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There’s a niche acronym in the lacrosse community: ADAP. Coined by content creator Mikey Diggs, it stands for “as dirty as possible.” To those not fluent in lacrosse jargon, it might seem to carry a negative connotation.

ADAP is used to describe eye-popping plays. The kind of plays where the tricks pulled off aren’t all that necessary to get on the board, but they sure look pretty for the audience.

Michael Leo is the quintessential example. The senior wowed the JMA Wireless Dome crowd Saturday by faking a between-the-legs shot before sticking it in the top corner of the net in one fluid motion. The move happened so fast, it was hard to follow in real time. Take a closer look at the replay — or at Diggs’ post detailing Leo’s madness — and your jaw will hit the floor.

Was Leo’s move necessary? No. Did it infuriate Gary Gait? Maybe. Was it cool? No doubt.

The same could be said about Finn Thomson’s behind-the-back goal in the fourth quarter. It’s what comes with playing for Syracuse. Freedom and creativity is always emphasized. Sometimes, it backfires. But when it’s executed, it’s a thing of beauty.

In No. 5 Syracuse’s win over Colgate Saturday, Leo and Thomson’s magic was lost behind Joey Spallina’s record-breaking afternoon. The two combined for eight of SU’s 14 scores, took half of its shots and did so in style. Whether it’s Leo’s absurd fake on the crease or Thomson’s instinctive finishes, they proved they’re the Orange’s X-factors heading into the business end of the year.

Both are thriving in their first full seasons at attack for SU. After spending his first two years as a midfielder, Thomson’s role increased in 2025, though he missed seven games from March to April with a broken wrist. With Owen Hiltz as SU’s third attack, Leo remained a midfielder. This year, Leo’s 47 points rank second on Syracuse and Thomson’s 40 points rank third, both career highs.

“Coach (Pat) March and Coach Gait have done just a really good job of making the offense sort of a positionless offense,” Leo told The Daily Orange earlier this year. “Playing in the system for three years now, it kind of makes it easier for me just to go back and forth. I’ll just do whatever the offense needs to succeed.”

Syracuse midfielder Michael Leo celebrates after an SU goal in the Orange’s win over Colgate on April 18. Leo scored four goals and added an assist in the victory. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor

Syracuse plays best when it’s having fun. Just look at this weekend. It was dizzying to keep track of SU’s behind-the-back shots and passes. It wasn’t just Leo’s ridiculous between-the-legs fake. Minutes later, he caught a behind-the-back pass from Spallina and scored the same way, the assist making Spallina SU’s all-time points leader.

“That was very much instinctive,” Spallina said of his record-breaking assist. “It’s not the first time that we’ve done it.”

The first quarter belonged to Leo, where he had a hand in four of SU’s five tallies. He opened the scoring by freeing himself once Syracuse beat Colgate’s aggressive 10-man ride. Next came the preposterous finish, which was followed by the record-breaking score.

Leo finished the frame with a quick feed to Spallina from X, who unsurprisingly scored behind-the-back. Usually, it’s Spallina setting up Leo from behind the cage, but Leo inverted multiple times against the Raiders, bringing a different wrinkle to Syracuse’s offense.

“It’s just the way the defense was playing,” Leo said. “I don’t even know what they were running, but wherever there was a short stick inside, I tried to cut to the pipe, and if it wasn’t there, loop around the goal.”

Still, Syracuse didn’t put away Colgate early. The Raiders only trailed 7-4 at halftime, and despite SU’s 3-0 third-quarter run, Matt Karweck’s squad battled to keep their deficit at three entering the final frame.

Eventually, Thomson shut the door with three consecutive goals. At face value, Thomson’s 16 shots are staggering. He missed his first 10, but three hit the post and Colgate goalie Andrew Lehrman stood tall on several others. Thomson remained undeterred.

He opened his account in the third quarter, and when the home crowd felt some nerves, Thomson squashed them with another slick behind-the-back shot. After Leo’s initial bid was deflected, Thomson pounced on the ground ball, using that momentum to throw a rocket over his shoulder.

On ESPN’s broadcast, analyst Jules Henneberg marveled at Thomson’s skill.

“I’ve never taken 13 shots in my entire life in a game. And then, he has the confidence to pick this ball up after Michael Leo shoots it and says, ‘You know what? Thirteenth one, I’m just going to throw it around my back,’” Henneberg said during the replay of Thomson’s score. “No big deal. That’s Syracuse lacrosse right there.”

Soon after, the broadcast showed Thomson with a wide grin. It’s not the first time he’s displayed that skill. Thomson has pulled off numerous crafty finishes, even ending up on Diggs’ Instagram last year for a between-the-legs goal versus Vermont. Against Duke three weeks ago, he scored behind-the-back, where he and Spallina showed off an almost-telepathic connection.

“I trust him a ton in there,” Spallina said after beating Duke. “I know, if I put it on his stick in a pretty good spot, he’s gonna have a pretty good opportunity to score. He’s one of the craftiest players I’ve ever played with.”

The connection was evident when Spallina assisted a tight-angle Thomson goal from the wing, along with a simple crease feed to put Syracuse up 12-7.

“The inside is definitely my game, little more so than other guys.” Thomson said on March 29.

Games can be decided with moments of magic, especially this late in the season. Syracuse didn’t play perfectly Saturday, but in crucial junctures, its flashiness made the difference.

With Spallina topping every opponents’ scouting report, Thomson and Leo become paramount. Spallina’s eyes open up chances for them as supplementary options. It’s up to the duo to take advantage.

At its peak, Syracuse’s offense is nearly impossible to stop. However, quiet outings versus Princeton and North Carolina — arguably the two best teams in the country — are cause for concern. For March, SU’s offensive coordinator, the solution is to be more efficient.

“A lot of the successful teams in the country shoot the ball extremely well offensively,” March said Thursday. “When we shoot the ball well, when we take advantage of our opportunities … you’ll see a lot of goals.”

Leo’s 50% conversion rate versus Colgate is more like it for March. Thomson’s 4-for-16 performance probably isn’t, but his ingenuity is more satisfactory.

Syracuse needs Leo and Thomson to be on top of their games this weekend against No. 1 Notre Dame. The Orange haven’t won in South Bend’s Arlotta Stadium since 2017, losing four straight games by a combined 35 goals.

The Fighting Irish are known for shutting off teams’ water. They’re allowing only eight goals per game this season. Spallina will be in a battle with Shawn Lyght, arguably the nation’s best defender, so if SU wants to pull off an upset, Leo and Thomson must show up.

When the two are firing on all cylinders, Syracuse usually is. But if they go missing at Arlotta, it could spell trouble for the Orange.

Published on April 21, 2026 at 10:23 pm
Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22