I
t took John Desko two sentences to make Joey Spallina’s dream a reality on Sept. 1, 2020.
Just after midnight on the first day college coaches can contact high school juniors, Spallina was in the backseat of his mother Mary Beth’s Cadillac SUV, returning from a travel event with his club program, Team 91. Spallina’s father, Joe — the head coach of Stony Brook’s women’s program — was making his own recruiting calls.
Instead of calling Spallina, Desko phoned Mary Beth. Within moments, Desko offered Spallina a scholarship. Additionally, the former head coach wanted him to wear No. 22 — the most iconic number in college lacrosse.
Both were Spallina’s dreams. He grew up idolizing SU icon and former No. 22, Casey Powell. Former Orange attackman Tommy Palasek was his neighbor in Rocky Point, New York. Spallina often wore Syracuse gloves and donned a baggy No. 22 jersey on the sidelines of Major League Lacrosse games.
So, when Desko laid out his plan for Spallina, there was no second-guessing.
“I think my face just lit up,” Spallina said, recalling his phone call with Desko.
When Spallina became Syracuse’s No. 22, the jersey’s legacy was muddied. Chase Scanlan, the most recent player to wear the number, was dismissed from the program following his arrest for a domestic violence-related charge. The weight fell on Spallina’s shoulders. Not only to rekindle the iconic jersey, but also to restore SU’s pedigree as one of college lacrosse’s elite programs after nearly a decade without a Final Four appearance.
Three hundred and eight points later, Spallina has done that. In No. 5 Syracuse’s 14-7 win over Colgate Saturday, he passed Mike Powell to become Syracuse’s all-time points leader. Still, Spallina has more on his mind. The senior is dead set on winning a national championship. But, despite Spallina downplaying the accomplishment, it shouldn’t be glossed over.
“Everybody has personal goals, and just to break a record from a Powell is awesome,” Spallina told The Daily Orange on April 2. “Right now, when you think of Syracuse lacrosse, probably the second, or even maybe the first name that comes to mind is Powell.”
• • •
If you’re going to break a record, you might as well do it in style. With Syracuse leading 3-2 in the first quarter on Saturday, Bogue Hahn flipped the ball to Spallina as he gained momentum along the wing. Colgate’s Sam Erickson locked his eyes on Spallina, and the attack quickly whipped a behind-the-back pass on the money for Michael Leo, who followed suit with a behind-the-back finish.
The assist is everything Syracuse and Mike stood for. Playing with freedom, mixing in skill with creativity and playing without thinking too hard, so, ironically, that was the record-breaking play.
“That was very much instinctive,” Spallina said of the assist. “It’s not the first time that we’ve done it, but it just so happened that we did it on that goal. So it was awesome.”
“I’m super proud of Joey,” Leo added. “I’ve seen the work that, really, none of you guys really see. Since he was younger, he was just always a guy that was the last guy at practice, first guy at practice. So I’ve seen all the stuff, but it’s special.”
Spallina simply pointed to the sky in celebration. Then, his teammates mobbed him, before chants of “Joey, Joey, Joey” echoed around the JMA Wireless Dome. Spallina said he was more excited about his assist to his brother, Jake, in the third quarter.
Go figure.
Syracuse attack Joey Spallina delivers the assist to Michael Leo that gave him the most points in program history. Spallina ended the day with seven points and a new program-record of 313. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
It was still special for Spallina, who had plenty of family in attendance. He started the night by walking out for the senior day ceremony with Joe and Mary Beth at his side, along with brothers Jake and Brett and his younger sister Olivia balanced on his shoulders.
Once the game began, Spallina didn’t make them wait long to celebrate. He intercepted a pass on an aggressive ride and scored into an open net in the first quarter. His feed to Leo minutes later confirmed his place as Syracuse’s all-time points leader.
Detractors will bring up previous greats played without a shot clock, or that Spallina racks up points against bad teams. Well, in 46 games against top 20 opponents, Spallina has 185 points. Mike had 182 in 42 contests.
People will always attempt to knock Spallina down a peg. But 308 points is 308 points no matter how you slice it.
What’s that saying? Records are meant to be broken. Despite Mike’s staggering points total, Casey thought someone would eventually surpass his brother.
“Joey is that kind of player, where he’s putting up those kinds of numbers each and every game, meaning he’s a big factor every time he has the ball, there’s a chance something’s gonna happen, which was very similar to Mike,” Casey said.
Sophia Burke| Digital Design Director and Ilana Zahavy | Presentation Director
• • •
Before Gary Gait, No. 22 was just any number at Syracuse. As a freshman, Gait wore No. 38. He switched to the now-iconic number to honor his friend, John Crowther. A fellow British Columbia product, Crowther played at Rutgers and was murdered after a practice with Gait.
Three straight national championships — one of which was vacated — and 253 points later, the jersey held a little more weight. After Gait, then-SU head coach Roy Simmons Jr. gave No. 22 to Charlie Lockwood, one of the top recruits in the country. Gait said Simmons Jr. challenged Lockwood to fill Gait’s shoes.
Lockwood was a four-time All-American and led Syracuse to a national championship in 1993. From there, it became customary for Syracuse’s best player to wear No. 22. Casey, Ryan and Mike Powell all donned the number, along with Cody Jamieson, Dan Hardy and others. For the past four years, Spallina has had the honor.
“(It’s) a simple way of putting pressure on, right from the get-go,” Gait said. “Most of the guys have been able to handle that pressure and be successful, and sometimes it doesn’t go as well as they hoped.”
Spallina embraced the weight as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022. Immediately, he became fully immersed in the “22 brotherhood,” connecting with former players who wore the number.
Casey used to play catch with Spallina on MLL sidelines when Joe coached the New York Lizards. Spallina and Casey exchange texts about the nuances of the game. After the Colgate game Saturday, Spallina said his favorite piece of advice from Casey was to be “22 easy,” meaning “play your game and you just do what you’re supposed to do, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Casey has tried to give Spallina room this season, but reached out before SU’s win over then-No. 1 Maryland.
Spallina’s relationships extend to Ryan and Mike, along with Jojo Marasco and Hardy. As his head coach, Gait spends every day with Spallina and is a resource for advice. Then there’s Lockwood — the upstate director for Team 91, Spallina’s former travel team — who Spallina has also grown close with.
Jordan Evans reached out to Spallina prior to his freshman season. Evans said former No. 22s didn’t contact him during his injury-riddled and turbulent time at SU. He didn’t want a repeat, so he gave Spallina advice on how to focus.
“I just reminded him that it’s a jersey first and foremost,” Evans said. “Everyone wears a jersey, and it’s not him who put the pressure on himself to get there. Just do what you love to do, and that’s play lacrosse.”
• • •
Records are the last thing on Spallina’s mind. He’s talked about winning a national championship ad nauseam, saying before the 2026 season: “(It’s) the only thing I really give a sh-t about.” Joe has emphasized how special Mike’s record is, but it’s often in one of his son’s ears and out the other.
“That’s the way he’s wired,” Joe said. “He doesn’t know another way.”
Going out on top is crucial to Spallina’s legacy. Championships are one of three tenets Spallina outlined when asked about what’s important for a No. 22. There’s the simplicity of being a good teammate and outworking everyone. Then there’s actually winning.
Syracuse attack Joey Spallina raises his stick in celebration after tying the program record for points. Spallina’s accomplishment has restored the legacy and grandeur of the SU No. 22 jersey, given the team’s top attack. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
The most iconic No. 22s are known for reaching the peak. Casey and Ryan won one title each, and Mike won two. Jamieson scored the winner in the 2009 national title game, SU’s most recent championship. Spallina won’t be forgotten without one — especially considering his new record — though he isn’t satisfied with his current standing.
“When you think of the 22s here, you think of championships,” Spallina said. “You think of scoring goals, and doing the things that champions do, and that’s really the next step, and probably the last step.”
It’s hard to compare Spallina to other No. 22s. The shot clock wasn’t around until 2019. Play styles differ. The talent is more spread out. For three decades, Syracuse was virtually guaranteed a spot in the Final Four. As lacrosse has grown, that’s no longer the case.
Social media also adds some weight. Spallina’s often accused of going missing in big games. His doughnuts in losses to then-No. 7 Princeton and then-No. 2 North Carolina this season don’t help his case, along with getting blanked in the 2024 NCAA Quarterfinal against Denver.
Still, it’s ridiculous to say Spallina has underwhelmed at Syracuse.
“He’s everything it stands for,” Casey said of Spallina living up to the number. “He’s got a great pedigree, and he’s striving for excellence. … He’s a gamer (with a) nonstop motor. He’s never comfortable where he is. He’s always striving to be better, and that’s what it’s all about.”
• • •
Syracuse attack Joey Spallina is mobbed by teammates after setting the program points record in the Orange’s win over Colgate Saturday. The matchup served as the final home regular season game to honor the 2022 recruiting class that included Spallina and returned SU to relevance. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
Win or lose, Spallina is usually the last one off the field. That’s by choice. Young Syracuse fans clamor for an autograph or picture from the stands, and Spallina fulfills every request.
Spallina was never in that position growing up. He was often playing catch with professional players when Joe was with the Lizards, not clamoring for their signatures. Still, Spallina saw how stars like Casey Powell and Paul Rabil treated young fans with respect, and he followed suit.
“People ask if that stuff gets annoying, but it’s really the best part about this,” Spallina said. “It’s why I play.”
Being a role model for teens is important to Spallina. It boosts your ego when fans worship you and wear jerseys with your number. But Spallina tries to keep a level head.
“That’s part of what I was saying, where I wanted to bring that magic and juice back to Syracuse,” Spallina said. “And I think stuff like that really kind of brings it back. It makes Syracuse, Syracuse.”
Hardy reached out to Spallina earlier this year, inquiring if he’d do a training session when his club team from Columbus, Ohio, traveled to Syracuse for the Georgetown game. With no hesitation, Spallina agreed.
The morning of the session, Hardy’s players bought Spallina jerseys on Marshall Street, oblivious that they’d meet him hours later. Once he walked into the OLR Indoor Training Center in Liverpool for the session, the kids “went crazy.”
“It’s stuff like that that really makes it so special,” Spallina said.
“These guys are gonna remember that forever, and now they’re gonna want the same thing,” Hardy added. “They’re gonna want to go to Syracuse, and they’re gonna want to wear No. 22.
“But they’re gonna want to break Joey’s record.”
• • •
Only during Spallina’s freshman year did he think about what was needed to restore No. 22’s image. The Scanlan saga was fresh and briefly clouded the number’s perception. Spallina got the perfect chance to show why the jersey is so special.
“It was more of making the number better, putting the number into a brighter spot, which now, people are talking about it nonstop,” Spallina said. “And I think it’s becoming a relevant number again, and it’s something that people look at and see it in more of a positive light.”
Mission accomplished. Spallina is the most talked-about player in the country, and he’s done nothing but put up numbers in four years with Syracuse. Along with his senior teammates, he’s helped bring a fire back to the program.
As for what Spallina wants his legacy to be?
“That I worked my ass off every day to try to get Syracuse back to the way it should be,” Spallina said.
Spallina’s story isn’t finished, and his legacy isn’t set in stone. That’ll be determined in May. He could be looked at as an all-time great if he brings SU to the mountaintop. National championship or not, Spallina’s name will be etched at the top of Syracuse’s record books.
And nobody can dispute that.
Collage by Ilana Zahavy | Presentation Director
Published on April 19, 2026 at 3:25 pm