Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse men’s lacrosse team plays its third game in seven days at the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday afternoon against the Manhattan Jaspers at 4 p.m.
See in-game team and individual stats here.
Syracuse-Manhattan will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
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Syracuse is 2-0 and is coming off an 18-10 win over Colgate on Monday at the Dome. This is Manhattan’s first game of the 2024 season.
The matchup features a reunion of Syracuse defensive coordinator John Odierna with his old program. Odierna was the head coach of Manhattan last season and served as an assistant coach there for seven seasons prior to being elevated to the top job.
The Jaspers compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the two teams have never previously met. Last season, the Jaspers went 10-5 overall at 7-2 in the conference, and fell 11-8 to Siena in the MAAC Championship.
New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is in attendance at the Dome today. His son, Jaziel, is a face-off specialist for the Jaspers.
Final: Syracuse 16, Manhattan 3
It was an easy day at the office for the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team as it rolled past Manhattan to improve to 3-0 and give defensive coordinator John Odierna a win over his old squad. Odierna was the head coach at Manhattan last season and a seven-year assistant for the Jaspers before that.
This is the first time since 2004 that Syracuse has scored 14 or more goals to start the season.
Joey Spallina set a new career-high with 10 points (3g, 7a) in a single game. He’s the first Syracuse player with 10 points in a game since Ryan Powell on March 28, 2000 against Hobart. The school record for single points in a game (13) was set by Casey Powell against Virginia on Feb. 28, 1997.
Owen Hiltz added six points for the Orange (3g, 3a).
Syracuse dominated the Jaspers at the face-off X, taking 19-of-23. Mason Kohn won 14-of-15 draws.
Will Mark made six saves on the day in net. Manhattan managed just 14 shots on goal for the game.
Syracuse returns to action on February 17 against Maryland at the Dome. Face-off is set for 6:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
Fourth period
4:55 remaining: Syracuse 15, Manhattan 3
Greg Elijah-Brown scores to give Syracuse a 12-goal lead.
12:19 remaining: Gary Gait has emptied the bench here in the fourth period with Syracuse nursing a comfortable 11-goal lead over the Jaspers.
Joey Spallina will finish the day with 3 goals and 7 assists. Owen Hiltz added three goals and three assists.
Greg Elijah-Brown, Trey Deere and Blake Erlbeck are now in at attack.
Nick Caccamo, Nick Fraterrigo and Jordan Beck are in at defense.
Jimmy McCool replaces Will Mark in net.
Third period
5:56 remaining: Syracuse 14, Manhattan 3
Joey Spallina has set a new career-high with 10 points in a single game. He’s the first Syracuse player with 10 points in a game since Ryan Powell against Hobart on March 28, 2000.
Joey Spallina scores his third goal of the day and ties his career-high with 9 points in a game. Spallina has now done that three times, including this past Monday against Colgate.
8:37 remaining: Syracuse 12, Manhattan 3
The Jaspers have three goals on the day and Scott O’Connor has scored all of them.
Halftime: Syracuse 12, Manhattan 2
It was all-orange in the first half as Syracuse rolled to a ten-goal lead without much resistance from the Jaspers.
Joey Spallina facilitated the Orange offense with ease, scoring eight points (2g, 6a). He is just one point away from a career-high in points, which he just matched on Monday against Colgate. Spallina scored his second goal of the day just before the halftime buzzer sounded. It was a crazy play. One of the highlights of Spallina’s electric career so far.
Owen Hiltz is right on pace with Spallina. Hiltz has scored three goals and three assists
Mason Kohn and John Mullen combined to win 13-of-15 face-offs for the Orange.
Will Mark made four saves in net as the Jaspers managed to get just six shots on goal.
Second period
4:32 remaining: Syracuse 10, Manhattan 1
Sammy English gets in on the scoring party for the Orange. Joey Spallina is up to five assists on the day for SU.
7:32 remaining: Syracuse 9, Manhattan 1
Owen Hiltz scores his second goal of the day. Both he and Joey Spallina have five points so far today.
Michael Leo follows Hiltz’s goal with an unassisted goal. He puts home a bounce shot for the score.
Mason Kohn and John Mullen have combined to win 9-of-11 face-offs for Syracuse.
First period
3:53 remaining: Syracuse 7, Manhattan 1
A long-pole goal as Saam Olexo rips one low to score his second goal of the season.
Jake Stevens scores his second goal of the day to follow. Hiltz collects his third assist.
6:40 remaining: Syracuse 5, Manhattan 1
Joey Spallina rips a laser up high to give Syracuse a three-goal lead. Owen Hiltz with the assist. Spallina has a goal and two assists so far for the Orange.
Luke Rhoa follows that up with a rip from 10 yards out to score. Spallina tallies his third assist on the play.
12:13 remaining: Syracuse 3, Manhattan 1
Scott O’Connor puts one by Will Mark to give the Jaspers their first goal of the day.
13:30 remaining: Syracuse 3, Manhattan 0
Jake Stevens drives one home to give Syracuse the early three-goal lead. Spallina nets his second assist.
14:15 remaining: Syracuse 2, Manhattan 0
It takes just 14 seconds for Syracuse to score as Mason Kohn wins the opening face-off and scores unassisted. His second goal of the season.
Owen Hiltz adds a shot up high to put the Orange up by two. Joey Spallina logs the assist.
Pregame
3:51 p.m. We’ve got some New York Yankees royalty in the house here today. Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is at the Dome for today’s game. His son, Jaziel, is a junior face-off specialist for the Jaspers.
3:40 p.m. Syracuse midfielder Jackson Birtwistle will return to the lineup today for the Orange and will run on the second midfield line. Birtwistle, who had 27 goals last season, had missed SU’s first two games with a lower-body injury.
Syracuse will be without defenseman Landon Clary, who suffered a lower-body injury against Colgate on Monday.
3:05 p.m. Hello from the JMA Dome for an afternoon tilt of lacrosse! We set a record-high temperature for the day here in Syracuse. Was kind of hoping at the last minute they’d move this one outside.
The John Odierna reunion is the main storyline here today. Usually scouting a team for the first game of the season is difficult, but Odierna provides Gary Gait with some direct knowledge of the Jaspers as their former head coach.
Manhattan features MAAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Gucwa. Gucwa, a captain for Manhattan, makes his return as a graduate student with a total of 50 points under his belt from last season, having an even 25 goals and 25 assists.
The Jaspers have two local players on the roster. Graduate student midfielder is a Fayetteville-Manlius alum. Shanley missed last season with an injury. He recorded 14 points in 2002. Defenseman Patrick Otts joins the roster as a freshman from Baldwinsville.
Contact Brent Axe: Email | X | Voicemail 315-552-1964