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Syracuse men’s lacrosse is preparing for its most consequential season in recent memory. Coming off their first Final Four appearance in over a decade, the Orange retained the core of their roster.

Joey Spallina, Michael Leo, John Mullen and Billy Dwan III are some of the key pieces of SU’s squad, who have a shot at winning the Orange’s first national championship since 2009. That brings expectations. Despite last season’s success, this program isn’t judged on Championship Weekend appearances. It’s judged on national titles.

Though, like any team, Syracuse has its flaws, which opposing teams will try to exploit.

With just over a week before No. 2 Syracuse’s season opener, here are the five biggest questions surrounding it in 2026:

Who replaces Owen Hiltz’s production?

Owen Hiltz was one of Syracuse’s most productive players over the past several years. In four seasons, the attack registered a point in each of his 64 career appearances with SU. He finished with 239 total points (137 goals, 102 assists) and increased his productivity each year with Syracuse, totalling a career-high 73 points in 2025.

Syracuse needs to find a way to replace that production this season. It won’t be easy.

Spallina and Finn Thomson’s places in the attack are cemented. The third spot remains a mystery. With Trey Deere reportedly out for the season, that spot likely belongs to sophomore Payton Anderson. When Thomson missed seven weeks last season with a broken arm, Anderson and Deere split the reps. Deere started three games early on, but, in Atlantic Coast Conference play, Anderson got the nod on four occasions.

Anderson is a dynamic offensive threat, with speed, power and 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame that allows him to be a nuisance as a dodger. That threat can help the Orange create more favorable matchups.

A wild card option is Michael Leo, who played attack in high school. Though if Gait wants firepower coming out of the box, he’ll keep Leo at midfield, so Anderson seems like the most logical option at the moment.

When will Joey Spallina break SU’s all-time points record?

Spallina is on the verge of making history. With 246 points in 52 games, the senior is 61 points away from passing Mikey Powell to become Syracuse’s all-time points leader. At this point, it’s not a question of if Spallina will become SU’s all-time points leader, but when.

The worst output of Spallina’s career came as a freshman, where he had 68 points in just 15 games. Spallina has averaged 4.7 points per game over his first three seasons, a slight rise from his 4.5 as a freshman.

Barring any major injuries, Spallina will break Powell’s record. If he keeps his current pace, it’ll take him around 13 games to do so. Syracuse’s 13th game of the season is against Virginia on April 11. Even if he doesn’t break the record by the Virginia game, he’ll likely attain it in mid-to-late April.

Who knows? Spallina could break it even sooner than that. It’s not crazy to say he can average at least five points a game, which will bring the celebration a little quicker.

The pressure on Spallina has been constant since arriving at SU. Wearing the No. 22 attracts that. But when Spallina does the inevitable, all that will separate himself from Orange greats like the Gaits and the Powells will be winning a national championship.

But we’ll get there when we get there.

Is there enough depth at short stick midfield?

Looking at the Orange on paper, their weakest position group is short stick defensive midfield.

Carter Rice was Syracuse’s unsung hero in 2025. His play wasn’t flashy, but his defensive work was important for the Orange, as he earned honorable mention honors for Inside Lacrosse’s All-American teams. SU’s midfield will also be missing Sam English this season.

The do-it-all midfielder never seemed to run out of energy for Syracuse, playing both offense and defense last season. Syracuse has plenty of offensive firepower, but his loss will be most felt defensively.

As of now, SU has three shortstick defensive midfielders listed on its roster: Ryder Ochoa, Dante Bowen and Jayden Kittelberger. Ochoa is the only one with experience playing for Syracuse. Bowen appeared in 18 games across four years at Ohio State and Kittelberger — an incoming freshman — was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025, according to Inside Lacrosse.

Jake Spallina and Vincent Bolognino also played shortstick midfield last season, especially when senior Nate LeVine’s season ended following a knee injury. But compared to the rest of Syracuse’s roster, they lack experience.

Bowen is the true wild card. He never played in more than three games in a season for Ohio State until appearing in 12 for the Buckeyes in 2025. If he can be a solid piece, then Syracuse might not have to worry about its short stick midfield group. If not, it’ll remain a concern.

Ilyan Sarech | Design Editor

Can John Mullen hit another level of dominance?

John Mullen had a ridiculous sophomore campaign. His 63% faceoff win rate was the highest of any Syracuse player across a full campaign since Ben Williams won 67% in 2015. It might be a tough ask, but, considering last season was Mullen’s first as a starter, he can potentially elevate his play to become the best faceoff man in the country.

Last season, Mullen had the sixth-best faceoff win percentage in the country. Brady Wambach (64%) was the only player from the Big Ten, ACC or Ivy League ahead of him. Henry Dodge — who led the country with a 70.9% mark — is now at Maryland, but played against lesser competition at Vermont.

What makes Mullen special is his goal-scoring threat. He finished with five goals, three assists and 14 shots on goal (20 total) in 2025. Meanwhile, Wambach had four goals, no assists and 10 shots, with five on goal. Mullen can kickstart instant offense for Syracuse because of how quickly he wins clamps, which sometimes gives SU a man-up advantage if he gets upfield instantly.

SU’s attacking brand fits Mullen. Even if the Orange fall behind, Mullen can win enough possessions to make a comeback. Just look at Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament First Round win against Harvard last season, where Mullen won 24 of 28 faceoffs. The Orange played make-it-take-it, coming back from a six-goal second-half deficit.

Sometimes it feels like Mullen toys with his counterparts. In his second season as a starter, he could push the Orange to great heights.

Will the Orange survive their gauntlet schedule and win it all?

The question everyone’s been waiting for. If Syracuse is going to win a national title, this is the season to do it. Its recruits from the highly-touted 2022 class are all seniors, and the Orange have the pieces to win it all.

Before talking about May, we have to make sure Syracuse even gets there. The Orange’s schedule has plenty of tests. They will take on eight teams from last year’s NCAA Tournament, including four from the quarterfinal (Princeton, Maryland, Notre Dame and Georgetown). Even programs that didn’t make the tournament in 2025 — like Virginia, Johns Hopkins and Boston University — will be tough matchups.

To put it lightly, there are no layups on Syracuse’s slate. Gait has loaded SU’s schedule in the past, but he took that to the extreme this season. It includes a six-game road stretch where the Orange don’t play a home game for over a month. Two of those games — against Denver and Air Force — will be at high altitude as well.

There’s a fine margin for error when trying to make the NCAA Tournament. However, pretty much every Syracuse game offers a chance to boost its tournament resume. Even if the Orange’s record can’t escape their slate unscathed, they could still receive a high seed come tournament time.

What’s that saying? To be the best, you have to beat the best. It seems like Gait took that to heart this offseason.

Published on January 22, 2026 at 12:00 am
Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22