Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse is off to a fiery start this season, racking up wins and turning heads left and right. But let’s pump the brakes for a second and take a closer look. They’ve demolished Vermont, Colgate, Manhattan, and Utah with a whopping score line of 72-27. Sounds impressive, right? But hold up—these teams are sitting on a combined 4-10 record, and Colgate’s holding three of those wins. Plus, all these victories were at home. The real test, away from the comfort of their turf, is still on the horizon with their first big away challenge against Johns Hopkins, not until March 9th at a neutral site. They wont have their first true away game until March 23rd where they take on Hobart at their home turf. Road experience is important, and Syracuse isn’t getting much of it before ACC play.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for giving credit where it’s due, and Syracuse showed they could hang with the heavyweights in their early clash with Maryland. But I’m not ready to toss them into the Top 5 mix without seeing them against some tougher competition first. Sure, they’ve got some big games lined up against Army, High Point, Johns Hopkins, and Delaware before diving into the ACC shark tank. But beating teams with a not-so-great record? That’s not enough for me to buy a ticket on the hype train just yet.
Looking over at Johns Hopkins, their schedule’s no walk in the park. They open their out-of-conference schedule with games against Denver, Towson, Georgetown, Loyola, North Carolina, and Virginia—all before squaring off with Syracuse. That’s how you get battle-ready. By mid-season, they’ll have been through the wringer and back. Syracuse? I’m not so sure.
The ACC’s no joke. If we’re even whispering about Syracuse gunning for a national title, that means we think they can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Notre Dame, Duke, and Virginia. And let’s be real, those teams are on another level this year. Sure, Syracuse’s nail-biter against Maryland was something positive, but that’s just one game. And Maryland isn’t even in the same conversation as the ACC titans we just talked about.
The upcoming showdowns with Army and Johns Hopkins are gonna tell us a lot. If Syracuse can strut their stuff and come out on top, then maybe, just maybe, we can start talking about them keeping pace with the ACC’s best. But until then, I’m holding off as they just haven’t played enough true competition.
Jumping on the Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse hype train feels a bit risky right now. Hype has a way of making us see what we want to see, blinding us to the tougher road ahead. What’s really going down in the Syracuse locker room? Are they feeling like the underdogs ready to prove everyone wrong, or are they riding high off those early wins? That loss to Maryland—was it a reality check or a moral victory?
And let’s not forget Joey Spallina. The guy’s a lacrosse wizard, no doubt. But snagging the Tewaaraton? That’s a tall order with the competition he’s up against in his own conference. For Spallina to be in the running, he’s got to shine in those big moments, especially against the ACC heavyweights. While I do believe he will be a finalist for the remainder of his career, he has to make sure that he doesn’t disappear in big games in order to be considered a favorite for the award. In his games this year and last year against Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Notre Dame, and Virginia, Spallina averaged 1 goal and 2 assists a game. Certainly nothing to scoff at, but those stats will not win you a Tewaaraton.
At the end of the day, I’m all for seeing Syracuse climb back to the top. The sport’s just better when the legends are leading the pack. Remember when Syracuse and Johns Hopkins weren’t part of the big dance? That was a bummer. Both teams are inching their way back into the spotlight, and I’m here for it. But am I convinced Syracuse is ready to take on the ACC and chase a national title this year? Not quite. Changing a team’s culture takes time, and while there are signs of greatness, I’m proceeding with caution. For now, let’s see how they handle Army next week. Time will tell, but for the moment, I’m keeping my Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse expectations in check.
