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On paper, Syracuse’s meeting with Princeton in last year’s NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals was mouthwatering. The offensive firepower was undeniable on both sides. Goals were expected, though nobody could’ve predicted what happened.

Thirty-seven goals, 93 total shots, 10 ties and nine lead changes. The expectations were blown out of the water in an all-time classic.

Syracuse escaped with a 19-18 victory to seal its first Final Four appearance since 2013. Every SU fan held their breath during the action-packed thriller. Once Joey Spallina knocked the ball from Michael Bath’s stick in the final seconds, it was Orange ecstasy.

Spallina capped off the afternoon by telling ESPN sideline reporter Morgan Uber, “But hey, I mean, I guess I can’t dodge anybody or beat anybody,” after an ongoing narrative he couldn’t show up in big games.

On Friday, Syracuse rematches Princeton for the first time since that manic-filled meeting — a familiar spot for SU. Last week, the Orange took on Harvard, which had its season ended by them in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson got their revenge, winning 13-12. Princeton will look to do the same.

But first, here’s a look back on No. 6 Syracuse’s (3-1, Atlantic Coast) win over No. 7 Princeton (1-1, Ivy) in last year’s NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals:

Turning point: Michael Ippoliti’s stint in goal sparks a 6-0 run

Disaster struck for Syracuse at the end of the first half. Chad Palumbo tied the game at 10 with 16 seconds left in the first half. Andrew McMeekin won the ensuing faceoff, and Jackson Green fired a shot, which Jimmy McCool popped into the air. McCool tried tracking the ball down outside the crease but missed and collided with Coulter Mackesy. While blowing up Mackesy as he scored, McCool was hit with a two-minute full-time penalty, putting backup Michael Ippoliti into the game.

John Mullen won the ensuing faceoff with a second left. Because of the penalty, Syracuse would start the second half with the ball, so it bled the penalty clock down to 40 seconds before Princeton gained possession. A cold Ippoliti was the Tigers’ perfect target. But when Mackesy fired from distance, Ippoliti rejected it. When Billy Dwan III couldn’t handle a long pass on the next clear, another Princeton possession began.

Once again, the Tigers didn’t take advantage. Nate Kabiri fired high, and Ippoliti had the backup. Following a successful clearance, McCool returned to the game.

“(It gave us an) infinite amount of juice,” McCool said of Ippoliti’s time in net. “He is an absolute spark plug. He’s bringing all the energy on the sidelines. You hear him all game. So I was really excited for him to get in there just to show what he can do.”

Syracuse went on to score the next six goals, taking complete control of the contest. Sam English and Payton Anderson scored a pair of unassisted goals, while Spallina set up Michael Leo and Finn Thomson to put SU in front 14-11. Owen Hiltz added two more scores, and the Orange were seemingly cruising to the Final Four.

In SU’s NCAA Tournament win over Princeton, goalie Jimmy McCool had to serve a two-minute penalty. Backup Michael Ippoliti played a few minutes in McCool’s absence, and the Orange embarked on a 6-0 run. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

The game was won when: McCool denied Tucker Wade with 30 seconds left

After leading by five goals, Princeton scored seven of the next eight goals to grab a one-goal lead with 4:54 remaining. Syracuse responded with scores from Leo and Hiltz. With two minutes remaining, SU wound down the clock, but a turnover gave Princeton possession with a minute left. One more stop, and the Orange would be heading to Gillette Stadium.

Mackesy initiated the offense and got a short stick switched onto him, forcing a slide from Chuck Kuczynski. Mackesy gave the ball up to Tucker Wade, who tried to escape Michael Grace. Wade tried creating leverage by lowering his shoulder and nearly gained an angle on Grace. However the defender’s stick remained wedged on the attack’s. When Wade got a shot off, Dwan gravitated over, which forced a weak effort stopped by McCool.

McCool didn’t have his best afternoon, saving 12 shots on 30 attempts, but he came up big when it mattered most. He also delivered a clutch stop on Kabiri in transition late in the fourth quarter. McCool’s final save allowed Syracuse to run the clock out and win its first quarterfinal game since 2013.

Quote of the day

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

SU’s victory over Princeton put it two wins away from reaching the peak of college lacrosse for the first time in well over a decade. Gait’s comments showed the Orange were dreaming big. However, SU’s dreams would be dashed a week later by Maryland in the Final Four.

Player of the game: Joey Spallina

Like any other No. 22 at Syracuse, Spallina is under a microscope. Any bad personal or team performance gets ridiculed. It’s been a cycle throughout Spallina’s entire tenure with SU. He was held without a point for the second time in his career in Syracuse’s quarterfinal loss to Denver the previous season.

This time was different. For once, he shut up all the haters. Spallina poured in eight points (four goals, four assists) against Princeton. It was the signature moment of his time at SU.

Spallina dominated his matchup with Colin Mulshine, beating him with simple speed dodges on several occasions. He also set up teammates four times, including Hiltz’s game-winner with 3:50 remaining.

The performance had extra weight considering the venue. Hofstra’s James M. Shuart. The home of the Long Island Lizards — a former Major League Lacrosse franchise — which Spallina’s father, Joe, coached. He grew up watching legends like Paul Rabil and Rob Pannell duke it out on numerous occasions.

On that day, Spallina shaped his own legacy.

“To do it on a field that I pretty much grew up on is crazy,” Spallina said postgame.

Stat of the game: 6

As brilliant as Spallina was, Palumbo might’ve been just as good. He finished with a game-high six goals and matched Spallina’s eight points. Throughout his career, Palumbo had never scored more than five goals or recorded more than six points in a game.

Although on that day, Palumbo possessed. While some of Princeton’s supplemental scorers — like Kabiri, Wade and Colin Burns — struggled to get going, Palumbo certainly didn’t.

Top storyline for the rematch: How does Syracuse respond after its first loss?

Syracuse suffered its first loss of the year last week against then-No. 14 Harvard. The Crimson, like Princeton, had their season ended by SU in 2025. For the second straight week, Syracuse’s opponent will be looking for revenge.

The Tigers started the season with a poor showing against then-No. 14 Penn State before bouncing back with a win over then-No. 2 Maryland. Princeton’s win in College Park sets up an intriguing dynamic Friday.

The Orange will look to bounce back and not let the Harvard defeat linger. Last season, their first loss came to Maryland, followed by a shocking defeat to Harvard. After that, Syracuse went on a six-game winning streak. However, it ended the regular season with three straight losses.

How SU responds after losing to Harvard will be key. With how difficult its schedule is, two early-season losses could be costly. Though if the Orange perform to their standard, they should take care of business.

Published on February 25, 2026 at 11:53 pm
Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22