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It feels like Syracuse’s nonconference slate has been over for eons, with SU having faced three of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s four opponents. But the Orange still have one more nonconference game left.

It’s Colgate. The Raiders aren’t Syracuse’s strongest opponent by any means, but they enter the JMA Wireless Dome riding a four-game win streak. None of those wins have come by more than three goals, but that span contains impressive triumphs over Navy and then-No. 15 Boston University.

Arguably the most important regular-season contest of the year awaits SU in a week and a half, when it takes on No. 1 Notre Dame on April 25. But before the Orange trek to South Bend, they have to take care of business against the Raiders on Saturday.

Here’s everything to know about Colgate (5-6, 4-3 Patriot) before its nonconference finale against Syracuse (10-3, 2-1 ACC) Saturday:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 51-12-1.

Last time they played

Despite how lopsided the win-loss column may look, Colgate hasn’t always made it easy for SU to rack up those wins. The Raiders have bagged double-digit goal totals in the two programs’ last four matchups, even snagging a win over the Orange in 2019.

Last year was no exception. When the two teams faced off on March 22, 2025, Colgate went down 5-2 in the first quarter and gave up an additional three scores to enter the half trailing 8-2. But with a 10-goal barrage over the game’s final two quarters, the Raiders made it a semi-respectable 16-12 defeat to Syracuse. No Colgate player notched a hat trick, but six Raiders bagged a brace.

The Raiders report

Colgate without the Connor brothers just doesn’t quite feel correct. Before teaming up with Georgetown, Rory and Liam Connor ran roughshod over the Raiders’ rivals for years. The former finished second on Colgate with 49 goals in 2025, while the latter led the Raiders with 51 assists and 90 points.

A year later, Rory’s one of the top scorers in the nation at Georgetown — ranking second in Division I with an average of 4.10 goals per game — while Liam leads Division I with 3.80 assists per game. Colgate, on the other hand, is still searching for ways to replace them.

Hunter Drouin and Freddy Fowler have been tasked with filling Liam’s assist production for the Raiders in 2026, both leading Colgate with 17 assists. Drouin — Colgate’s leading offensive returner — also paces the Raiders with 40 points in his senior year and ranks second on the team with 23 goals.

Colgate got off to a rough start to life without the Connors, winning just one of its first seven games and falling to mediocre teams such as Bucknell and Holy Cross. But the Raiders have settled in as of late, and their defense has held their last two opponents to single-digit goal totals.

How Syracuse beats Colgate

It seems self-explanatory, but the best thing Syracuse can do for itself against the Raiders is simply feeding its stars. This isn’t a game where you need a ton of ancillary scorers. Gary Gait just needs to let his guys cook.

When Virginia — a team SU just beat — defeated Colgate 19-14, star attacks Truitt Sunderland and McCabe Millon scored six and four goals, respectively. When Harvard defeated the Raiders 17-8, Colgate allowed Teddy Malone to erupt for an electric six-goal performance. When Penn State defeated Colgate 18-14, the Raiders’ defense allowed Hunter Aquino to go for four scores, and Kyle Lehman also pitched in a hat trick.

These teams — all ranked — discovered the formula. Just funnel it to your best attack, and let them impose their will on a mediocre Colgate defense. For SU, that means giving Joey Spallina, Michael Leo and Finn Thomson the space to work.

Stat to know: -47

Without Liam’s prodigious passing in their attack, the Raiders have been left to pick up the pieces. It has left them with just 67 assists on 126 goals scored this year, a far cry from their 152 assists last season.

Even more concerning is the fact Colgate’s opponents have comparatively racked up 114 assists on 140 goals. That makes for a negative-47 assist differential — Syracuse, comparatively, has a plus-42 assist differential.

Spallina — who ranks fifth in the nation with 35 assists — has the ability to wreck teams’ defensive game plans from X; just ask Air Force. With the senior orchestrating an SU offense featuring heavy ball movement, it might be a very long day for the Colgate defense.

Player to watch: Casey Quinson, attack, No. 12

Fowler and Drouin both got mentioned in the Raiders report, but Casey Quinson was suspiciously left out. In reality, the reason is the Rye Brook, New York, native deserves to have a section of his own. The sophomore had a solid debut season in 2025, scoring 20 goals across seven starts.

But he wasn’t anything close to the player he is now. Without the Connors, Colgate’s attack is all his, and he’s fully capitalized on that opportunity in 2026. Quinson currently leads the Raiders with 32 goals, eclipsing his freshman year tally by 12 in seven fewer games. He’s scored in every game this season, and he’s been held to a single goal just once.

Published on April 15, 2026 at 11:50 pm
Contact Mauricio: mjpalmar@syr.edu | @mpalmarDO