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This is it. Arguably the easiest game on Syracuse’s 2026 schedule.

It’s almost outlandish to say it, considering the fact that Saint Joseph’s is one of the most formidable unranked opponents in the country, but that’s just the state of SU’s schedule. Gary Gait wanted his team to be tested out of the gate, and he’s certainly accomplished that so far.

The Orange have plenty of ranked foes and national championship contenders on deck in the coming weeks. But for now, their focus is placed squarely on the Hawks, who begin their season this Saturday after their opener against NJIT was cancelled due to weather complications last week.

Here’s how our beat writers feel No. 3 Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare against Saint Joseph’s (0-0, Atlantic 10):

Zak Wolf (1-0)
Bring on Maryland
Syracuse 17, St. Joe’s 7

Ah, the classic trap game. Everyone loves one. People around the lacrosse world will be fixated on SU’s mouth-watering affair with No. 1 Maryland next week. As for Syracuse? Well, I expect Gait to have his troops in order on Saturday. At least that’s the plan.

Overlooking this game is easy. Saint Joseph’s isn’t the most talented team, but the Hawks still pose a threat with nothing to lose. But that’s why Syracuse will handle business. There’s too much riding on this season for the Orange to be lackadaisical. There was some sloppiness in SU’s season-opening win over BU — especially dealing with the 10-man ride — but that’s expected in February. Nobody’s perfect.

Another aggressive ride awaits Syracuse in SJU, but this time it’ll be better in the clearing game. Without those mistakes, the Orange’s offense will feast. Joey Spallina will have another big day, while supplemental options like Payton Anderson and Michael Leo will continue to produce.

Even if Syracuse has clearing issues, John Mullen can mask those problems. His proficiency at the X allows SU to play make-it-take-it. Last week it scored a pair of goals eight and 13 seconds apart, respectively. It’ll be much the same this weekend.

This is another case of Syracuse simply having too much talent for an opponent to keep up. Even if the Orange play in second gear, they’ll get the job done. The same can’t be said on Feb. 13.

Nicholas Alumkal (1-0)
Overriding the 10-man ride
Syracuse 15, St. Joe’s 8

We learned a few revealing things about the Orange in their opener against Boston University. The positives? SU can hurt you in different ways offensively. If Spallina is held in check — as he was, to a certain extent, with five points — others can step up. Wyatt Hottle, Anderson, Leo and Luke Rhoa each logged braces. Defensively, Syracuse allowed the fewest goals in a game since crushing Manhattan 18-2 on March 18, 2025.

The sole fly in the ointment? The Orange struggled clearing the ball against the Terriers’ 10-man ride. Especially in the second quarter, SU resorted to hurling the ball downfield in hopes to avoid a violation and hope a teammate somehow got on the end of it.

Bad news for Syracuse: St. Joe’s also employs a 10-man ride. Though, after struggling in their first game, the Orange will manage the aggressive defensive strategy better and pull away for a second victory. The key will be the short-stick midfielders. Dante Bowen had impressive moments in the Orange’s opener. The Ohio State transfer’s experience and size make him a plug-and-play piece for SU. Expect him and the rest of SU to look more in sync in its second game of the year, and it’ll come at St. Joe’s expense.

The 10-man ride will be overcome; and, once it is, the Hawks will have no answer for Syracuse’s attack.

Mauricio Palmar (1-0)
Hawk 2-0
Syracuse 14, St. Joe’s 6

See what I did there? Clever, wasn’t it? The Orange are up against the Hawks this Saturday, and after another dominant performance, they — and I — will be 2-0 through two games.

Juvenile internet references aside, St. Joe’s is essentially just a poor man’s BU. An aggressive 10-man ride? Check. An All-Conference defenseman? Check. A high-octane sophomore attack? Check.

The only problem is, Scott Meehan’s 10-man ride just isn’t as threatening as Ryan Polley’s from last week. Ryan Bradley — while strong in his own right — just isn’t quite as good as Connor Kehm. And while Ben Dutton burst onto the scene with an impressive 47-goal freshman campaign in 2025, he’s certainly no Timothy Shannehan.

A similar defensive structure to one that just lost 13-6 to SU in its season opener — and a marginal decrease in talent across the board — isn’t a formula that inspires a lot of confidence in St. Joe’s upset chances here. The Hawks will enter the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, but it will be SU walking out of it 2-0.

Published on February 5, 2026 at 12:52 am