NCAA Men's Lacrosse Preview: Now's the Time for No. 2 Syracuse

NO. 2 SYRACUSE

2024 record: 12-6 (3-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Gary Gait
Assistants: Pat March, John Odierna, Nick Acquaviva

When Gary Gait took over the Syracuse men’s lacrosse program in 2021, he knew the team and its passionate fans needed a jolt of energy. But the road to restoring Syracuse to its place in the upper echelon the sport wasn’t a short one.

Gait led Syracuse to a 4-10 record in his first season, but a top-level recruiting class came to campus later that year — one that gave Syracuse fans plenty of hope. The success has been gradual: 8-7 in 2023 and 12-6 in 2024 with an NCAA quarterfinal appearance.

Entering this spring, Gait hopes that this version of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team (in his fourth season at the helm) can raise the bar even higher. The once-star recruits are now college lacrosse veterans with a trip to Memorial Day in their sights.

“We’re capable of beating anybody in the country,” Gait said. “We have the talent, and we have the ability. The next step is becoming a winner. We have to focus on the details and what it’s going to take to make winning plays in games.”

TOP RETURNERS

Joey Spallina, A, Jr. (37G, 51A)
Owen Hiltz, A, Sr. (38G, 27A)
Billy Dwan, D, Jr. (18CT, 34GB, 8G)

Spallina returns with Tewaaraton buzz and a gold medal from the box world championships. He’s the unquestioned quarterback of the Syracuse offense and will be looked at to keep the momentum going on a unit that should rank among the nation’s best.

Hiltz and Spallina form one of the top duos in Division I men’s lacrosse. The two threats were the first Syracuse pair since 2015 to register 65 points in the same season. Dwan, on the other end of the field, will be tasked with anchoring the Syracuse defense now that Saam Olexo has graduated. He’s a threat to force turnovers and turn them into goals in a split second.

KEY ADDITIONS

Mike Grace, LSM, Gr. (RIT)
Vincent Bolognino, Fr., D/LSM
Payton Anderson, Fr., A/M

Grace provides veteran depth (and a winning mentality) to a unit that lost Olexo and Matthew Wright. He could see minutes immediately as one of several Division III transfers that could impact the Division I title race.

Bolognino, too, could see time at LSM or on the Syracuse defensive line after finishing his senior season as an All-American at Harborfields (N.Y.). Anderson fills a role that Gait said is valuable to his offense — a bruising middie who can dodge and shoot, much like Cole Kirst in 2023.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES

Graduations: Saam Olexo, LSM; Will Mark, G; Matt Wright, LSM; Mason Kohn, FO; Jake Stevens, M

X-FACTOR

John Mullen and Jimmy McCool, FO

The specialist will play a huge role in deciding whether Syracuse will reach its potential in 2025. Both are coming in with big shoes to fill, but Gait believes that each can hold his own.

Mullen steps in for Mason Kohn after winning 57.8 percent of his faceoffs (107 out of 185). He has the potential to give the potent Syracuse offense even more possessions, and Gait thinks he’ll get more buzz as the season goes on.

“He’s going to be one of those faceoff guys that [Paul Carcaterra] is going to talk about for about two hours a game,” Gait said. “He can play offense. He can play defense. He can score goals. He’s very athletic and has very good stick skills.”

As for McCool, he steps into the cage as a sophomore with limited experience but plenty of potential. He faced 46 shots last season and held opponents to an 8.07 goals against average. In an uber-competitive ACC, every save will be vital.

THE NARRATIVE

Syracuse lacrosse fans have been waiting years for their team to regain its form as a year-in, year-out national title contender. The Orange haven’t won the national championship since 2009 and haven’t appeared in the final four since 2013.

When names like Joey Spallina, Billy Dwan and others formed a star-studded recruiting class of 2022, visions of what that group could accomplish provided plenty of hope. More than two years later, the Orange are as close to that reality as they’ve been in over a decade.

The talent is there for Gait and his program — an offense that might be the best in Division I, a defense with a few playmakers and promising underclassmen as specialists. Syracuse proved it could compete with the best teams in the nation last season, falling to Maryland, Army and Cornell in overtime while taking down Virginia.

In 2025, Syracuse is poised to turn close defeats into narrow victories, and in turn, punch its ticket to the final four.

“It’s the mental side of the game [that will be vital],” Gait said. “It’s showing up in the playoffs and having your best game, not your worst game, and putting yourself in a position where you’re confident and you make plays that you know how to make. If the talent meets the mental side, there’s potential for something special.”