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Gary Gait didn’t take the easy route building Syracuse men’s lacrosse’s 2026 schedule. SU’s head coach gave his loaded team a loaded 15-game regular season slate.

Nine NCAA Tournament qualifiers from 2025 — and each opponent on the Orange’s schedule has reached the tournament at least once in the past three years. A six-game road trip for the first time since 1972. A two-game road trip to the Rocky Mountains. Games against opponents the Orange nipped last year that’ll be raring for revenge.

“The schedule was put together to challenge ourselves, make sure that we played teams that provided strong RPI (rating percentage index),” Gait said. “And I think if you look at our schedule … it’s what we need if we want to make a run at the end.”

With SU’s title aspirations hindered by the fact that the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament winner doesn’t gain an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Gait filled the Orange’s schedule with stiff opposition to ready his roster for the postseason and boost their tournament resume.

Here are five dates to circle on Syracuse’s 2026 regular season schedule:

Maryland, Feb. 13

If you’re a Syracuse men’s lacrosse fan, you’re dreading this game. Your hand might even shake as you tightly grip the pen circling the date on the calendar. That’s because the Orange haven’t beaten the Terrapins since 2009, losing their last eight meetings versus UMD under head coach John Tillman. Last year, SU’s two meetings with Maryland were one-sided losses.

The Orange need no reminder the Terrapins ended their season in the Final Four in convincing fashion. So, in the third game of the 2026 season, maybe SU will finally break its hex against Maryland.

But UMD won’t roll over — and even if these Terps end up on their backside, they can bounce back quickly and with a vengeance. Defender Will Schaller was named Inside Lacrosse’s No. 2 player, while attack Eric Spanos is No. 17 and short-stick defensive midfielder Eric Kolar slots in at No. 30. What’s more, the Terrapins added Vermont faceoff transfer Henry Dodge — who led Division I with a 71.3% winning percentage in 2025. But Tillman’s Terrapins have never been about the stars. They are a well-drilled unit that plays cohesively and gums up the game for every opponent they face.

Which is why this game matters. Beat Maryland early in the season, and Syracuse’s title aspirations are legitimate. This is the team that’s been the Orange’s kryptonite since the last year they sat atop college lacrosse. Passing the early litmus test will be a sign SU can reach the Memorial Day mountaintop once again.

Adelaide Guan | Design Editor

Harvard, Feb. 21

Now, let’s talk about a different kind of hunger to win. This time, it’s the Orange that hold the upper hand, and Harvard is hungry for victory. That’s because Syracuse summoned a near-miracle defeat against the Crimson in the NCAA Tournament First Round last year 13-12 in overtime.

SU trailed 11-6 with under 11 minutes left in its season. The JMA Wireless Dome was silent. The social media trolls had their fingers hovering over their keyboards, ready to lambast the Orange. The funeral procession was about to start. Then, six unanswered goals breathed life into the Dome and resuscitated Syracuse’s season. When Owen Hiltz called game with an overtime winner, SU’s fans and players gamboled in the stands and on the field.

That postseason win over the Crimson was payback for Harvard shocking the Orange 15-14 on Feb. 22, 2025, a loss that raised questions over SU’s NCAA Tournament fate. The Crimson now are raring for revenge and have the tools to cause SU trouble in Cambridge. Though Tewaaraton finalist attack Sam King graduated, Jack Speidell and Teddy Malone form a fearsome offense, combining for 77 goals in 2025.

Yes, Harvard is ranked fifth out of the seven teams in the Ivy League Preseason Poll. Yes, they were beaten at the faceoff dot 52-8 across the two matchups last year. But, of all its games on its schedule, I wouldn’t be surprised if Syracuse — the team that ended the Crimson’s season last year — is the game it gets the most pumped for. Either way, with both teams’ tendency to throw caution to the wind offensively, we should be in for a goalfest.

Princeton, Feb. 27

Here’s another example of Syracuse having a target on its back. The next round after eliminating Harvard, the Orange triumphed over Princeton in an instant classic quarterfinal in Hempstead, New York. The final scoreline read 19-18. Joey Spallina dominated in his backyard. SU reached the Final Four for the first time in a dozen years.

But, on the other end of that day in Nassau County, was the end of Old Nassau’s season. Star attack Coulter Mackesy was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2025 PLL Draft after recording 63 points (44 goals and 19 assists) in 2025, while defender Colin Mulshine also graduated.

Despite his departure, the Tigers remain formidable and rank No. 2 in Inside Lacrosse’s Preseason Poll, one spot above SU. According to Lacrosse Reference, they return 91% of their offensive production. That includes the number two through five goalscorers on The Tiegers — Colin Burns, Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo, Tucker Wade and Peter Buonanno. Plus, in net, the Tigers have one of the best goalies in the country in Ryan Croddick, who was an Inside Lacrosse All-American Honorable Mention in 2025.

Syracuse’s work is cut out for it to beat Princeton. But that’s how Gait likes it. The Orange’s trip to play Princeton on Feb. 27 — along with their March 1 matchup against Penn — was the final addition to SU’s gauntlet schedule.

“People always complain that we don’t play enough on the road, so now’s our chance to prove that we can do that, and do it well,” Gait said on Jan. 22.

The high-ranked matchup in New Jersey isn’t just a chance for Syracuse to show it can win on the road; it’s a chance to show it can win against a bonafide national-title contender.

Notre Dame, April 25

Syracuse’s two wins over Notre Dame last season may have been the biggest signal it could make a deep NCAA Tournament run. The Fighting Irish had won the previous two national championships, and SU throttled them twice. First, a 9-0 run — where ND was held scoreless for over 40 minutes — allowed the Orange to win 14-9 in the regular season. Then, in the ACC Tournament, No. 4 seed SU beat No. 1 seed Notre Dame again, 14-12.

Without either of the Kavanagh brothers — Pat and Chris — ND’s attack undergoes a slight rebuild, especially with midfielder Jordan Faison opting to focus on football. But the Fighting Irish still boast defender Shawn Lyght, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 3 preseason player, and long-stick midfielder Will Donovan, the No. 9 player. Though, when SU met Notre Dame in the regular season last year, Spallina torched Lyght for four goals.

Moreover, ND — ranked No. 8 — brings in the top-rated 2025 recruiting class, per Inside Lacrosse, with five five-stars. Sixth-ranked attack Teddy Lally, seventh-ranked faceoff man Adrian Diaz-Matos and ninth-ranked defender Christopher Iuliano headline the class.

This game falls at the end of Syracuse’s regular season schedule. ACC Tournament seeding and a regular season conference championship will be on the line. And Syracuse hasn’t won against ND in South Bend since 2017.

ACC Tournament Championship, May 3

The Orange won the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2016 last season. Now, Syracuse, the highest-ranked ACC school in Inside Lacrosse’s Poll, looks to win back-to-back and prove their national title credentials. With all the hype, the Orange should be in this game.

It’s uncertain who the Orange would face if they do reach the conference championship. The aforementioned Notre Dame is undergoing change.

North Carolina, ranked No. 6, is led by the fiery attacking duo of Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy — responsible for 82 of the Tar Heels’ 192 goals in 2025 — and dominant faceoff man Brady Wambach, who logged a strong 64.3% winning rate last year.

Though ranked No. 11, Duke is mostly enigmatic, with the one certainty being Aidan Maguire. The short-stick midfielder placed fourth in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 50 Players.

Finally, 14th-ranked Virginia finished last in the ACC last season. However, brothers McCabe and Brendan Millon should lead a stronger attack, and All-American defender John Schroter can lock down opponents’ top attacks.

The ACC is rarely predictable, but Syracuse hopes it’ll follow script this season, win the conference tournament again and point everything toward the ultimate goal: a national championship.

Published on January 27, 2026 at 10:14 pm
Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal