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Syracuse Lacrosse stuns Johns Hopkins with second-half surge, wins 13-10

Syracuse Lacrosse stuns Johns Hopkins with second-half surge

Joey Spallina’s trick-play goal helps spark Syracuse’s comeback as the No. 11 Orange take down the No. 7 Blue Jays.

Story by Carson Kass / Photos by Daniel Kekis
Published: March 9, 2025
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Photo by Dan Kekis
The Orange celebrate after a goal against John Hopkins. After dropping two games at the end of February, Syracuse has won back-to-back games.

After a 10-goal victory over Utah, No. 11 Syracuse maintained winning ways Sunday in one of the crown jewel rivalries of college lacrosse, besting No. 7 Johns Hopkins 13-10.

“You know the Syracuse Hop [Johns Hopkins] game is arguably the biggest game in this sport I would say,” Syracuse attacker Joey Spallina said. “There’s not many other rivalries where they get this intense.”

The first half saw the Orange take control early, going up 3-0, before it all quickly slipped from their grasp, conceding four straight goals to the Blue Jays. SU never saw the offensive side of the field during the Johns Hopkins scoring run, namely due to a very big struggle in winning faceoffs. The Blue Jays won the faceoff battle 9-4 in the first half.

Johns Hopkins dominated in time of possession early. From the point of getting the ball from a faceoff or turnover, it was rare they got just one scoring chance, holding the ball for four to five minutes in some cases.

What kept Syracuse in this game was its stellar defense.

“I thought our defense in the first half did an amazing job keeping us in it when we were losing the faceoff battle by quite a bit,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said. “Very proud of their effort as well.”

Syracuse kept the Blue Jays chances difficult at best. When they faltered and allowed an easy one, goalie Jimmy McCool was there to deny them. McCool collected 12 saves on 22 shots and kept the Blue Jay offense from getting hot. The junior struggled heavily against Harvard and a game like this has things trending in the right direction.

At halftime Johns Hopkins held a 6-5 lead over Syracuse, ahead in just about every way. Things looked bleak for SU as the third quarter had been their downfall often in the early season. However their efficient offense found more chances and JHU’s perch crumbled in the third, as Syracuse swung the pendulum its way in just about every single stat.

Syracuse midfielder Michael Leo celebrates after his second goal of the game ties the score at eight in the third quarter.
Photo by Dan Kekis
Syracuse midfielder Michael Leo celebrates after his second goal of the game ties the score in the third quarter.

“We were ready to play, so definitely different,” Gait said.

The third and fourth saw the Blue Jays dominate in just about every category from then on. It all started for the Orange on faceoffs where they had a 6-1 advantage. Syracuse’s energy was unmatched as well, gaining 16-4 on ground balls in the third quarter. From there, it was a game of chase down, until finally midfielder Michael Leo scored up close on a tough angle to tie the game at eight.

The Long Island native was one of a few key offensive contributors in the win, his hat trick only beat by a dominant four goal, five point performance from attacker Owen Hiltz. The graduate student’s name was unavoidable on the scoresheet, always showing up when the Orange needed him. Spallina and Midfielder Luke Rhoa also notched two goals each. 

Spallina’s second goal came on a trick play to take the lead after Leo’s equalizing goal. A fake to captain Sam English had Blue Jay goalie Luke Staudt completely confused. The shot blew by him from deep as he waited for English’s shot.

“It’s a once-in-a-season kind of goal,” Spallina said. “I was pretty jacked up about it.”

From that point onward SU wouldn’t give the lead back to Johns Hopkins. JHU tied only one more time the rest of the game as the Orange scored three unanswered goal to secure the win.

For Johns Hopkins, it’s a disappointing loss after a close win versus rival Virginia. They move on to play Navy in Annapolis on Saturday. There are still plenty of positive signs however as attacker Charlie Iler notched four points with a hat trick. 

For Syracuse, snapping a two game skid versus a ranked opponent that believes itself to be a championship contender is a huge step in the right direction for them as they move to 5-2. Their attention shifts now to the Manhattan Jaspers on March 19th. The Jaspers are coming off a 12-11 victory at Merrimack and play Mount St. Mary’s three days before Syracuse. Faceoff is at 7pm in The Dome.