Observations from No. 1 SU’s loss at Harvard: Scoring runs, Mullen wavers
SU scored three goals to begin the third quarter, but Harvard answered with four. Our beat writer has more observations from the defeat. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — After vanquishing then-No. 1 Maryland Feb. 13, Syracuse earned the top ranking in Inside Lacrosse’s Poll for the first time since March 2020. Its reward? The Orange’s first road game of the season: at Harvard, which was eliminated by SU in the NCAA Tournament First Round in 2025. Syracuse would have a target on its back in adverse conditions.
In the first half, a four-goal Orange scoring run was followed by a four-goal Crimson spree. The teams took turns heating up in the Cambridge cold. Three consecutive SU goals to begin the third was answered with four straight from the hosts. In the fourth, it was more of the same. Harvard strung together three straight scores to take the lead with 50 seconds left.
It was the last word.
Here are some observations from No. 1 SU’s (3-1, Atlantic Coast) 13-12 loss to No. 13 Harvard (3-0, Ivy) Saturday:
Mullen wavers
John Mullen throttled the Crimson at the faceoff X last season, winning 88.1% of his draws in the squad’s two meetings. But both those victories came in the climate-controlled comforts of the JMA Wireless Dome.
Jordan Field was a full 40 degrees Fahrenheit colder Saturday. Thus, Mullen lost his first two faceoffs. He finally claimed the fourth faceoff of the day, once SU had a 2-1 lead.
By halftime, Mullen had begun to assert himself 6-for-10. But, even in the turf, Mullen never fully gained rhythm in the chilly temperatures — something he contended with in 2025. It culminated in him winning 13-of-24 (54.2%), a steep dropoff from his displays against Harvard last season.
X marks the spot
After faltering offensively to start, Syracuse found its attacking footing — and it came from X. Joey Spallina, who’s taken an uptick in shots so far this season and put up video-game numbers in his Syracuse career, switched to provider Saturday. He dished out pixel-perfect passes.
First, he threaded the needle with a rope to find Tyler McCarthy, who put the finish past goalie Graham Stevens. Next, he didn’t need his chameleon eyes to find an open Luke Rhoa, who was fortunate Stevens couldn’t keep his effort out.
Spallina mainly operated from X, trying to take the reins of Syracuse’s attack. He got on the scoresheet himself with a tremendous drive and dispatch in the first quarter.
3rd-quarter jolt
Syracuse didn’t score in all 15 minutes of the second quarter. It took the team under four minutes to score three times in the third quarter. A two-goal halftime deficit turned into a 7-6 lead before Harvard responded itself to retake the lead.
Finn Thomson scored a pair of highlight-reel goals. One with an inventive and stentorian behind-the-head howitzer that bamboozled Stevens. Then, second, from the seat of his pants on the turf.
Thomson’s pair sandwiched between a Wyatt Hottle score, where he raced in and converted from close range.
Yet, the Orange momentum was fleeting. Francisco Cortes tied it back up at the 9:49 mark. Twenty-nine seconds later, Nathan Cobery handed Harvard back the advantage.
The flood continued. Teddy Malone and Cobery cashed in during a 40-second span, stretching the run to four goals. Finally, Michael Leo ended the run. But SU’s spree to start the quarter was quickly overshadowed by how the Crimson responded.
Photo finish
Both meetings between these two teams last season were decided by one goal. Saturday followed a similar script. Matt McIntee and Payton Anderson each scored to even proceedings at 10-10 with under 10 minutes to play.
Rhoa tattooed a bouncing finish on the break on the man-up, and the Orange had their first lead since earlier in the third quarter on a three-goal streak. Three turned to four moments later, when Spallina tiptoed the crease with Fred Astaire footwork and dropped his shot into the back of the net.
But the Crimson still had a run in them. At the 5:03 mark, John Aurandt IV completed his hat trick to pull within one. Seventeen seconds later, Sean Jordan scored a juice goal in a juiced game.
With under two minutes to go, Harvard chucked away possession as the shot clock expired. But SU committed a grievous clearing violation. Crimson ball again. They made Syracuse pay. Cobery put away a close-range bid after an X feed left McCool blinded.
The Orange won the ensuing faceoff and called timeout with 50 seconds left. Spallina shot early and missed. The Crimson just had to hold on for the rest of the time. They did. Down went No. 1 Syracuse.
