Syracuse men’s lacrosse defeated Johns Hopkins 12-8 on Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field in Baltimore, improving to 5-2 with its second straight win during a six-game road stretch.
Jimmy McCool anchored the Orange defense with 14 saves as Syracuse limited Johns Hopkins’ scoring chances throughout the game. The Blue Jays attempted 53 shots but placed only 22 on goal. Luke Rhoa and Finn Thomson each finished with two goals and two assists, while Joey Spallina led the offense with seven points. Defender Billy Dwan also scored twice for the Orange.
Syracuse opened the scoring early when Rhoa capitalized on a turnover to give the Orange a quick lead. The teams traded goals through the first half before Syracuse extended its advantage after halftime. Dwan scored early in the third quarter to push the lead to three goals, and timely scoring from Spallina and Rhoa helped Syracuse maintain control.
Johns Hopkins attempted to rally late, but McCool made several key saves in the fourth quarter to prevent the Blue Jays from cutting further into the deficit. Syracuse also received a boost at the faceoff circle, where John Mullen won 11-of-20 draws to help the Orange maintain possession.
Despite committing 15 turnovers, Syracuse forced 16 takeaways and held Johns Hopkins scoreless for extended stretches. The win narrowed the all-time series, which Johns Hopkins still leads 32-31-1.
Syracuse returns to action when it continues its road stretch against Maryland on Saturday, March 15. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].