SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The No. 2/3 Syracuse Orange opened the scoring and never looked back, as they took down the No. 16/17 Boston University Terriers Sunday afternoon in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Senior Joey Spallina led the way for Syracuse with three goals and two assists in the afternoon. He is now 57 points away from matching Mike Powell’s 307 career points while playing at Syracuse University. Whether taking it to the rack himself or firing the ball through the heart of Boston University’s defense, he showed why he is the USA Lacrosse Preseason Player of the Year.
After the game, Boston University head coach, Ryan Polley, said the goal was to make No. 22 dodge and score on his own, limiting his opportunities to get teammates involved.
“I didn’t see the final stat sheet, but you know, try not to [let Spallina] have the three and four [assists] involving all of his teammates,” Polley said.
One of the biggest questions heading into 2026 for the Orange: Who would replace Owen Hiltz at attack? Sophomore Payton Anderson had two goals and was able to show his versatility and why he won the job. For Anderson’s first goal, his 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame was on full display, getting underneath his defender and finding his way for a dunk on the doorstep. His second came off of a perfect cross field feed from Spallina.
“[Spallina] draws the attention of every defense. They have to know where he is at all times,” Anderson said, “And like you saw on my goal, he gave me a perfect pass right to my ear and I finished.”
Seniors Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa each found the back of the net twice from the midfield. Both were named Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans. Leo had a few opportunities to invert and attack from behind the cage, but ultimately had success with a quick shot on the run and a step down, courtesy of the feed from senior Spallina.
The specialists are where the Orange really jumped off the stat sheet on Sunday. Jimmy McCool picked up right where he left off as last year’s ACC Goalie of the Year, making 12 saves, good for 67% in the crease. John Mullen, the faceoff specialist went 14-19, 73%, and added a goal. The extra possessions were crucial; Syracuse turned the ball over 17 times and struggled to clear against Boston’s 10-man ride all afternoon.
Head coach Gary Gait now has the baseline for his 2026 season squad. Gait claims he is happy to start the season off with a win, but knows there is still a lot to be improved upon.
“Really, it’s just about guys that are going to now take a look at themselves and say, ‘What can I do better this week so that we can execute at a higher level?’”
The Syracuse team still has skills to work on and improve before they face off with Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.
“I thought our guys controlled the game throughout,” Gait said. “They won every quarter and played very smart. And I think we’re only going to get better as we go.”