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Syracuse was just quicker. That’s what Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany said of the Orange Saturday.

How quickly SU pushed the pace from offense to defense. How quickly it substituted off a faceoff, even though Syracuse lost 17-of-27. How quickly it moved the ball. It all impressed Tiffany.

“I want to give Syracuse credit,” Tiffany said. “I felt like their entire team had a greater sense of urgency.”

That might be what losing at No. 1 North Carolina 14-9, as the Orange did April 4, does to you. Attack Joey Spallina downplayed that notion of approaching Saturday’s game any differently.

However, after head coach Gary Gait complained about the grass playing surface at Chapel Hill’s Dorrance Field last weekend, a return to the JMA Wireless brought welcome news. Turf. Climate-control. Raucous fan backing. And, most of all, a Syracuse Atlantic Coast Conference win.

In a breathless, three-lunged game, No. 6 SU (10-3, 2-1 ACC) bounced back to defeat No. 9 Virginia (7-5, 2-1 ACC) 14-9 Saturday. The score was flipped from last week, and so was how it went for the Orange, who were in control soon after the game began. Luke Rhoa scored three goals and logged one assist. Wyatt Hottle posted a hat trick, too. Spallina drew within two points of setting the program record with two goals and three assists.

“We’re not looking for the first shot. We’re looking for the best one,” Spallina said of the Orange’s productive attack, which scored 14 goals on 17 shots on goal. “Whether that’s 10 seconds into the shot clock or with one second, it’s just about getting high-quality opportunities.”

The Dome was the wind on SU’s back throughout Saturday’s game. But the building was enervated early when UVA opened the scoring 39 seconds in. Ryan Duenkel’s shot whooshed past Jimmy McCool, who was Gait’s choice in net despite being benched in the third quarter on April 4 in Chapel Hill.

McCool, though, stood strong with some early point-blank saves to prevent the deficit from spiraling. He compiled a commendable display, finishing with 16 saves at a 64.0% clip.

“The whole defense really stepped it up,” Gait said. “In the second half, stepped up the ground balls, made some plays. And, they wanted this game really bad, and it showed and they did a good job.”

Syracuse scored two quick scores in response, and it held the lead from the 8:47 mark of the first quarter onwards.

The early four-goal Orange run that built the advantage culminated in a juice goal. Defender Chuck Kuczynski marched down the field. His release was coruscating. Kuczynski roofed the shot and nearly took the roof off the Dome.

“When any non-offensive player scores, it’s just a big jolt,” Spallina said. “That’s what the Dome really understands is when it’s like a non-offensive player goal, the place goes absolutely nuts.”

The Dome has also grown accustomed to slugfests when Virginia pays Syracuse a visit. That’s what transpired in the second quarter, with nine total goals and a one-goal SU lead heading into the break.

However, a 7-3 Syracuse second-half advantage prevented a photo finish.

Both Gait and Tiffany pointed toward Virginia’s Tewaaraton contender McCabe Millon’s matchup with the Orange’s lockdown defender Riley Figueiras as a difference maker. Tiffany said Figueiras won the matchup, even adjusting when UVA tried Millon in midfield instead of attack.

“In the second half, (Syracuse’s defense) played awesome,” Gait said. “Riley Figueiras did an incredible job covering McCabe. It was just fun to watch because McCabe couldn’t get anything going on his own.”

Even at the faceoff X, where Virginia had a 10-draw edge, Tiffany felt his team was actually outmatched. Syracuse responded to the faceoffs better.

“Just the pace of substitution, something I almost never thought about, that was faster if they lost the ball,” Tiffany said, “Boom. There were two out, and they were challenging us with our clear, certainly. If they made a save or picked up a ground ball, how fast they came at us. And we had to fly back in a hole, and did it fairly well. And then the third quarter (we) broke down. So just a greater sense of urgency that we’ve got to learn from.”

The third quarter was headlined by two Rhoa scores. Virginia tried to stay within touching distance, scoring two straight to move within two goals with just under four minutes left in the frame. But Syracuse didn’t allow the Cavaliers to catch up.

“There were a couple times when they (the Orange) threw the ball away and it’s like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know they did that,’” Tiffany said of Syracuse’s rare offensive mistakes. “They just sling the ball so well. They lob the ball 30 yards away, and it’s right on someone’s stick.”

By the final minute of the third quarter, with a 12-9 lead, SU’s top scorer hadn’t even put his name on the scoresheet. But that was about to change. Spallina powered his first goal of the day past a languishing Jake Marek in net, who sported a porous 17.6% save percentage.

In his senior season and within three of setting Syracuse’s points record, teams should know showing space to the Orange’s element No. 22 is like mixing titanium — the 22nd element on the periodic table — and sulfur. The reaction will be torturous and destructive. In this case, it made it 13-9 SU heading to the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been fortunate in the past that (All-ACC defender) John Schroter has been able to keep Joey Spallina quiet,” he said. “But that didn’t happen today.”

Tiffany also observed Spallina conducting the Orange’s offense by coming back to the midfield to overcome UVA’s ride, comparing him to a center in basketball spraying the ball around the perimeter. Has anyone checked if he has any interest in joining Gerry McNamara’s team, or is he set on going pro in lacrosse?

The game was on autopilot from there. Spallina charged downhill to pad the lead even more with 2:45 to go. McCool stonewalled UVA with a double save. That was the “denouement,” Tiffany said. The head coach fawned over SU even more. It was a cut above the Cavaliers.

“It’s really the stick work. It’s next-level,” Tiffany said of SU. “And so we were spinning a little bit. And, I’m not saying we played great defense, but in some ways, I’m a little surprised we only gave up 14.”

The Dome came alive. Syracuse returned to the win column.

It sure is nice to play in a familiar place on a familiar surface and get a familiar result — a sixth home win in as many contests this year.

“For us to step up, come here, protect the Dome and come out with a solid win is exactly what we needed,” Gait said. “And I think it was a good response from our last game. And now we move on, move forward.”

Published on April 11, 2026 at 6:25 pm
Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal