Everything to know about No. 13 Denver ahead of matchup with No. 8 Syracuse
Syracuse closes out its six-game road trip with a matchup against No. 13 Denver, which allows the fewest goals per game in the country this season. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse’s elongated road trip will finally come to an end Monday. The Orange have spent an eternity on the road, with their last home game being the upset over then-No. 1 Maryland. A lot has changed since then. SU lost two straight games — which could’ve easily been three if not for a comeback versus then-No. 18 Penn — and the Terrapins are a measly 3-3.
Despite not playing its best lacrosse halfway through the season, Syracuse is 6-2. After it avoided disaster against Penn, the Orange gained stability, with wins over then-No. 11 Johns Hopkins and Air Force. SU will wrap up its time in the mountains with a tricky matchup against Denver. The Pioneers are a pesky bunch, but if Syracuse takes care of business, it’ll stretch its winning streak to four games.
Denver is coming off an excruciating 6-4 loss to then-No. 8 Ohio State, which was its worst offensive performance since 2018. Despite that, the Pioneers hold arguably the best defense in the country and will be no pushover at 5,280 feet altitude.
Here’s everything to know about No. 13 Denver (4-2, Big East) ahead of its matchup with No. 8 Syracuse (6-2, Atlantic Coast):
All-time series
Syracuse leads 4-1
Last time they played
Syracuse met Denver in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. In SU’s first postseason under head coach Gary Gait, the Orange faltered in a 10-8 defeat. Denver’s defense blanked Syracuse’s offense, finishing with its lowest goal total of the season. Joey Spallina didn’t have a point for the second time in his career and Owen Hiltz scored the lone goal for any SU attacker.
A back and forth first half was level at 3-3 before Ty Hussy gave Denver the lead at the break. Hussey’s goal sparked a 5-0 run for the Pioneers, which ended up being the difference. Syracuse didn’t score for nearly 20 minutes and even a late three-goal flurry in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough to continue its season.
The Pioneers Report
Denver’s identity is its defensive grit. That started under legendary coach Bill Tierney, who led the Pioneers to their lone National Championship in 2015. The defensive identity hasn’t changed under Matt Brown, who took over once Tierney retired in 2023. Brown led Denver to its sixth Final Four in his first season in charge. After a 7-7 2025 campaign, the Pioneers are making noise nationally once again.
They stand at 4-2 with their only defeats coming to Ohio State and Cornell by a combined six goals. Typically, Denver likes to be involved in rock fights, as shown by its meeting with Ohio State. Its long pole trio of Brody Davis, Russell Overly and Gordon Reynolds is superb, while goalie Grayson Manning leads the country in every statistical category.
Offense sometimes limits Denver’s ability. The Pioneers have only scored more than 11 goals twice this year, which came against Cleveland State and Michigan. Cody Malawsky is the main threat with 12 goals and 17 points on the season. Marek Tzagournis is the only other Pioneer in double figures with 10 goals. Watt Muir and Chase Bruno try to provide supplemental scoring, which Denver lacks.
UD’s paltry 11 goals per game is just the 41st-best offense in the country. Long Island University, VMI, Fairfield and Mercer are a handful of programs scoring more than Denver. According to Lacrosse Reference, the Pioneer’s offensive efficiency is 27.5%, which ranks 48th in the country.
How Syracuse beats Denver
Syracuse needs to come out with more urgency. The Orange were lackadaisical for three quarters against Air Force and came alive in the fourth quarter. Denver won’t be so kind as to let SU play with its food. For SU it starts with feeding Spallina the ball at X. The Senior recorded a career-high eight assists on Thursday, which was the second-most in a game all-time at Syracuse. Low scoring games can come down to a few moments in games and players like Spallina create those moments.
It sounds like a broken record, but John Mullen needs to have another big afternoon. His 16-for-23 performance versus Air Force was his best in weeks, and he’ll look to build on that. In Syracuse’s wins, it averages 3.2 more possessions than its opponents. In losses, that drops to minus 2.3, which can be attributed to Mullen’s proficiency at the X. Mullen should handle Luke Smeader — who has a 47% win rate this season — and that might prove crucial for the Orange
Stat to know: 16.7%
Denver holds the best defensive efficiency in the country at 16.7%, according to Lacrosse Reference. The Pioneers simply shut teams’ water off, allowing 6.33 goals per game, which is also the best mark in the country. Denver’s defensive grittiness stems back from Tierney’s time and has continued under Brown, who’s a defensive-minded coach. Brown orchestrated a masterclass in 2024 against Syracuse and will look to do it again Monday.
Player to watch: Grayson Manning, Goalie, No. 48
Manning is putting up absurd numbers this season. Denver’s long poles are good, however a big reason why it’s so elite is because of the sophomore. Manning leads the country in save percentage by a wide margin, stopping 67.3% of the shots that come his way. The next closest player is Army’s Sean Byrne at 62.0%. That doesn’t mean Manning is facing minimal shots and being put in favorable scenarios. He still has the 14th-most saves per game at 12.66 per game.
The netminder has only been under 50% one time in 2026, which came against Cornell. Getting good shots will be key for Syracuse. In Denver’s wins, Manning makes 13.3 saves on 17.8 shots on goal per game. Compare that to Denver’s two losses, where Manning makes 11.5 denials, while facing 21 shots on goal. If the Orange can’t break down Denver’s defense, then Manning will have a field day.
