Observations from SU’s NCAAT win over UNC: Spallina at home, Mullen in form
John Mullen won 54.2% of his draws against Brady Wambach and scored twice. More observations from SU’s NCAA Tournament win. Courtesy of Jacob Halsema | The Newshouse
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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y — For the first time in its distinguished history, Syracuse men’s lacrosse met a team for the third time in a season. The Orange had lost the first two clashes with North Carolina — on the road in the regular season and in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Semifinals — coming into the trilogy fight Saturday.
But the result of the third meeting in 42 days was all that mattered. It was the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals at Hofstra’s James M. Shuart Stadium.
Like the last time these two met, defense had the upper hand in the early going. The 1-1 scoreline after one quarter was identical to the Charlotte clash. The scoring picked up in the second, setting up an engrossing spectacle in front of 10,244.
On the third time of asking, Syracuse got past North Carolina. It took six points from Joey Spallina and an impressive 39-30 SU ground ball discrepancy. It took overcoming a season-high 19 turnovers and a woeful 17-for-23 clear rate. But that can be set aside. The Orange are heading to the Final Four for the second straight year, where they’ll face No. 2 seed Notre Dame, looking for their first title since 2009 with this vaunted senior class.
Here are observations from No. 6 seed Syracuse’s (13-5, 2-2 ACC) 13-11 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal win over No. 3 seed North Carolina (13-5, 2-2 ACC) Saturday:
Mullen finds his form
John Mullen made it feel like 2025 again when he was an Inside Lacrosse Third Team All-American with terrific display at the faceoff X, putting his decreased form this season behind him. Oh, and he was head-to-head with the third-best faceoff specialist in the country, UNC’s Brady Wambach.
No matter.
Mullen won 13-of-24 (54.2%).
Six seconds after UNC opened the scoring, Mullen won the draw and raced upfield to level the score at one with 57 seconds left in the first quarter.
When Syracuse desperately needed momentum, trailing 6-3 in the second, Mullen did the same act — won the draw, sprinted on attack and deposited the ball into the back of the net — for the Orange’s second goal in six seconds.
Mullen proved his first-half form wasn’t a flash in the pan. He sustained it in the third and the fourth. He put his stick in the ice cooler on the sideline between draws amid the 70-degree Fahrenheit heat.
The result was Wambach’s worst outing all season and Mullen clicking at the perfect time of year.
How duff is Owen Duffy?
All week, when lacrosse cognoscenti discussed this trilogy, Owen Duffy’s availability came up. The attack who was included in the Tewaaraton Award final five list missed the Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament opener with a lower body injury. UNC didn’t need him to crush UAlbany by 18, but the Orange sported a tougher test.
The string of hypotheticals — and detailed analysis coming with each situation — was settled less than 30 minutes before the game. Duffy warmed up with a white sleeve on his right leg. Roughly 10 minutes before opening faceoff, Duffy was announced as a starter. How impactful would Duffy, who diced the Orange with six assists in the ACC Tournament, be?
Pregame, the ESPNU broadcast said how long Duffy played was head coach Joe Breschi’s discretion. Two minutes in, he flashed a shot past Jimmy McCool. He moved gingerly but wasn’t afraid to dictate the offense from X.
Duffy, though, disappeared midway through the first quarter. He didn’t play during the second.
Duffy returned to start the second quarter but couldn’t help optimize a two-man advantage. He played sporadically but came up big at an important juncture.
With the Tar Heels down two goals early in the fourth, Duffy backed down his defender and roofed his shot to half the deficit. Fellow offensive weapon Dominic Pietramala joined the act in the final quarter to level the score at 10 with his first goal Saturday after netting a program-high 10 versus UAlbany.
Joey Spallina on his home turf
Spallina made himself at home at James M. Shuart Stadium last year on this stage. In his native Long Island, he had his eight-point coronation to push SU past Princeton.
Back on familiar turf — if the new playing surface garnered opprobrium Saturday — Spallina had notable energy. He checked on defense, chased UNC in transition. How about his calling card, the attacking prowess?
He got a matchup with short-stick Leif Hagerup at X, worked him and dumped the ball inside to freshman Bogue Hahn. Hahn snuck his shot over goalie Kent Goode to make it 3-2.
When the Orange reeled after conceding three straight to go behind 6-2, Spallina dug them out. First, he set up Luke Rhoa, who pasted a top-right-corner shot like a stamp onto an envelope at the 4:26 mark of the second quarter. Then, Spallina fed his favorite target, Finn Thomson on the left wing. Thomson had the finishing touch to pull SU within one goal heading into halftime.
Spallina’s third dish Saturday made him Syracuse’s all-time assist leader with 188.
He’s talked all season about his disinterest in individual accolades. All he cares about is a national title, and he did his part to get SU back into the game. To begin the second half, he throttled a goal to tie the score at 6-6.
Then, he produced a crowd-popping goal. Hopefully Orange fans packed inhalers because the sequence took their breaths away. Billy Dwan III somehow got a pass off before falling out of bounds. Dante Bowen somehow caught it. Bowen got the ball to Spallina, who was the lightning at culminating the thunderous attack. 11-10 Syracuse with under 10 minutes remaining. Spallina had his magnum opus.
Then, like Picasso, who already had Guernica but followed it up with The Weeping Woman, Spallina had another work of art up his sleeve. He cranked a shot through the forest of Orange defenders like threading a needle with a rope.
The ones weeping this time, though, were the Tar Heels.
Defense travels but doesn’t last — again
Flash back two weeks, and these squads played a gritty, defensive battle. It was 1-1 after one quarter. 3-2 SU with five minutes left in the second.
Offensive floodgates opened in the second half, and the Tar Heels won 12-10.
Saturday’s proceedings mirrored how that game began. Defense reigned supreme. Shots sailed wide like Long Island Bay boats. The goalies were up to the task, too.
However, the deadlock was broken with a two-goal paroxysm. UNC’s Peter Thomann rifled a long-range blast. But SU’s faceoff man John Mullen answered off the ensuing draw, taking it all the way for the score.
The second quarter, like in Charlotte, was when goals started flowing.
Amid the goal flood, momentary defensive stands were decisive. How about the one the Orange compiled to begin the second half. They prevented North Carolina from converting a two-man advantage and cleared the ball, setting up Spallina’s score.
Eventually, UNC broke through on a man-up — it was destined to happen at some point. Brevin Wilson scored to draw the Tar Heels within one goal in the middle of the third quarter.
Jimmy McCool, who was benched in the first UNC clash, had a commendable 12 saves. The defense held the Tar Heels scoreless for eight minutes in the fourth quarter. It was enough to keep Syracuse’s season alive. The third time was the charm against the Tar Heels.
