No. 2 Syracuse men’s lacrosse (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has opened the season with two dominant wins, but the Orange face their toughest test yet Friday night: No. 1 Maryland (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse cruised past 17th-ranked Boston University 13-6 in its opener before rolling Saint Joseph’s 20-2 last weekend. Still, the early momentum doesn’t mean much against a Maryland program that has consistently had the SU’s number.
The Terrapins have won eight straight meetings against the Orange, dating back to 2011 when Terps head coach John Tillman took over. The ‘Cuse’s last victory in the series came in the 2009 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals - the same year Syracuse won its most recent national championship.
Last season’s matchup was especially painful. Maryland ended SU’s season with a 14-8 win in the national semifinals, handing the Orange their largest loss of the year and extending the program’s championship drought to 16 seasons.
Even after that defeat, ‘Cuse head coach Gary Gait said he believed the group would respond.
“I know they’ll put their foot down and commit even more to this team to make sure we get to the final and have a chance to win a national championship,” Gait said.
A major reason Maryland has been such a difficult opponent is its defense. Last season, the Terrapins allowed fewer than eight goals per game, the second-best mark in the country.
Syracuse struggled to generate offense in the two meetings, scoring just seven goals in the regular-season matchup and failing to find a consistent rhythm in the NCAA Tournament loss.
The Terrapins also limited the Orange’s top playmaker, attackman Joey Spallina. In the semifinal, SU’s points leader finished with just one, well below his season average, which was near five.
“He’d trade any individual award or stat for a team win and to be playing on Monday,” Gait said.
Spallina has come out sharp to begin his senior season. Through two games, he has 14 points, the second-most in the nation.
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“He’s high IQ, great vision,” St. Joe’s head coach Scott Meehan said, referring to Spallina. “And once he gets going, the rest of the team kind of goes the way of Spallina.”
Maryland will be replacing one of the most accomplished goalies in program history. Logan McNaney, the Terrapins’ all-time saves leader, graduated after leading the Terps to three national championship appearances and a title in 2022.
Still, the Terrapins bring plenty of firepower. Yale transfers Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons combined for nine goals in Maryland’s 19-10 season-opening win over Loyola Maryland.
That presents a major challenge for a Syracuse defense led by Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan. Through two games, the Orange have allowed just eight total goals, the third-best mark nationally among teams that have played twice.
The spotlight may fall most on goalie Jimmy McCool, who has posted a save percentage near 75%, also third-best in the country.
Friday’s matchup offers Syracuse a chance to start 3-0 for the fourth straight season and potentially snap the program’s longest-running struggles against an elite opponent.
The showdown is set for 6 p.m. on Friday in the Dome. WAER’s coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Faceoff.
