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Syracuse men’s lacrosse garnered three selections on Inside Lacrosse’s 2024 All-American teams, which were announced Sunday evening. Long pole Billy Dwan and midfielder Jake Stevens each made the Second Team, while attack Joey Spallina earned Third-Team honors.

Among Atlantic Coast Conference programs, SU is tied for the third-most selections with Duke, though Virginia (four) and Notre Dame (eight) had the most representatives in the conference.

To earn his first-career All-American nod, Dwan has put together a notable campaign due to his offensive prowess. The close defender has scored eight goals, including a game-tying score to help the Orange defeat Virginia on April 20.

He’s also contributed to solidifying SU’s new-look back end under defensive coordinator John Odierna, picking up 32 ground balls and forcing 17 turnovers. Dwan and fellow long pole Riley Figueiras combined to shut down Duke star attack Brennan O’Neill on March 20, holding him to one goal and the Blue Devils to just four in an eventual Syracuse win.

Stevens, a Princeton transfer, stood out as a consistent impact player within SU’s midfield. The graduate student nabbed his second All-American honor after posting 20 goals and 15 assists through Syracuse’s first 17 games. He’s come on strong late in the season, scoring 10 goals in his last four games and dishing out four assists in SU’s April 2 loss to Cornell.

The midfielder also offers a solid all-around presence on the wing as well, scooping 44 ground balls — the most on the Orange for a non-faceoff specialist. His most crucial performance came in Syracuse’s March 7 upset victory over Johns Hopkins, where he tallied a hat trick and scored two late goals to close out the Blue Jays.

Spallina, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, notched his first-ever All-American selection following a gaudy season. Through 17 contests, the star attack has totaled 37 goals and 51 assists for a team-high 88 points. The most apparent improvement in Spallina’s game has been his distribution, as he’s increased his assist total by 19 from one year to the next.

Syracuse revolves its offense around Spallina dishing from X and letting him work to score close-range goals off one-on-one matchups. He’s put together seven performances with seven or more points, including a career-high 10 versus Manhattan on Feb. 9 (the most single-game points in program history since 2000) and a career-best seven-goal outing against High Point on March 2. He also registered a game-high eight points to lead SU over Towson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

The Orange also had four honorable mentions for IL’s All-American teams. Midfielder/attack Michael Leo, goalie and Tewaaraton nominee Will Mark, short-stick defender Carter Rice and faceoff specialist Mason Kohn rounded out Syracuse’s seven total players recognized in the All-American list.

Published on May 13, 2024 at 1:19 pm

Contact Cooper at: [email protected] | @cooper_andrews