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For the first time, Syracuse men’s lacrosse will take the 2,000-plus-mile flight to Salt Lake City to face Utah on Saturday. The long trip could be just what the Orange need to regain their mojo.

SU fell disappointingly in each of its last two games. The Orange’s 11-7 road loss to now-No. 2 Maryland was justified because of the Terrapins’ reputation, but being held to two-second half goals was a concern.

Those late-game blunders were prevalent again in Syracuse’s upset defeat to then-No. 15 Harvard last Saturday, as its 5-0 first-quarter lead progressively wilted away. Goalie Jimmy McCool’s benching defined SU’s uncharacteristic performance against the Crimson.

The Orange now sit one game above .500 as they voyage out to the Utes’ Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City — at an elevation of 4,265 feet.

Here’s how our beat writers envision No. 11 Syracuse (3-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare on the road against Utah (1-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun):

Cooper Andrews (3-2)
Silence the trolls
Syracuse 14, Utah 8

For those who are unfamiliar, college lacrosse fans have a ruthless presence on social media. One of the top public accounts for lacrosse memes and satire is named after Syracuse head coach Gary Gait. I’ll let you take a look for yourself. But spoiler alert: the Orange were the butt of every joke in one of the account’s posts on Monday, which has over 3,000 likes.

When a prestigious program like Syracuse has National Championship expectations thrust upon it once again, the trolls will come out in full force every time it slips up. My preseason Final Four prediction may look murky, but I think this is a game where the Orange silence their trolls.

Utah isn’t built vastly different from its 2024 squad, which SU destroyed 18-7 in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Utes have solid attacking pieces like freshman Luke McNamara (team-best 10 goals) and junior Ryan Stines (six goals, 11 assists), but their offense is small fry compared to what the Orange typically produce.

Syracuse’s attack will do enough, spurred by at least a hat trick and a pair of assists from Joey Spallina. I also believe McCool will bounce back and deliver a .550 save percentage or higher — which he’ll need to do since SU’s defense may get gassed quickly in the high altitude.

Zak Wolf (4-1)
High altitude? No problem
Syracuse 15, Utah 10

Before this season, I had this circled as a trap game for Syracuse. Now, it’s a must-win. After SU’s slip-up against Harvard, there’s little room for error the rest of the season due to its challenging schedule. It also puts an extra emphasis on not slipping up against inferior competition like Utah.

The Orange will get the job done, but it won’t come easy. Despite Utah having three losses this season, they’ve come by a combined four goals. This game is also being played at altitude, which presents another challenge, considering Syracuse’s offense tends to fade in the second half of games. It’s scored just six goals in the second half the past two games, compared to 15 in the first half.

While fatigue could play a major factor, SU will win this game. The Orange have too much talent not to. The Orange’s attack of Spallina, Owen Hiltz and Finn Thomson simply won’t let them lose this one. The trio combined for 16 points last time out, and that will continue on Saturday.

Syracuse’s offense will pepper Utah goalie Colin Lenskold — whose save percentage sits at 47.8% — to once again get ahead early. This time, SU won’t blow a five-goal advantage. Stines presents some problems for the Orange, but the Utes’ attack won’t be deep enough to hang around.

Nicholas Alumkal (3-2)
Sting-free trip to Beehive State
Syracuse 17, Utah 11

Syracuse can’t afford another pratfall against inferior opposition, let alone many more losses this season, if it wants to return to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time since 2018 and 2019. That won’t happen Sunday.

If you apply the transitive property, SU downed Vermont 13-5 in its second game of the season on Feb. 7. That same Catamounts team beat Utah 11-10 Friday. After poor shooting showings in its last two games — putting up a .171 shooting percentage versus then-No. 6 Maryland and a .280 mark against Harvard — Syracuse’s fearsome attack will rediscover its Midas touch against the Utes, who are 22nd in the nation out of 76 teams in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Lacrosse Reference.

Utah’s attack is no slouch, placing 14th in Division I in offense efficiency and will again ask questions of Syracuse’s defense, which conceded 15 goals on 24 shots Saturday and forced McCool to be benched in the third quarter. Gait said McCool remains the starter, and I see SU’s backline being up to the test and proving it’s past the last two games. Plus, John Mullen is sure to continue his torrid stretch at X.

A game at Rice-Eccles Stadium could continue the Orange’s tailspin. There’s the cross-country trip affecting their legs and the altitude affecting their lungs. But Syracuse will correct course and leave the Beehive State unscathed.

Published on February 26, 2025 at 9:34 pm