The 2024 Division I men's college lacrosse season kicks off February 2. As is our annual tradition, we’re featuring every team ranked in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20 in the lead up to opening night. Check back to USALaxMagazine.com each weekday this month for new previews, scouting reports and rival analysis.
NO. 9 SYRACUSE
2023 Record: 8-7 (1-5, ACC)
Final Ranking (2023): Unranked
Head Coach: Gary Gait
Assistants: Pat March (Associate Head Coach), John Odierna (Assistant Coach), Nick Acquaviva (Assistant Coach)
Syracuse head coach Gary Gait has seen this program at its greatest heights — in large part due to his own efforts. He took over the program in 2021 hoping to bring it back to what it was in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
In his first season, Syracuse went 4-10 but showed a few signs a competitive program wasn’t far away. Last season, the Orange went 8-7 and battled some of the toughest teams in the nation. Names like Joey Spallina, Saam Olexo and Finn Thomson became legitimate threats in the ACC — and the JMA Wireless Dome became an additional opponent for Division I teams once again.
“There’s lots of buzz around town about this team,” Gait said. “We want to get attendance back up to where it used to be, and we’re working hard on that. We want the Dome rocking.”
The difference between last season’s finish and a potential NCAA berth in 2024 is a thin gap, one Gait hopes to bridge with the addition of veteran transfers. Syracuse was one of the winners of the transfer portal, bringing in Jake Stevens and Sam English from Princeton, Mason Kohn from Tufts and Steven Schmitt from Mount St. Mary’s. In addition, the Orange welcome back former top recruit Riley Figueiras, who missed his freshman season after suffering an injury.
There’s plenty of optimism inside the Syracuse locker room, but the ACC remains the toughest test in Division I men’s lacrosse. A few plays could separate Syracuse from a deep run in May for the first time in years and another disappointing year without an NCAA berth. However, the talent is there for Gait’s program, and it looks like this is just the beginning.
TOP RETURNERS
Joey Spallina, A, So. (36G, 32A)
Will Mark, G, Gr. (54.2SV%)
Saam Olexo, D, Jr. (53GB, 26CT)
Spallina is one the game’s brightest young stars and looks prime for another jump in his second year. Mark is a veteran presence returning for another year after holding his own in the ACC. Olexo may be moving to a more natural position at LSM where he can continue to be one of the top defensive talents in the conference.
KEY ADDITIONS
Jake Stevens, M, Gr. (Princeton)
Sam English, M, Gr. (Princeton)
Mason Kohn, FO, Gr. (Tufts)
Syracuse arguably won the transfer portal, picking up two of Princeton’s starting midfield line to bolster an already star-studded offense. Then, Gait got a faceoff man from Tufts who started his career as a hockey player. He won 66.5 percent of his faceoffs with the Jumbos.
NOTABLE DEPARTURES
Graduations: Cole Kirst, M; Alex Simmons, M
X-FACTOR
Mason Kohn, FO, Gr.
Kohn enters as potentially the starting faceoff man for the Orange, who finished 64th in the nation in faceoff win percentage last season. With a defense that will need time to take shape, the faceoff battle may be the most important on this Syracuse team. More possessions for this offense means many, many more goals.
THE NARRATIVE
Spallina, Owen Hiltz, Thomson and plenty of others will contribute on an offense that seems destined for a top 10 finish. This unit will have fans coming back to watching Syracuse lacrosse produce fireworks on a weekly basis.
As a sophomore, Spallina will be looked at to make another jump into the upper echelon of college lacrosse stars. This is the season many expect Spallina to become another legend wearing the No. 22 jersey.
“He wants to be a great player,” Gait said. “There’s nobody outworking him. There’s a lot of pressure on him to do better than he did last year. He embraces it, and that’s a similar trait to all the others 22s. He’s doing a great job repping that number.”
The unit that could be key in deciding the Orange’s fate come late spring lies on the other side of the field. The Syracuse defense struggled to contain the likes of Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke in the uber competitive ACC last season — but, to be fair, so did most of the Division I competition.
Olexo, who played close defense last season, will move to a more natural position at LSM. Schmitt comes to Syracuse to bolster what should be a strong group of defensive middies. Figueiras steps in for his first season of college lacrosse with potential to contribute immediately.
“It puts us in great shape to be stronger on the defensive end by being more rested,” Gait said of the team’s depth. “I love the guys that have come in and seamlessly joined the team. They are going to be a huge factor in their first season with us.”
ENEMY LINES
“They’re loaded offensively. I think they have a ton of talent there. I think the new addition at defensive coordinator has had a lot of success at Manhattan. We’ll see how that translates to Syracuse. But I know they have talent. Offensively, they’re as potent as any group out there. It’s just a matter of them coming together and finding the right pieces that work the best at what positions.”
Heading into the 2024 season, Syracuse faces a daunting schedule that would test any team. The coaching staff’s decision to significantly increase the non-conference strength-of-schedule from 32nd to 8th demonstrates confidence in the team’s capabilities. It’s also probably a reaction to how last year’s RPI rankings judged the Syracuse slate. If the Orange can manage to secure a .500 record against this rigorous lineup, it’s hard to imagine them not being in line for an at-large bid.
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