Syracuse attack Joey Spallina falls short of 2026 Tewaaraton Award
Syracuse attack Joey Spallina finished behind Notre Dame's Shawn Lyght in the 2026 men's Tewaaraton Award voting. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse senior attack Joey Spallina fell short of the 2026 Tewaaraton Award Thursday, with Notre Dame defenseman Shawn Lyght earning the honor. Spallina was SU’s first Tewaaraton finalist since 2015, when Kevin Rice was nominated for the prize.
Spallina would’ve been the third SU player to win the award, following Mike Powell — who won it in 2002 and 2004 — and Mike Leveille in 2008. Besides Spallina and Lyght, Princeton attack Nate Kabiri, North Carolina attack Owen Duffy and Cornell attack Willem Firth were in contention for the honor.
In his senior season, Spallina cemented his place in Syracuse lacrosse lore. With his six-point performance in SU’s NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal win over North Carolina, the Orange reached consecutive Final Fours for the first time since 2008 and 2009. He finished the season with 87 points — tied with Kabiri for the most among Tewaaraton finalists — in 19 games, breaking Syracuse’s all-time points record and restoring SU’s No. 22 legacy in the process.
Joey Spallina gazes off into the distance before the 2026 Tewaaraton ceremony. Spallina ended his senior year with 87 points but finished behind Shawn Lyght for the Tewaaraton Thursday. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
When Spallina arrived at Syracuse, the Orange were coming off a disappointing 4-10 season, and the No. 22 was tarnished after Chase Scanlan’s domestic violence arrest. Spallina reshaped the program’s culture and made an immediate impact as a four-year starter for SU.
He scored at least 35 goals in all four seasons at Syracuse and notched over 50 assists in his final three campaigns. He was the only Tewaaraton finalist to reach Championship Weekend in both of the past two seasons and garnered Inside Lacrosse, USA Lacrosse and USILA First Team All-American recognition.
Still, he fell short of Lyght, also an Inside Lacrosse First Team All-American. The junior was a lockdown defenseman all year for the Fighting Irish, with 26 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. He held Spallina to two points on Saturday and limited Kabiri to four points in Princeton’s national championship win over Notre Dame Monday.
