A strong second half was the key in a 13-10 for 11th-ranked Syracuse (5-2, 0-0 ACC) over number seven Johns Hopkins (5-2, 0-0 B1G). The win marked the Orange’s first top-10 victory of the season.
In one of college lacrosse's biggest rivalries, @CuseMLAX surged late to prevail over @jhumenslacrosse 13-10.@SamuelReisTV and @GriffinMarcy1 had the call from the JMA Wireless Dome. pic.twitter.com/sxum9MISBc
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 9, 2025
Before controlling the final 30 minutes of the contest, Syracuse came out firing, searching for back-to-back wins against JHU. The Orange jumped ahead by three quickly thanks to attackman Joey Spallina, midfielder Michael Leo, and attackman Owen Hiltz. SU being up early is something that has been a trend this year, with the Orange scoring first in every contest so far. However, the hot start wouldn’t last for long.
Hopkins came storming right back with a 4-0 run spanning from just under the eight minute mark to just around five minutes left in the quarter. With the score standing at 4-3 JHU, Hiltz would grab his second of the day to level the game at four at the end of 15 minutes.
A quiet second quarter for both sides put Hopkins ahead 6-5 at the break. With JHU ahead, the second half loomed large, a 30 minute window that had not been kind to the Orange as of late. Coming into the contest, Syracuse had scored just 10 goals in the second half over its last three games. To add on to that, in SU’s most recent game against Utah, Syracuse failed to score in the third quarter.
Yet, the Orange blocked out the noise and dominated. SU potted three goals in less than a minute to take a 9-8 lead into the final 15 minutes, including a highlight play from Spallina.
Content team knew where it was 😏#HHH x #LikeNoOther pic.twitter.com/ZpbFQxta3C
— Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) March 9, 2025
“I was fortunate enough that Sam’s a pretty good actor, and Sam sold it… Coach Gait is for all that stuff and he gives us the freedom to have fun” said Spallina regarding the score.
Along with the goals, SU outshot the Blue Jays 17-6, led 6-1 on faceoffs, and had a 16-4 advantage on ground balls all in the third quarter. For Blue Jays head coach Peter Milliman, JHU simply couldn’t keep up. For Gait, the strong start to the second half was a turning point.
“We haven’t played well in that third quarter the last few games… I was just happy the way they focused on it.”
On the other hand, Hopkins head coach Peter Milliman acknowledged the squads struggles.
“We lost ground balls by a bunch in the third quarter, also lost in faceoffs… they found a way to adjust.”
Not all hope was lost for the Blue Jays in the fourth quarter though. Less than a minute in, midfielder Matt Collison would slot one home to knot the game up at nine. After a score from both sides to push the contest to 10 all, the Orange took over. Syracuse would go on a 3-0 run to close out the game with goals from midfielders Luke Rhoa, Owen Hiltz, and Michael Leo.
“Don’t quit, just keep on going. Fight every battle. We were just focused on that one possession, one shot… we knew what we had to do and we executed” said Spallina on the squads offense throughout the game.
“I thought our guys did a great job, and they made plays. It was a lot of fun to watch… you got to make plays and the ones that do win games” said Gait on the teams wire-to-wire performance.
Eight different players picked up points in the victory for SU. The win also marks Syracuse’s first home win over the Blue Jays since 2019.
SU is on a 10-day sabbatical before welcoming Manhattan to the Dome next Tuesday. The Orange took down the Jaspers 16-3 last year. The contest is slated for 7 p.m., with our coverage starting at 6:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Faceoff.