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A signature win for Syracuse head coach Gary Gait came midway through his third season. On March 9, the Orange defeated then-No. 2 Johns Hopkins 14-13 in their second top-10 win, and first top-five win, since Gait took over in 2022. Joey Spallina finished with two goals and four assists in the victory, a bounce-back performance following a one-goal outing versus Maryland and zero goals against Army.

Next, SU takes on Delaware at a neutral-site matchup in Chantilly, Virginia. It’s set to be just the fourth-ever contest between the Orange and the Blue Hens, and the first since 1986.

Here’s how our beat writers believe No. 6 Syracuse (6-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare versus No. 20 Delaware (3-2, 1-0 Coastal Athletic Association):

Zak Wolf (5-3)
Keeping the momentum
Syracuse 18, Delaware 10

Last week I picked against Syracuse for the first time and paid the price. This game is a little easier to pick considering the opposition. Delaware has been in and around the top 20 all season, but the Orange are just a level above and they’ll show it Saturday.

The biggest disparity in this matchup comes at the faceoff X. Mason Kohn is coming off his best performance of the season against then-No. 2 Johns Hopkins where he went 18-for-25 as Syracuse won 71% of total faceoffs. Kohn’s dominance (65%) along with the support of freshman John Mullen has created a two-headed monster at the X. Although Kohn takes the bulk, Mullen has filled in well this season going 43-for-66.

In each of Delaware’s two losses to Michigan and Penn, it won under 37% of its opportunities at the faceoff X. In its three wins, the Blue Hens are 51-for-76, but those came against weaker opponents. Syracuse’s unit will be too much for Delaware to handle and the Orange will accumulate too many possessions throughout the game. Even if Delaware’s elite defense (third best in the country) can limit SU’s explosive offense it won’t be able to get over the line and the Orange will roll.

Cooper Andrews (6-2)
Freezing cold takes
Syracuse 16, Delaware 9

I’ve made it abundantly clear that I have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to Spallina. I called for six points against Army, and he had two with zero goals. I called for him to get shut down by Johns Hopkins, and Spallina retaliated with a six-point performance. And this time, against a solid, but not elite Delaware squad, I’m back to calling for another Spallina masterclass.

The Orange showed they can dominate high-level opponents such as Johns Hopkins, which Syracuse exploded for eight third-quarter goals against. In the frame, Spallina had five points, including four assists. The Blue Hens house the third-best scoring defense in the country, letting in a little more than eight goals per game. Yet, they faltered in each of their previous two ranked matchups and a Spallina-led attack will provide even more issues.

I envision the product of Spallina facilitating from X with players like Michael Leo, Owen Hiltz and Christian Mulé cutting for open shots to allow Syracuse to embark on a fast start. Delaware doesn’t have the same offensive firepower to match. Spallina will end with at least six points in what should be a blowout SU victory.

Anish Vasudevan (7-1)
Listen to the old guy
Syracuse 13, Delaware 10

Unlike Martin Scorcese, who was shut out at this past Sunday’s Oscars for the third time in his career, this old guy at The Daily Orange is finally getting his flowers. I’d like to thank the Academy for this honor — the No. 1 spot in our BWP rankings.

I thought the Orange would shine on the road, scraping by arguably the best Johns Hopkins team since Dave Pietramala left. I thought Leo or Luke Rhoa would be the difference maker, but it was Jake Stevens who delivered the final blows. If anything, that was another testament to the improved depth of this year’s squad.

Now, SU is against a Delaware side that hasn’t proved itself against top opponents. For players on both sides, this contest in Chantilly, Virginia, is like a home game, located right in the heart of the DMV. Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan are among those who grew up close by, and they’ll have the chance to continue their best lacrosse near home. I’m expecting SU’s talented defense to hold Delaware to 10 or fewer goals as Penn and Michigan did.

This could be just as close as last week given the elite Delaware defense. But Elena Delle Donne and President Joe Biden won’t be able to help them out this weekend versus Spallina.

Published on March 15, 2024 at 2:28 pm