The No. 7/No. 6 Syracuse men’s lacrosse suffered its first home loss of the season, falling 15-14 to No. 15 Harvard at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon. Despite a strong start, the Orange (3-2) managed only four goals in the second half, allowing the Crimson (2-1) to stage a comeback.
Finn Thomson led Syracuse with a career-high five goals, while Owen Hiltz contributed four goals and two assists. John Mullen was dominant at the faceoff X, winning 28 of 31 attempts and collecting a career-best 18 ground balls, setting program records for a sophomore. Sam English, Michael Leo, and Joey Spallina also scored for the Orange. Harvard’s Teddy Malone paced his team with four goals, and freshman goalkeeper Graham Stevens made 13 saves on 27 shots.
Syracuse started strong with a 5-0 run within the first six minutes, but Harvard answered with a 3-0 run. By halftime, Syracuse held a slim 10-8 lead. The Crimson surged in the third quarter, tying the game at 12, and took the lead in the fourth. Despite a late goal from Hiltz, Harvard held on for the win.
Syracuse outshot Harvard 50-40 and dominated ground balls 40-24 but struggled with turnovers, especially in the second half.
The Orange travel next to face Utah on March 1, with coverage on ESPN+.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].