Syracuse Lacrosse Defeats Johns Hopkins 12-8

Orange bounce back with a win over their long-time rivals

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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No. 10 Syracuse lacrosse defeated No. 11 Johns Hopkins 12-8 on Saturday afternoon. The win was Syracuse's second in a row after consecutive losses. Attackman Joey Spallina led the way for the Orange with four goals and three assists, bouncing back from a recent scoring slump. Both teams struggled with turnovers, but Syracuse's defense forced 16 Johns Hopkins turnovers. The Orange never trailed in the near wire-to-wire finish.

Why it matters

This victory over a ranked opponent gives Syracuse some much-needed momentum heading into the rest of their season. The Orange have high expectations this year and this win over their long-time rival Johns Hopkins shows they can compete with top teams in the country.

The details

Syracuse attackman Joey Spallina had a big game, scoring four goals and adding three assists to lead the Orange offense. The Syracuse defense forced 16 Johns Hopkins turnovers, while the Orange offense coughed up the ball 15 times. Syracuse never trailed in the game, building a lead as large as four goals in the second half.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 8, 2026.

The players

Joey Spallina

A Tewaaraton Award candidate and key attackman for the Syracuse lacrosse team.

Gary Gait

The head coach of the Syracuse lacrosse team.

Luke Rhoa

A midfielder for the Syracuse lacrosse team who scored two goals in the game.

Finn Thomson

A Syracuse lacrosse player who scored one of the Orange's first two goals.

Matt Collison

A Johns Hopkins player who scored two goals to tie the game in the second quarter.

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What they’re saying

“I think today was the first time in a bit where we looked like ourselves.”

— Joey Spallina, Attackman (si.com)

“It's no secret we played terrible last weekend. I don't think were Syracuse lacrosse at all. I think we started to do it a little bit towards the end of (the Penn) game.”

— Joey Spallina, Attackman (si.com)

“It wasn't the cleanest game, but great effort by the offense when we needed it an happy to start spring break with a W.”

— Gary Gait, Head Coach (si.com)

What’s next

Syracuse will look to build on this win as they continue their season after spring break. Their next game is scheduled for March 15th against a tough opponent.

The takeaway

This victory over a ranked Johns Hopkins team shows that the Syracuse lacrosse squad has the talent and resilience to bounce back from a rough patch and compete with the best teams in the country. The Orange will need to maintain this level of play if they want to achieve their goals this season.