Forget basketball for a minute. Right now, the hottest ticket at the JMA Wireless Dome isn’t for hoops — it’s for lacrosse.
Both Syracuse lacrosse programs are ranked in the top 10 nationally, the men just knocked off No. 4 Duke in a 16-15 barnburner that had 9,304 fans on their feet, and the women are riding a nine-game winning streak after dismantling Pittsburgh 16-7 on the same turf the day before. For a sport that has always run deep in Central New York’s DNA, this is the kind of spring that reminds people why Syracuse is the capital of college lacrosse.
Spallina Passes 300 — And He’s Not Done
Saturday’s ACC opener against Duke had everything: 10 lead changes, five ties, and a fourth-quarter man-up goal from Luke Rhoa with 2:46 left that proved to be the difference. But the story of the afternoon was Joey Spallina.
The senior attackman from Long Island posted two goals and four assists to push past 300 career points — now second all-time in program history. He’s closing in on Mike Powell’s record of 307, a mark that has stood since the early ’90s and that Spallina could break within the next two games.
“When Joey has the ball, the whole defense has to account for him,” one Dome regular said after Saturday’s game. “He can score from anywhere, but he’s just as happy dishing it. That’s what makes him impossible to guard.”
Spallina entered the year as USA Lacrosse’s Preseason Player of the Year, and he’s played like it. He’s averaging nearly five points per game and has upped his shooting volume this season, taking about 10 shots per game after the departure of Owen Hiltz — last year’s leading scorer who graduated and was drafted eighth overall by the PLL’s Carolina Chaos.
A Supporting Cast That’s Stepped Up
The question entering the season was whether Syracuse could replace Hiltz’s 46 goals and Sammy English’s production. Eleven games in, the answer is a resounding yes — but not from one player. It’s been a committee.
Finn Thomson and Luke Rhoa have each emerged as legitimate scoring threats, and both bagged hat tricks against Duke. Payton Anderson added three goals and two assists in the win. Goalie Jimmy McCool turned in 11 saves across a complete 60-minute effort, including several critical stops in the fourth quarter as Duke mounted a furious comeback.
The faceoff battle was a war of attrition — John Mullen won 15 of 30, and ground balls finished dead even at 34 apiece. The margin came on extra-man opportunities, where Syracuse converted 3-of-5 compared to Duke’s 1-of-3.
At 9-2, the Orange have already beaten seven ranked opponents this season, including a February takedown of then-No. 1 Maryland. They started the year ranked No. 1 in the Inside Lacrosse poll for the first time since 2020 and, after a couple of bumps, have settled into a dangerous rhythm entering the meat of ACC play.
The Women Are Rolling, Too
A day before the men’s thriller, the No. 8 women’s team put on a clinic. Syracuse jumped to an 8-0 lead against Pittsburgh and never looked back, with 12 different players recording at least one point in the 16-7 rout.
Mackenzie Rich had a career-high seven points on three goals and four assists, while Molly Guzik added four goals and two assists with four draw controls. But the moment that brought the loudest cheer from the 2,643 in attendance came from the defensive end: senior Coco Vandiver recorded her 102nd career caused turnover, the most by any player in Syracuse women’s lacrosse history.
At 9-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, the women are peaking at the right time. Nine straight wins heading into April puts them in strong position for the ACC Tournament in Charlotte and a potential hosting spot in the NCAA bracket.
Why This Matters for CNY
There’s something different about lacrosse season on the Hill. Unlike football or basketball, lacrosse has always felt like Syracuse’s game — the sport the university helped build from the ground up, the one where Central New York kids grow up swinging sticks in their backyards from Fayetteville to Baldwinsville to Jamesville-DeWitt.
The Haudenosaunee roots of the game run through this region, and Syracuse has long served as a bridge between that tradition and the modern college game. When the Dome fills up on a Saturday afternoon for a top-five matchup, it connects generations of CNY lacrosse families in a way that’s unique to this part of the country.
The men travel to No. 5 North Carolina on April 4 at 2 p.m. on ESPNU, a matchup that could have significant seeding implications for the ACC Tournament. The women host Boston College on April 2. Both games matter. Both programs are playing for trophies.
For now, though, the Dome belongs to lacrosse. And the Orange are giving CNY plenty of reasons to show up.
