Syracuse rises to No. 2 in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 20 rankings
The Orange opened up their season with two dominant wins over then-No. 17 Boston University and unranked Saint Joseph’s. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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Syracuse men’s lacrosse (2-0, Atlantic Coast) climbed to No. 2 in Inside Lacrosse’s latest Top 20 rankings, which were released Monday. The Orange opened up the season with convincing back-to-back wins over then-No. 17 BU and Saint Joseph’s.
Not starting the season 2-0 would’ve been disastrous for the Orange, considering they have a big-time showdown with No. 1 Maryland on Friday at the JMA Wireless Dome. But SU handled business, defeating BU by seven goals before demolishing SJU 20-2.
Joey Spallina has opened his senior campaign like he has every other, producing at a high level. He recorded five points in Syracuse’s season-opener and exploded for four goals and five assists Saturday, pushing him past Gary Gait for the eighth spot on SU’s all-time points record.
Syracuse’s offense has been stellar to start the season, as expected. Nine different players have recorded multiple points, with Michael Leo ranking behind Spallina with six points. Wyatt Hottle and Finn Thomson each have five, while Payton Anderson — who was held out of SU’s last game due to illness — has three.
Even with the Orange’s offensive success, their defense has been the standout unit. They held BU to just six goals and SJU to a measly two. Billy Dwan III and Riley Figueiras have proved they’re a lockdown defensive duo in front of Jimmy McCool, who’s had an excellent first two games. The reigning ACC Goalie of the Year registered a career-high 83.8% save percentage against SJU. So far, McCool’s saved 22 of the 30 shots on goal he’s faced.
The Orange’s biggest challenge awaits them Friday. They haven’t beaten Maryland since 2009, losing eight straight meetings since John Tillman took over. SU’s last five defeats to UMD have come under Gait. A win over the Terrapins would likely propel Syracuse to the top spot in the rankings, which it hasn’t held since the 2020 season, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maryland is the only team ranked ahead of Syracuse. The Orange jumped No. 3 Princeton and were ahead of other ACC teams like No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 9 Duke and No. 13 Virginia.
