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Syracuse is amid its second three-game winning streak of the season. Both have come in different ways. The Orange opened the year with three wins at home, with the highlight being their first win over then-No. 1 Maryland since 2009. Despite the defeats that followed, Syracuse has knocked off Penn, Johns Hopkins and Air Force on the road.

With every passing game, Syracuse gets closer to the postseason. Monday will be a nice barometer to see whether SU is the team that was ranked No. 1 at one point or the one that nearly fell to 3-3. No. 13 Denver is standing in the way of Syracuse recording what would be a season-high fourth win in a row.

The Pioneers arguably have the best defense in the country. They’ll look to shut down SU’s offense, which had its second-best offensive game of the year with 17 goals against Air Force Thursday.

Here’s how our beat writers feel No. 8 Syracuse (6-2, Atlantic Coast) will fare against No. 13 Denver (4-2, Big East)

Zak Wolf (6-2)
Rock(ies) Fight
Syracuse 10, Denver 8

I pride myself on being an objective journalist and by no means do I root for Syracuse teams. What I do yearn for is exciting coverages. So the first thing that comes to mind about Denver lacrosse is me distraughtly asking Matt Brown a question after the Pioneers beat Syracuse 10-8 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.

Was I mad about Syracuse losing? Absolutely not. Was it annoying I wouldn’t get to cover the Final Four in my hometown of Philadelphia? Definitely. A photo by my fellow scribe Anish Vasudevan shows it.

No pun intended, but this meeting between SU and DU is going to be a Rock(ies) fight or a Rock(y) fight if you’re from Philly, like me. Denver allows the fewest goals in the country (6.33 per game), while goalie Grayson Manning is playing at an All-American level. The Pioneers don’t mind mucking it up and playing a slow pace on offense. Considering Syracuse’s set offense has been inconsistent this year, an upset could be brewing.

However, despite the Pioneers’ defensive prowess, SU will have too much firepower for them. I’m not saying the Orange will overwhelm, because they won’t. But DU’s offense is paltry and won’t be enough to get it over the line.

The Pioneers’ slow pace will play into the SU defense’s hands, much like what happened against Johns Hopkins. Denver doesn’t have enough dynamic dodgers to threaten Syracuse’s short-stick midfielders.

This long road trip nearly started with a three-game losing streak, which would’ve left Syracuse’s season hanging in the balance. Instead, it’s going to be 7-2 heading into the six weeks of the season.

Nicholas Alumkal (5-3)
Low scoring in high altitude
Syracuse 9, Denver 7

Denver lacrosse was the first I remember hearing about college lacrosse. A John McPhee New Yorker article in 2010 was my formal introduction. Legendary head coach Bill Tierney had left Princeton to pioneer the sport west of the Mississippi River. In 2015, Tierney brought the Pioneers to the Memorial Day mountaintop in a sport mostly confined to the Northeast and Seaboard.

In fact, that McPhee piece detailed Syracuse beating Denver. I expect the same result Monday. Denver, while still a contender, is top of the nation in another category: its defense. Thursday night, the Pioneers dragged No. 8 Ohio State into the mud, losing 6-4. That’s a desecration to the sport.

Due to Syracuse’s offense’s desire to score and explosive nature, it’ll play a higher-scoring game against DU — but not by much. Joey Spallina — whether with clinical finishing or pinpointing passes — will dissect Denver’s defense with ruthless efficiency. John Mullen has a clear advantage over the Pioneers’ faceoff corps and will continue an uptick in form as he puts a slight skid behind him. SU’s defense, for its part, is top 10 nationally and will contain DU’s middling offense.

In its first meeting since the Pioneers ended SU’s 2024 season in the NCAA Tournament, there will be a hunger to avenge that loss on a senior-heavy Syracuse team that still might have some bitter taste from that afternoon in Towson.

Plus, the Orange should have their legs under them after the cross-country trip to Colorado. Their complacency or jetlag was removed in their pull-away win at Air Force Thursday. I expect a more complete Syracuse performance against Denver.

But, because of the Pioneers’ languid play style and admittedly talented backline, the scoreboard operator won’t be all that busy. The second column reserved for double-digits will be unused.

The game will be played at high altitude. The scoring will be low.

Mauricio Palmar (5-3)
Defending Denver?
Syracuse 8, Denver 7

Defending Denver won’t be all that hard. You know what will be difficult? Scoring on the Pioneers’ impenetrable defense.

You’ve already heard it all from my fellow scribes — Denver has a really good defense. The secret’s out. If you didn’t already know it, limiting then-No. 8 Ohio State to six goals last week was a pretty good sign of that fact. 13.7% defensive efficiency per Lacrosse Reference — the best mark in the nation — is also a pretty good sign.

Goals won’t be easy to come by for Syracuse. But they won’t be easy to come by for DU, either.

SU has been similarly stout on the defensive end recently, led by its long pole duo of Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan III. Despite playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, it has only allowed more than 12 goals once in eight games and has consistently held ranked opponents in check all season.

That won’t change against a Denver squad that lacks any sort of offensive firepower. DU scored four goals in that aforementioned contest against OSU. Cody Malawsky and Marek Tzagournis lead the Pioneers with 17 points apiece, a mark that would place them fourth on SU’s squad. The Orange’s defense certainly looked troubled early on against Air Force, but it rebounded strongly to close out that 17-11 victory.

Syracuse had a game to acclimate itself to the Colorado elevation. It’s ready to roll. And in the end, SU will have enough on the offensive end to escape with a win.

Published on March 15, 2026 at 11:01 pm