Syracuse men’s lacrosse delivered a thrilling comeback Sunday, rallying from a six-goal deficit to defeat No. 12 Harvard, 13-12, in overtime at the JMA Wireless Dome in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Down 8-2 at halftime and still trailing by five early in the fourth, the No. 5 Orange roared back with seven goals in the final quarter. Luke Rhoa led the charge with four goals, tying his career high, while Trey Deere added two, including one during a key five-goal run that tied the game.
Syracuse briefly took the lead late in regulation on a man-up goal by Michael Leo, but Harvard forced overtime with a last-second equalizer. On the first possession of the extra period, Owen Hiltz buried the game-winner off a feed from Joey Spallina, completing the dramatic comeback and giving the Orange their first overtime win since 2019.
John Mullen was dominant at the faceoff X, winning 24-of-28 draws, while Jimmy McCool made five saves. Hiltz and Spallina each tallied three points, with Spallina assisting on the decisive goal.
The victory moves Syracuse (12-5) into the NCAA quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 3 Princeton on May 17 at Hofstra.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].