Syracuse Cruises Past St. Joseph's 20-2

Orange prepare for top-ranked Maryland after dominant win

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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The No. 2 Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team cruised to a 20-2 victory over St. Joseph's on Saturday. Senior goalie Jimmy McCool had 10 saves, and the Orange offense was led by senior Joey Spallina, who had 8 points and passed coach Gary Gait for the program's all-time career points record. Syracuse now turns its attention to a matchup against No. 1 Maryland on Friday.

Why it matters

This decisive win over an unranked opponent was an important tune-up for Syracuse before facing a gauntlet of three straight ranked opponents, including No. 1 Maryland. The Orange's dominant performance highlighted their depth, as 11 different players scored goals and the team excelled in all phases of the game.

The details

Syracuse jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, controlling the game from start to finish. Junior faceoff specialist Drew Angelo provided a spark, going 5-8 at the X and scoring a goal. The Orange also had no issues clearing the ball against St. Joseph's 10-man ride. Head coach Gary Gait was pleased with how his team handled the pressure and prepared for the upcoming tough stretch of games.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
  • Syracuse will face No. 1 Maryland on Friday, February 13, 2026.

The players

Jimmy McCool

A senior goalie for Syracuse who had 10 saves in the win.

Joey Spallina

A senior for Syracuse who had 8 points in the game and passed coach Gary Gait for the program's all-time career points record.

Gary Gait

The head coach of the Syracuse men's lacrosse team.

Drew Angelo

A junior faceoff specialist for Syracuse who went 5-8 at the X and scored a goal.

Scott Meehan

The head coach of the St. Joseph's men's lacrosse team.

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What they’re saying

“It's like [St. Joseph's] were shooting a beach ball. When Jimmy's playing like that, it gives the offense some confidence.”

— Joey Spallina (SI.com)

“I think it really helped the fact that we were in the Dome all week. It helped with clearing, just to get comfortable in here... I think it really made a difference.”

— Gary Gait, Head Coach (SI.com)

“[Syracuse] mixed up a couple things in the clear, namely, sending their LSM down the middle early so they weren't subbing guys out.”

— Scott Meehan, Head Coach (SI.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This decisive win over an unranked opponent was an important tune-up for Syracuse before facing a gauntlet of three straight ranked opponents, including No. 1 Maryland. The Orange's dominant performance highlighted their depth and preparation as they look to make a statement against the top teams in the country.