#11 Orange Bounce Back Out West

Saturday, March 1

Salt Lake City, Utah

2 p.m. ET

Syracuse University

4-2, 0-0

Utah

1-4, 0-0

Syracuse

Utah

3/1/2025 4:08:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Tickets Highlights Press Conference Photo Gallery

SALT LAKE CITY– Syracuse University men's lacrosse, ranked 11th in both polls this week, picked up a big bounce-back win on the road at the University of Utah Saturday afternoon, dispatching the Utes 15-5 at Rice-Eccles Stadium

Syracuse (4-2) was backed by four different players scoring two goals: Michael Leo, Owen Hiltz, Luke Rhoa, and Wyatt Hottle. Jimmy McCool made 11 saves in the win while adding an assist on a goal from Michael Grace to break up a Utah 10-man ride. Eleven different players tagged the Utes for a goal. John Mullen won 13 of his 22 faceoffs. Joey Spallina finished with three assists in the win.

Utah (1-4) was led by Cade Faulkner, who scored three goals. Utah's leading point getter entering the game was held to one assist as he was covered by Riley Figueiras. Colin Lenskold made 10 saves and allowed 14 of the 15 goals before his was spelled by Conor O'Neill.

How it Happened

After a scoreless first four minutes of the game, the Orange pounded home four goals in a three minute span, led off by Hottle and English before a HIltz goal 30 seconds later on a Finn Thomson assist. Rhoa capped the run.
Faulkner broke up the scoring run at the midway point of the first quarter, but that would be the last Utah goal in the half.
Leo, Hottle and Deere scored in succession over the final five minutes for a 7-1 'Cuse lead after 15 minutes.
Syracuse scored another four times in the second quarter, getting strikes from Leo, Hiltz, Thomson and a spectacular diving goal from behind the net by freshman Payton Anderson, sending Syracuse into halftime up 11-1.
Utah scored the only three goals of the third quarter, picking up tallies from Colby Plotts, Faulkner, and Will Overly in order. The Utes cut the Orange lead down to 11-4 through 45 minutes.
Mullen ended the Syracuse drought just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter, pushing his faceoff win forward before bouncing home his lone shot of the game.
Faulkner scored Utah's final goal of the game at 13:18 of the fourth before a Rhoa goal two minutes later.
Breaking apart the Utah 10-man ride, Michael Grace caught a pass from McCool at the Syracuse restraining line, sailing in his first Division I goal.
Ninety seconds later, Billy Dwan III got his first of the season in a similar situation. Carter Rice began the clear before finding Dwan at the midfield line. The junior captain then shot home the final goal of the game with 89 seconds to play.

Behind the Numbers

Syracuse picked up its first-ever win in the state of Utah while improving to 2-0 against the Utes. The Orange won their first game west of the Mississippi since taking down Georgetown in March 2005 in Carson, California.
In Saturday's game, the Orange out-shot the Utes 41-33, putting 25 total attempts on goal. Syracuse held a 15-9 edge at the faceoff, with Mullen winning 13 and Drew Angelo going 2-for-2.

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange return home to the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday, March 9 for a blue blood battle against Johns Hopkins.
The sport's most successful programs, Syracuse and the Blue Jays meet for the 63rd time and fourth-straight season.
Game time at the Dome is set for 2 p.m. on ESPNU.
Tickets are on sale at Cuse.com/Tickets and 1-888-DOME-TIX (1-888-3663-849).