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No. 2 Syracuse will open the 2025 season Saturday when it takes on Jacksonville. The Dolphins are coached by former SU goalie John Galloway, who led the Orange to back-to-back National Championships from 2008-09. Galloway took over Jacksonville in 2016, leading it to a 66-49 record in eight seasons.

SU is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 and its first postseason victory since 2017. The Orange fell to Denver in the NCAA quarterfinals, one win shy of their first Final Four since 2013. Syracuse does return a plethora of talent, especially in its attack, highlighted by Joey Spallina, who recorded 88 points last season, the third-highest mark in the country. Owen Hiltz (38 goals), Finn Thomson (24 goals) and Michael Leo (28 goals) highlight more returnees.

On the back end, SU replaced goalie Will Mark with Jimmy McCool, while John Mullen is set to have an increased role at the faceoff X with Mason Kohn gone.

Here’s everything to know about Jacksonville (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) ahead of its season-opening matchup with Syracuse (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast):

All-time series

This is the first time Syracuse and Jacksonville have played each other.

The Dolphins report

Galloway has turned Jacksonville into one of the most underrated programs in the country since taking over. In Galloway’s first five seasons in charge, the Dolphins finished above .500 once. That’s changed in the past three, with 39 wins during that span and a 76% winning percentage. JU has shown it can give elite teams trouble during that time. It defeated Duke in back-to-back seasons in 2022-23 when the Blue Devils were ranked in the top 10.

The only thing that’s eluded Galloway is an NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2022, Jacksonville fell to Richmond in the Southern Conference Tournament championship. Last season, the Dolphins lost to Utah in the ASUN finals.

Jacksonville held onto most of its attacking core from last season. Top scorer Jacob Greiner graduated, but JU’s four next-highest goalscorers are all back, including three-year starter Jackson Intrieri. Goalie Ryan Della Rocco is another key returner. Della Rocco was the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, with a 55.8% save rate. At the faceoff X, Nathan Kapp, who won 58% of his faceoffs last year, graduated, leaving sophomore Drew Rippeon to take his place.

The Dolphins love to play an up-tempo style and spread the ball around. They were second in the ASUN in goals per game last season with 14.33 and dished out the most assists with 10.11 per game, well above Utah’s 8.56. Along with its high-octane offense, Jacksonville can hold its own on defense. In 2024, it allowed just under 10 goals per game, only bested by the Air Force in the ASUN.

How Syracuse beats Jacksonville

Syracuse is a much more talented team than Jacksonville, but the Dolphins are a scrappy bunch, and SU shouldn’t take them lightly. The biggest thing for Syracuse is taking care of the ball and paying good attention to detail on the offensive end. Not many teams can contain SU’s offense, so if turnovers are kept to a minimum, the Orange should have no problem.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Director

It’ll also be crucial for Syracuse to get out to a good start. Against an underdog like Jacksonville, it’s important not to let it hang around. The longer JU stays within reach, the greater the tension will become. The Orange showed last season that they can score goals in a hurry. They had nine in a row in just over 10 minutes against Towson in the NCAA Tournament.

Stat to know: 77%

Syracuse returns 77% of its goal production from last season. The key absences are midfielder Jake Stevens and attack Christian Mulé, who had 21 and 25 goals, respectively. Kohn accounted for eight as well. Other than that, Syracuse didn’t lose much. Hiltz led the team with 38 goals, while Spallina was second with 37. The two are set to spearhead one of the most dangerous attacks in the country.

Player to watch: Jackson Intrieri, attack, No. 12

Over the last three seasons, Intrieri has been one of Jacksonville’s most productive players. A day-one starter, Intrieri has totaled 174 points (91 goals, 83 assists) across 51 appearances. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, starting all 17 games while breaking the Dolphins single-season assist record with 30. In 2022, he was awarded the SoCon Freshman of the Year.

Intrieri had a dip in production as a sophomore, with 45 points, but is coming off his best season as a junior. The attack was second on the team in goals (39), assists (29) and set a career-high in points with 68. Intrieri is equipped at both scoring on his own — finishing with at least one goal in Jacksonville’s final 12 games — and setting up his teammates from X. He’s likely to garner the attention of Syracuse’s top long pole Saturday.

Published on January 29, 2025 at 9:18 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22