Syracuse lacrosse defeats Boston for fifth consecutive season opener win

The No. 2 Syracuse men’s lacrosse team opened the 2026 season with a 13-6 win over No. 16 Boston University in the teams’ first-ever meeting.

After a devastating 14-8 loss to Maryland in the Championship Weekend last year, Joey Spallina and the rest of the highly touted senior class look to right the ship for the Orange.   

The senior class was the driving force behind the Orange’s offense Sunday afternoon, scoring seven of the 13 Orange goals.   

The team was led by the 2026 USA Lacrosse Preseason Player of the Year, Spallina, who recorded five points, including a hat trick. The senior captain entered the season with 246 points and is now only 57 points behind Michael Powell’s program record of 307.   

BU did its best to make Spallina more of a shooter than a passer, but the Terriers were unable to shut down the nation’s No. 1 player.  

“Being aware of where Joey is crucial,” sophomore midfielder Paytan Anderson said. “He’ll find you, and like you saw on my goal, he gave me a perfect pass right to my ear and I finished. So, props to Joe.” 

It only took senior midfielder Luke Rhoa 90 seconds to kick the new season into gear, as he snuck a goal through the wickets of Connor Phillips to put the Orange up one.  

Rhoa finished with two goals. Senior midfielder Michael Leo also contributed two goals, providing a good presence and support from the midfield.   

The senior class will have to play a large role if the Orange look to win the national championship for the first time since 2009, after narrowly missing out last year.

The reigning ACC Goalie of the Year Jimmy McCool showed out during Sunday’s game, making 12 saves on 18 shots faced by BU. McCool made four key saves in the second quarter, shutting down any momentum the Terriers had.   

“When we screw up or have a hole in the defense, he cleans up our mess all the time,” senior defender Billy Dwan III said. “We’re super happy to have him on our team and not on other teams.” 

It wasn’t only the seniors who were getting in on the action this afternoon, as junior face-off specialist John Mullen was sensational at the X, winning 14 of 19 faceoffs (73.6%), while snatching up 8 ground balls.   

The Orange will continue their three-game home stand at noon Saturday, hosting Saint Joseph’s at the JMA Wireless Dome.