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Syracuse started the season raring to build off last season’s trip to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. It looked to go even deeper with a more experienced team. The Orange held serve in their opening three games, brushing aside inferior opposition. But SU hit bumps in its last games: falling at then-No. 5 Maryland on Feb. 15 and being upset by then-No. 15 Harvard Feb. 22.

The two defeats plunged Syracuse into a dire situation where it has a wafer-thin margin for error to qualify for the NCAA Tournament despite many games remaining. The Orange had to travel a long way — more than 2,000 miles — to snap their two-game slide at Utah Saturday.

And they did it with authority. Eleven Syracuse players found the back of the net. The Orange’s defense also neutralized Utah’s rapid pace, forcing turnovers. The unit shut down the Utes’ lead attack Ryan Stines, who didn’t muster any goals as SU goalie Jimmy McCool rebounded from his benching versus Harvard. Plus, faceoff man John Mullen, who entered the game with a nation-leading 78 faceoffs wins, continued his torrid stretch, going 12-for-21 at X. The result was a definitive Syracuse victory to end its two-game slide.

Here are some observations from No. 11 Syracuse’s (4-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 15-5 win over Utah (1-4, 0-0, Atlantic Sun) Saturday:

Rhoa returns, but Hottle stands out

Rhoa has been an understated force behind SU’s strong start. The junior only managed 20 goals all of last season but notched eight in the Orange’s first four games, including a hat trick in Syracuse’s lopsided season-opening win over Jacksonville.

He then scored four goals in SU’s 18-7 win over then-No. 16 Towson. He showcased his immense shooting power and his ability to shoot with either hand, with three finishes against the Tigers coming from his weaker left side.

Rhoa missed Syracuse’s loss versus Harvard with an upper-body injury, and his absence was apparent. His replacement Wyatt Hottle only mustered an assist. Rhoa returned to the Orange’s starting lineup in their contest at Utah and excelled. The Potomac, Maryland, native sacrificed his body for his first goal of the game Saturday, diving to place a shot between the legs of Utes goalie Colin Lenskold.

Hottle netted two goals in the first quarter, tripling his total for the season and matching his career total prior to Saturday. With his diminutive 5-foot-7 frame, Hottle’s speed and evasiveness was hard for the Utes to defend. Rhoa added a second goal of his own in the fourth quarter, part of the Orange’s diverse scoring attack they showcased Saturday.

McCool rebounds from benching performance

Getting benched can be one of the most mortifying experiences in sports. It’s a sign your coaches often see you as a liability. But when Jimmy McCool was benched in the third quarter versus the Crimson, SU head coach Gary Gait noted his trust remained in the goalie.

McCool got the nod to start Saturday and notched a save in the opening three minutes, denying Luke McNamara. The goalie was beaten for the first time in the game on a Cade Faulkner close-range effort midway through the first quarter to trim the Utes’ deficit to 4-1.

McCool stood strong when he was tested. He denied back-to-back efforts from Stines, who won the ASUN Player of the Year last season, in the middle of the second quarter, repelling both high and low tries from the Utes’ attack.

The goalie and SU’s stifling defense held the Utes to just one goal in the first half, as McCool added five second-quarter saves. Utah did score three times in the third quarter. But McCool showed he moved on from the humiliating benching versus the Crimson by producing 11 saves and only allowing five goals to the Utes.

SU’s 1st half offensive explosion

Utah made a concerted effort to man-mark SU’s Tewaaraton nominated attack Joey Spallina by sticking Nikko DiPonio on Spallina at X. Though Spallina’s impact was relatively minimal, the rest of the Orange’s offense blazed past the Utes to bounce back from two outings where it produced a shooting percentage below .280.

In less than two-and-a-half minutes, Syracuse found the back of the net four times in the first quarter to build a 4-0 lead. Hottle opened the scoring and was promptly followed by Sam English, Owen Hiltz and Rhoa finishes. Five different scorers cashed in the Orange’s first six goals. After leading 7-1 after one quarter, SU converted seven of its 14 shots into goals for a terrific .500 shooting percentage.

As Syracuse extended its lead to 9-1 by the 8:10 mark of the second quarter, its accuracy remained on point. Spallina got in on the action, dishing to a cutting Finn Thomson for SU’s 10th goal of the game.

Freshman Payton Anderson also got involved to finish the first half to become the seventh Orange player to score, taking advantage of a Utah substitution by driving from X. Eleven of Syracuse’s 16 first-half shots on goal resulted in scores, showcasing the pinpoint accuracy.

Syracuse’s offense took its foot off the gas pedal in the third quarter with its significant lead. It was outscored 3-0 in the quarter, SU’s first scoreless frame since its second game of the season against Vermont. Nonetheless, the early offensive explosion paced the Orange’s comfortable get-right win, even though Spallina only provided three assists and no goals.

SU capitalize on Utah’s sloppy play

Utah likes to play at a breakneck pace. All gas. No brakes. That rapid playstyle can cause teams problems. However, SU was not only up to the Utes’ headline speed, it forced them into frequent turnovers and slowed the pace down by locking down Stines with double teams.

The Orange forced seven first-quarter Utah turnovers, going the other way to build a comfortable lead. In the second quarter, SU showed its physicality, bullying the Utes. Thomson bodied Dallin Tenner out of bounds. He then picked up the ball and found Owen Hiltz, who fired a shot past Lenskold for Syracuse’s ninth goal.

At the break, the Utes had 10 turnovers, eight shots and one goal, as the Orange never let them find traction on offense. Utah leaned on isolation plays that ran through Stines, but he couldn’t get going. In the third quarter, SU forced a shot clock violation as Riley Figueiras took away Stines’ angle.

Syracuse didn’t take the best care of the ball, coughing up possession 17 times. But the Orange’s defense was what allowed them to jump ahead early and hold the Utes to five goals and 19 turnovers.

Published on March 1, 2025 at 4:24 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal