Student Press Freedom Day is a reminder of the vital role student journalists play in holding institutions accountable. The money raised between now and March 6 will go directly toward supporting our independent newsroom. Donate today.

Jackson Maher unleashed a simple 10-yard step down past Jimmy McCool, and Syracuse’s defenders’ reaction said it all.

Jordan Beck put his palms to the sky as if to question how Penn freshman Maher got so open. Bogue Hahn placed his hands on his hips. Billy Dwan III and Riley Figueiras both slowly walked back toward the goal, initiating a Syracuse huddle. McCool frustratingly picked the ball out of his net.

The Orange were in trouble, and they knew it. For the second time in 48 hours, SU was putting together a nightmare performance.

Syracuse was in danger of falling to .500 in March for the first time since 2023, trailing Penn 8-5 at Franklin Field with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter. SU could’ve easily folded. Yet it didn’t. The Orange stormed back with four straight goals to force overtime before Michael Leo’s dramatic game-winner.

The result was indicative of Syracuse’s season so far. A horror show in one moment leaves observers wondering why SU is considered a national title contender. Watch the final 19 minutes of Sunday’s contest, and it’s easy to remember why they could go all the way.

Through six games, No. 10 Syracuse (4-2, Atlantic Coast) hasn’t performed to its national championship standard in every contest. That doesn’t mean it’s time to panic. More consistency is needed, but February and March lacrosse looks a lot different than in May.

Jim from Baldwinsville, who expects perfection, won’t be satisfied with that assessment. And that’s alright. At Syracuse, the standard is simple: Be the best. SU isn’t going to roll over its competition like it did in the 1990s and early 2000s. There will be bumps in the road. The important thing is SU’s comeback against Penn prevented a downward spiral. After an inconsistent stretch, the Orange have a chance to reshape their season with a win over No. 11 Johns Hopkins.

Winning at Homewood Field won’t be easy. SU hasn’t done so there since 2020. The Orange also boast a dreadful 14-18 record away from the JMA Wireless Dome under Gary Gait. With Johns Hopkins coming off an emotional comeback win over Virginia, Syracuse may falter again.

It’s all about what team shows up. Is it going to be the one that vanquished its Maryland demons on Feb. 13? Or will SU not get off the bus like when it spotted six unanswered goals to No. 3 Princeton Friday?

A statement win over the Blue Jays would be the former, potentially kick-starting a hot streak to change the dynamics of SU’s season.

Zoey Grimes | Design Editor

To close out March, Syracuse travels to Air Force and No. 16 Denver before hosting No. 13 Georgetown. They aren’t pushovers, but Syracuse will be favored in each game. If SU escapes unscathed, it’ll be 8-2 entering conference play. Not too shabby.

Per Lacrosse Reference, eight wins would give Syracuse a 58% chance of making the NCAA Tournament. Nine wins, and that rises to 93%. Ten, and it’s pretty much a guarantee. That’s why this next stretch is key amid a mammoth schedule. Take care of business, and Syracuse will be in a solid position for a potential top-four seed come Selection Sunday.

However, success is fleeting in lacrosse. Syracuse knows that well. After its triumph over then-No. 1 Maryland, SU was seen as the best team in the country. Three weeks later, the Terrapins are 1-3 for the first time under John Tillman, and Syracuse has won one of its last three games.

The first two months of college lacrosse can be hectic. Coaches tinker with lineups. Offenses and defenses feel out what works. Weird upsets happen. It’s a marathon to see who can be the best come Memorial Day Weekend.

So far, the parody in college lacrosse is no secret. Inside Lacrosse’s Preseason Top Five is a combined 12-9. Four different teams (Maryland, Syracuse, North Carolina and Notre Dame) have held the No. 1 spot in every week’s ranking.

It’s understandable if, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Syracuse fans were pulling their hair out. Thoughts of a failed season crept in. But the best teams figure it out when their backs are against the wall.

“It’s not always gonna be pretty,” McCool said after beating Penn. “But you gotta find a way to win, and I think that was a good example of that today.”

Yes, the Orange’s two early-season losses are suboptimal. Still, Princeton and No. 4 Harvard have arguments for being the best team in the country. SU could’ve (and should’ve) beaten the Crimson, though it blew a two-goal fourth quarter lead. Syracuse was flat-out bad against Princeton and was punished. Is that ideal? Not really, but it happens.

“Two teams we knocked out of the playoffs (last year) and we traveled to their home fields, and they’re fired up,” Gait said after SU’s Princeton defeat. “And they played excellent, and they got us today, but we’ll regroup, and come back and get better.”

If you travel back 12 months, Syracuse was in a similar spot. The sky was seemingly falling after blowing a five-goal lead to Harvard, which dropped Syracuse to 3-2. At a pivotal point of its season, SU responded with six straight wins. Although the Orange dropped their final three regular-season games, they reached their first Final Four since 2013.

Following two losses last week, Syracuse men’s lacrosse is sitting at 4-2. Our columnist still says it’s not time to sound the alarms on the Orange, who dropped nine spots since holding the No. 1 ranking. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor

So, yeah, in a perfect world, Syracuse would be 6-0. We don’t live in one, so it’s 4-2 instead. That’s fine. The Orange haven’t even come close to being their best yet, so their record shouldn’t be frowned upon.

The bottom line is Syracuse has the talent to beat anyone in the country. That point needs to be reiterated constantly. SU might not have shown it consistently this year, but it’s true.

Joey Spallina — though he was held to zero points against Princeton — is still arguably the best player in the nation. Slick offensive talents like Leo and Finn Thomson, who scored a hat trick Sunday, supplement him.

Dwan and Figueiras are an elite one-two defensive punch, while McCool holds down the fort with a 59.8% save percentage.

John Mullen’s form presents the greatest irregularity of SU’s recent struggles. After a 62% win rate across the first three games, he’s won just 47% in the next three. The junior did show resolve after winning one first-half faceoff against Penn. He didn’t lose in the fourth quarter and gained possession for the Orange in overtime. If last year showed anything, it’s that Mullen’s recent stretch is an anomaly.

And when he’s at his best, so is Syracuse. Less pressure is put on the defense with fewer possessions to defend. It also gives the offense more room for error. So if Mullen gets it together, look out.

Lacrosse seasons are long. Gait also didn’t do his team any favors by crafting a schedule with little gimmes. So forgive Syracuse for some early-season blips.

There’s plenty of time for Syracuse to get back on a national championship trajectory. The beginning portion of seasons are meant to sharpen edges. The first six games showed exactly how, and it’d be ridiculous to write this team off in March.

The Orange took a couple hits on their way. They might’ve hit a couple potholes and swerved into the other lane. But they didn’t crash. That’s what’s crucial.

As long as Syracuse’s engine isn’t dead, it’ll be fine.

Published on March 5, 2026 at 12:33 am
Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22