Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of No. 9 SU’s matchup with No. 2 Johns Hopkins

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It’s been a mixed bag for Syracuse in 2024. The Orange have taken care of business against weaker opponents as shown in their most recent win over High Point. Yet when facing tougher opponents this season, SU has faltered. First, it was an overtime loss to then-No. 4 Maryland followed by another overtime loss against then-No. 5 Army.

The ranked losses are nothing new for Syracuse. Under head coach Gary Gait, the Orange are 1-13 against top 10 opponents, including losing their last 10. Saturday provides Syracuse with a chance to gain a signature win as it faces No. 2 Johns Hopkins.

The Blue Jays have won four straight, including a 16-14 upset win over then-No. 2 Virginia this past Saturday. Hopkins’ only loss came in overtime against then-No. 15 Denver, but it’s won every game since then.

Here’s everything to know about No. 2 Johns Hopkins (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) ahead of its matchup with No. 9 Syracuse (5-2, Atlantic Coast Conference):

All-time series

Johns Hopkins leads 32-28.

Last time they played

Coming off three straight losses to then-No. 4 Maryland, then-No. 16 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Duke, Syracuse welcomed No. 11 Johns Hopkins to the JMA Wireless Dome. Michael Leo scored to put Syracuse up one at the start of the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays then rattled off three straight goals to come out with an 11-9 victory.

Syracuse was led by Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz. Both registered four points but were held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Hopkins was led by Tim Marcille in net who finished with a career-high 21 saves.

The Blue Jays report

Johns Hopkins is one of the most storied programs in college lacrosse history with nine national championships but in recent years it has struggled. After not making an NCAA tournament appearance since 2019, the Blue Jays broke their streak in 2023 after going 12-6.

Johns Hopkins returns plenty from last season’s squad, including its top eight goal scorers. On the defensive side of the ball, JHU lost Marcille but added a veteran presence in Chayse Ierlan in net. Ierlan recorded a 50% save percentage or better in three out of four seasons at Cornell.

At the faceoff X, the Blue Jays are led by Logan Callahan, who boasts a 56.3 faceoff percentage. Callahan has already taken 112 draws in 2024 and has increased his percentage by 10%. The junior went 10-for-16 against Virginia, winning three in a row at the start of the fourth quarter.

Cole Ross | Design Editor

How SU beats Johns Hopkins

The biggest thing for Syracuse is to have a strong fourth quarter against Johns Hopkins. The Orange haven’t struggled late in games this year, but they also haven’t closed games well, hence their two overtime losses. If the SU wants to get over the hump, its offense can’t fall flat in the fourth quarter. Johns Hopkins trailed by one going into the fourth quarter in its last game but outscored Virginia 5-2.

For the offense to not falter late, Spallina needs to have a signature performance. He’s struggled against ranked teams this season. After being held scoreless against Army, Christian Mulé defended his teammate at the postgame press conference. But in 2024, the numbers show that Spallina’s performances are drastically different in big games.

Stat to know: 9.5

Johns Hopkins has one of the best defenses in the country and lets up just 9.5 goals per game, which is the seventh-best mark in the nation. After conceding 13 goals against Denver in their opener, the Blue Jays held their next four opponents to single digits, including then-No. 15 North Carolina and then-No. 17 Loyola.

Although it let up a season-high 14 goals against UVA, JHU held the Cavaliers to just four in the second half, including the last five and a half minutes scoreless. McCabe Millon — the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023 — was held to just one goal on five shots.

Player to watch: No. 23 Jacob Angelus

Angelus led Johns Hopkins in assists (44) along with points last season (61) and is its main distributor on offense. Last season, the attack registered three assists in over half of his appearances and his assists numbers have remained steady in 2024.

Angelus has registered 14 assists in six games — eight more than the next Blue Jays player. His 13 goals is just behind Garrett Degnon’s team-leading 16.