2026 College Lacrosse Season Preview: Syracuse

In recent years, the question surrounding the Orange has been is Syracuse back?

But after winning the ACC Championship and making the Final Four for the first time since 2013, the question heading into this season isn’t is Syracuse back? Rather, the real question should be can Syracuse be back on top?

the orange's high-octane offense

The loss of Owen Hiltz might hurt Syracuse more than anticipated on the offensive end. Hiltz wasn’t just one of the best lefty shooters in the nation; he was the engine that made this Orange offense go. With elite IQ and vision, Hiltz consistently picked the right times to find an open man on a cut or swing it quickly to the backside to keep the offense running.

But, the Orange still have Joey Spallina, who has racked up 246 points in his career and seems likely to break the school’s all-time points record. His vision from X is second to none in the country, finding his talented off-ball players like Finn Thomson with ease if he’s left alone behind the cage. 

At the midfield, Michael Leo and Luke Rhoa make up one of the best midfield duos in the nation, but I’d like to see the emergence of another dodger to help take this offense to the next level. Sophomore Owen Farrell and freshman Bogue Hahn seem like high-upside candidates to fill that role.

syracuse's senior-led defense

While a ton of attention is on Syracuse’s flashy offense, if the Orange wins it all in 2026, it’ll be because of the defense.

Riley Figuerias and Billy Dwan form a formidable 1-2 combination down low with years of experience between them. The third spot has yet to be solidified, but freshman Louis D’Agostino strikes me as a guy that could secure this spot after an outstanding senior season at Chaminade.

Chuck Kuczynski impressed at LSM last season in his first season seeing significant minutes, and the addition of Ohio State graduate transfer Dante Bowen helps shore up an SSDM position that was a weak point for the Orange late in 2025.

Having ACC Goalie of the Year Jimmy McCool as the last line of defense certainly doesn’t hurt, and he could be primed for his best year yet after becoming the full-time starter last season.

Biggest Question Marks

who starts at lefty attack?

This question mark isn’t about if the Orange have players to fill this role, but more so if they can make this position an X-factor offensively in 2026. Payton Anderson and Trey Deere both got starts at this position last year after Thomson missed time with injury and are the clear top two options to replace Hiltz. Both players could find huge success within the offense, but who will be named starter depends on what play-style the Orange decide they need. Anderson is more of a dodger; a big-body that isn’t afraid to muscle his way to the cage. Deere doesn’t offer much as a dodger, but is beyond slick off-ball and could be a 30+ goal scorer with Spallina feeding at X. And don’t count out Hansen Peck, a freshman who joined a year early, who is a lefty sharp shooter that is reminiscent of Johns Hopkins’ Hunter Chauvette.

can the second midfield continue their strong play?

The second midfield was no doubt a strength for Syracuse in 2025. Wyatt Hottle and Tyler McCarthy chipped in timely goals as the Orange finally got some production from their secondary scorers in what has felt like years. There’s no doubt a strong second midfield unit is key to a title run; Ryan Waldman and Brian Luzzi tallied goals for Cornell in the Championship game last season while Notre Dame’s entire second midfield (and two midfielders from their third-line) cashed in for goals in their 2024 victory. For Syracuse to raise the trophy at the end of the season, Hottle, McCarthy and other secondary scorers must come up with key goals down the stretch.

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