s program points record this season. But even then, it still feels like it would be a massive disappointment if he finished his career without a Tewaaraton Award or a national title. It’s now or never. The Orange ride — or die — with him.

Published on January 12, 2026 at 10:06 pm
Contact Mauricio: mjpalmar@syr.edu | @mpalmarDO