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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Syracuse practically had its tickets to Foxborough punched. It could smell the turf at Gillette Stadium when the fourth quarter of its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal battle with Princeton rolled around.

A 21-goal first half left both teams’ heads spinning. Every time either team gained momentum, the other ripped it back. Six ties and six lead changes spanned the first 30 minutes. It was two heavyweight boxers throwing haymakers at each other, and neither wanted to wait for the final bell to try and deliver a knockout blow.

That’s when Syracuse took matters into its own hands. A one-goal halftime deficit, flipped to a five-goal advantage after six straight goals in the third quarter. The Orange had everything working. Physical defense muted an explosive Princeton offense and slick offense made Syracuse look unstoppable.

Fifteen minutes was all that stood between SU and a goal that’s haunted it over the past decade.

Easier said than done.

An avalanche consumed Syracuse soon after. Princeton unleashed a fury, with four goals in two minutes, to tie the game with 10 minutes left. It even grabbed the lead through Nate Kabiri with five minutes remaining.

Everything Syracuse had built came down in just minutes. Its season was crumbling in front of its eyes. Before it wasn’t.

The Orange didn’t panic. Michael Leo responded with a rocket from distance. Thirty-one seconds later, Joey Spallina connected with Owen Hiltz to put Syracuse back in front. For the second straight week, Hiltz’s goal was the difference. What seemed like the biggest goal of his career last week — a game-winner in overtime against Harvard — was bested on Saturday.

Hiltz’s tally sealed Syracuse’s (13-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) first Final Four appearance since 2013, as it took down No. 3 seed Princeton (13-4, 5-1 Ivy League) 19-18. The 37-goal extravaganza could only be described as an instant classic, finishing as the highest-scoring non-overtime NCAA Quarterfinal game ever. Though they lived life on the edge, the Orange had the last laugh, breaking a five-game quarterfinal losing streak.

Spallina was unguardable at times with eight points (four goals, four assists). Hiltz and Leo both had hat tricks. Though John Mullen and Jimmy McCool didn’t have their best days — Mullen 16-of-33 at the faceoff X and McCool with a 40% save rate — both made timely plays in the biggest games of their careers.

“I’m just extremely proud of this team,” SU head coach Gary Gait said postgame. “The effort they put in today and every day, and I think their culture, their leadership and their belief in each other came through today. Whether they’re up or down, they stayed true to their commitment to each other.”

Syracuse was prepared for the moment. Plain and simple. Each year under Gait, it’s made progress toward reentering the national spotlight.

The Orange hit a low point with four wins in 2022, Gait’s first year. Eight victories came in 2023, then their first tournament appearance since 2021 the following season. That ended at the hands of a veteran Denver team in the quarterfinals.

In the aftermath, Leo sat at the podium. With tears in his eyes, he made a promise.

“We’re going to be on top next year, for sure,” Leo said.

Final Fours used to be a given for Syracuse. From 1983-2004, the Orange didn’t miss a championship weekend. Twenty-two straight seasons, they were a shoo-in to compete for a national title.

Times have changed, and the newest generation of Syracuse stars — Spallina, Leo, Hiltz and others — helped bring that standard back.

“It still holds true,” Spallina said of the Final Four expectations. “This is our goal, and I don’t think we’re really done yet, but I think we’re taking steps in the right direction.”

Syracuse didn’t always look like a Final Four team this year. A two-game losing streak in February to then-No. 6 Maryland and then-No. 15 Harvard and a three-game skid to conclude the regular season left doubts. The Orange’s place in the NCAA Tournament wasn’t even guaranteed, before they won twice in three days to claim their first ACC Tournament since 2016.

“Everything we’ve gone through this year has helped prepare us,” Gait said. “We needed to dial in and get refocused and go make a run.”

Gait’s words have rung true.

The madness started with Leo scoring on Syracuse’s first possession. It was already a better start than against Harvard, where SU fell behind 3-0. However, Princeton answered with five of the next six goals. Andrew McMeekin got the better of Mullen, and the Tigers were in control.

Syracuse defenders Chuck Kuczynski and Riley Figueiras fight for a ground ball with Princeton’s Jack Stahl. Both teams were pretty even in nearly every department on Saturday, including Princeton’s 35-33 advantage on ground balls. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

Princeton’s run kickstarted the back-and-forth affair. Syracuse regained momentum with four consecutive goals to lead 6-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Spallina went on a burst of three straight scores in the second to put Syracuse up 9-7 for its first multi-goal advantage. That evaporated within minutes.

With a second left in the first half, McCool made a save and came out of his cage to corral the rebound. He whiffed, and as Coulter Mackesy finished into an empty net, the sophomore goalie hit Mackesy in the head, getting tagged for a two-minute, full-time serve penalty.

McCool watched from the sidelines as backup Michael Ippoliti made multiple key stops to start the second half, keeping SU’s deficit at one. The Orange took advantage in a big way.

Princeton’s defensive game plan was to leave its players on islands with Syracuse attackers. The Tigers rarely slid, hoping to contain SU’s dynamic crossfield skip passes. Rather than forcing tight window feeds, Syracuse won its matchups.

Three of its goals during its 6-0 run were unassisted. The Orange tied a season-high with 11 unassisted goals.

“You’re not going to win every game the same,” Spallina said. “We just did what we had to do to win.”

Syracuse seemingly had done enough. Billy Dwan III and Michael Grace put a stamp on the game with their physicality, rattling Princeton. Despite the seesawing nature of the contest, it looked like the Tigers had run out of gas. Wrong.

John Dunphey and two strikes from Palumbo cut it to one. Syracuse hadn’t even touched the ball. The first time it did, Luke Rhoa was called for an illegal screen. That set off Cooper Mueller in transition as he tied the game 16-16 with 10 minutes left.

One minute and 53 seconds, that’s all it took for Syracuse’s lead to disappear. It was a taste of its own medicine after scoring five in 1:39 last week.

Dating back to last season, Gait has consistently used the moniker “Calm is contagious,” when speaking of SU playing in big moments. Under Gait, there’s been talk that Syracuse can’t win big games. When the pressure’s on, the Orange fall short.

Last season’s quarterfinal where SU wilted against Denver, among others, are prime examples. Saturday’s contest almost added to the list. That’s where Gait’s saying came into play.

Tyler McCarthy and Sean Cameron exchanged goals. Kabiri then put Princeton in front for the first time since halftime. Syracuse stayed calm. Its offense executed when it needed to with Leo and Hiltz’s scores.

The Orange had won the game, lost it and won it back all within 12 minutes. From there, a couple key McCool saves, first to deny Kabiri in transition and another Tucker Wade attempt with 28 seconds remaining sealed the deal. Syracuse then wound down the clock, and it could take one giant sigh of relief.

“These guys believe in each other and believe they can win any game,” Gait said. “If they continue that play, who knows what will happen?”

For the next week, that’s all Gait can do. Wonder. Ponder whether his team will win Syracuse’s 11th national championship.

He knows it’s capable of it. Two more games can prove that.

Published on May 17, 2025 at 6:03 pm
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