#1 Orange Fall in Back-and-Forth Game

Saturday, February 21

Cambridge, Mass.

1 p.m.

Syracuse University

3-1

Harvard

3-0

Syracuse

Harvard

2/21/2026 3:40:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Highlights Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Syracuse University men's lacrosse suffered its first loss of the 2026 season, dropping a 13-12 decision at No. 13 Harvard Saturday afternoon at Jordan Field.

Harvard scored the final goal with 50 seconds remaining to beat the No. 1 Syracuse for a second-straight regular season matchup.

Syracuse (3-1) rallied to tie the score at 12 in the fourth quarter on goals from Luke Rhoa and Joey Spallina, but Nathan Cobery's third goal of the afternoon — set up by John Aurandt IV with 50 seconds on the clock — proved to be the difference.

Rhoa led the Orange, netting three goals on the afternoon. Spallina added two goals and an assist while Finn Thomson chipped in a pair of scores. Michael Leo was held to one goal but drove the offense with four assists. Wyatt Hottle, Tyler McCarthy, Matt McIntee, and Payton Anderson each added a goal.

Harvard was powered by Aurandt IV and Cobery, who each finished with three goals. Andrew Perry contributed two scores, with Logan Ip, Jack Speidell, Francisco Cortes, Teddy Malone, and Sean Jordan each netting one.

How it Happened

Syracuse jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter, with Rhoa and McCarthy getting the Orange on the board before back-to-back goals from Spallina and Rhoa in the final three-plus minutes of the period, the last a McCarthy-assisted score with 20 seconds left. Harvard's Andrew Perry had the lone Crimson tally.
The second quarter belonged to Harvard. Aurandt IV scored twice without assistance, and Cobery's help, led by a Logan Ip helper got the Crimson rolling. Perry and Jack Speidell capped the 5-0 run to put Harvard in front 6-4 at the half.
Syracuse came out of the break with energy, scoring three goals in less than two minutes to tie the game at 7. Thomson and Hottle scored in back-to-back possessions, both set up by Leo, before Thomson cashed in a second time off a Payton Anderson dish. Harvard responded with four straight, including two from Cobery, to push the lead to 10-7. Leo pulled the Orange within two heading into the final quarter.
The Orange made it a game in the fourth. McIntee scored unassisted, Anderson evened it at 10, and Rhoa's third goal with another Leo feed, gave Syracuse an 11-10 lead with 7:30 remaining. Spallina extended the advantage to 12-10. But Harvard responded with back-to-back scores from Aurandt IV and Sean Jordan to tie the game before Cobery's game-winner sealed the upset with under a minute to play.

Behind the Numbers

Rhoa's three-goal effort set a new career high for the Orange freshman.
Thomson's two-goal outing gives him a strong start to the 2026 campaign, while Hottle, Anderson, McIntee, and McCarthy each contributed to what was ultimately not enough firepower to overcome Harvard's second-quarter surge.
Syracuse was outscored 5-0 in the second quarter, which proved decisive. The Orange had not been shutout in a quarter this season entering Saturday.
The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the Orange and marks the program's first defeat since the 2025 postseason.

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange return to action Friday, Feb. 27 at Princeton. Opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m.
Syracuse then travels to Philadelphia to face Penn on Sunday, March 1, with a noon start.