Deere, Spallina lead Syracuse to blowout win over Manhattan
Deere, Spallina lead Syracuse to blowout win over Manhattan
Trey Deere’s four-goal performance and a lockdown second half secured another convincing win for Syracuse.
Following a week break, No. 10 Syracuse men’s lacrosse maintained its impressive performance by defeating Manhattan 18-2 at the JMA Wireless Dome for the second year. Jaspers head coach Doug Sage was eager to take on leading a top program.
“You guys do a great job up here in Syracuse,” Sage said. “A lot of energy in the Dome. For our program, these are the types of games that we want our guys playing so they can be exposed to the top teams in the country.”
Manhattan brought energy early. Syracuse struggled in the first quarter, hindered by stellar plays from goalie Connor Hayward, who made eight saves on 14 shots. By the end of the first, Syracuse trailed 1-0, with Vermont’s Drew Hiner scoring the lone goal—but momentum soon shifted.
Syracuse surged with nine goals, spearheaded by Trey Deere’s hat trick. The sophomore attacker finished with four season-high goals, raising his total to 10. Joey Spallina also excelled, notching three assists in just that second quarter. Their contributions propelled the Orange to a 9-2 halftime lead.
SU’s second-half dominance sealed the win
The Orange shut out Manhattan for the rest of the game, adding another nine goals. In the third quarter, senior attacker Greg Elijah-Brown scored his first career goal, assisted by Luke Rhoa. The Ontario native’s milestone sparked an emotional response from the bench, celebrating his achievement in his final season.
The excitement continued in the fourth quarter.
Third-string goalie Kyle Rollie entered the game and immediately made two saves on two shots. His performance electrified the team, and at the final whistle, the entire Orange bench swarmed Rollie in celebration.
Despite the lopsided score, head coach Gary Gait acknowledged Manhattan’s fight—particularly Hapward’s career-high 24 saves.
“I thought our guys dominated the field,” Gait responded postgame. “Their goalie had an outstanding game, 24 saves, spectacular. To have that many shots and opportunities proved that we were ready and dialed in, and once we got to the goalie, we were fine.”
Next, Syracuse will host No. 18 Colgate on Saturday at noon. With no more tune-up games left, the Orange must concentrate on their ultimate goal—reaching Memorial Day Weekend.