Expectations have been high for the Syracuse Orange ever since Gary Gait took over. The team has made steady improvements year over year, while still not really getting over the hump. It is safe to say that the team is finally playing up to their own expectations in 2025—especially considering they have broken through and are now competing for a national championship. Could the moment be too big for this potentially inexperienced squad? There is a chance. However, before we can predict the future, let’s get a better understanding of how exactly the Syracuse lacrosse program finally made it back to the semifinals.
As it stands right now heading into Championship Weekend, the Syracuse Orange have a 13–5 record and are eager to be competing for a national championship appearance. The Orange had a solid regular season but definitely came up short in a majority of their big games. The biggest win of the regular season came against Notre Dame, and I would argue their Colgate win was well deserved given how that team finished. However, a majority of their ranked games ended in losses—specifically against Maryland, Harvard, Cornell, Duke, and North Carolina. Syracuse ended the regular season on a three-game losing streak, which is certainly not how you want to enter the postseason.
That seemingly did not matter, as the Syracuse Orange entered the ACC semifinals ready to win some hardware. They put together a near-perfect game against Notre Dame to secure their spot in the ACC Championship game. They would then have to go against a Duke Blue Devil team that truly turned their season around down the stretch. This was a battle from start to finish and certainly one of the more entertaining lacrosse games of the season, with a perfect balance of offense and defense. Syracuse was able to come out on top 9–8, marking the first real milestone in the Gary Gait era.
The NCAA Tournament has been only nail-biters for the Syracuse lacrosse program. They kicked things off with their first-round matchup against Harvard, which on paper was always going to be the most exciting matchup coming out of the first round. Harvard had the talent and potential to make it all the way to Championship Weekend, so this one was always going to be a battle. The Orange were able to crawl their way back into the game late, playing make-it-take-it lacrosse to force the Crimson into overtime, where Syracuse inevitably came out on top 13–12. Their quarterfinal matchup would be no different, as Princeton was next in line. The Tigers and Orange forgot their defenses at home as both offenses were seemingly scoring at will. Princeton had most of the momentum for a majority of the game, until Syracuse turned it up a gear down the stretch, walking away with the 19–18 victory and a Championship Weekend appearance.
The Syracuse Orange this season have been solid in just about every statistical category. Most notable is certainly their offense, scoring an average of 13.8 goals per game, which ranks them 6th in the country. Their defense has done a respectable job, only allowing 10 goals per game, slotting them at the 25th mark. This puts them at a margin of +3.72, which is 7th in the country. One major factor that has helped them win games down the stretch is their elite face-off play. Facing off at 60% ranks them 7th in the country and will certainly play a major factor in late May. However, while clearing at 86% puts them at 31st in the country, that has the potential to be an issue. I wouldn’t worry about it too much though, as Maryland’s ride typically lets teams get set up pretty consistently.
The man of the hour is Joey Spallina. Averaging 4.94 points per game ranks him 7th in the country, made up of 89 points—35 goals and 54 assists. Spallina has done an excellent job quieting the haters over the past few weeks, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the bright lights of Memorial Day Weekend. I guarantee you that the Terrapins are going to have a solid game plan on how to neutralize him. It will be nice to have Owen Hiltz step up in these moments, however, as Hiltz is averaging 4.0 PPG on 45 goals and 27 assists. The Syracuse offense is extremely selfless and will have no problem spreading the rock to find open looks when they arise.
It is going to be interesting to see which Syracuse team we get on Saturday. They have had flashes of being the best team in the country, but a lack of consistency has hurt them all year. Gary Gait has certainly coached teams in big moments, but this is definitely the biggest moment for the Syracuse men’s lacrosse program in quite some time. Will these expectations be too high for the Orange to accomplish? Or is it the exact motivation they need to get over the hump? We shall see as they face off against the Maryland Terrapins for a trip to the national championship.
