When you have the chance, do it ADAP.#HHH x #LikeNoOtherpic.twitter.com/KP2XxkHCSA
— Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) April 19, 2026
Colgate would answer with back-to-back goals to bring it within one, but with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Joey and Michael decided they’d had enough of waiting and connected on an appropriately spectacular goal that officially broke the record as Joey’s 308th point of his career.
After **Bogue Hahn** underhand flipped him the ball, Joey ran up from GLE on the right side and threw a bold BTB pass to Michael, who was running diagonally across the right side in the opposite direction. Michael received the pass and instantly threw an opposite-handed BTB shot in to beat the goalie and finish off the historic moment.
History.#HHH x #LIkeNoOtherpic.twitter.com/o5JzP6XVAQ
— Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) April 18, 2026
The goal was perfect in so many ways, acting as a literal manifestation of what makes Orange lacrosse unique. All in one, the goal showed off skill, precision, intelligence, feel, touch and an audacious cockiness to believe that you could pull off such an amazing sequence. That belief is what turned Syracuse lacrosse into the legendary program its been for decades, and it was the perfect program record-setter for the **Gary Gait**-coached, modern-day No. 22.
It was also pretty sweet that Joey got to execute the moment with roommate Michael Leo as his family watched on; a very cool moment that will live long in the memory and be replayed for years to come.
Actually, they enjoyed the moment so much, they thought they’d try something similar just a few minutes later. With just seconds left in the first quarter, a little role-reversal saw Michael operating from X and hitting Joey with a pass out in front of goal that he finished off with a beautiful BTB goal of his own.
Through one quarter, the Orange had a 5-2 lead and were flying on the back of three vintage ‘Cuse goals.
The early second quarter saw SU take a four-goal lead when Luke Rhoa finished off a dish from Finn Thomson with an absolute hammer from about 16-17 yards deep. Speaking of appropriate, it wouldn’t have been a proper Senior Day without Rhoa connecting on a deep blast.
After all that excitement, the Orange offense went quiet for much of the rest of the half while Colgate got a couple back to make it a 6-4 game with a little over five minutes left in the second. But a little over a minute later, Michael Leo scored his fourth goal of the game when he got his defender hung up, and then threw in a little pump fake to gain an advantage as he came up from X to give SU a 7-4 lead at the break.
After the Raiders made it 7-5 early in the third, the Orange started to take control with goals from Finn and fifth-year senior **Greg Elijah-Brown** on the man-up. Both goals were finish nicely on the back end of beautifully placed skip passes from Luke Rhoa, not usually a player known for his passing skills. But he put them on display in a crucial spot to help ‘Cuse regain a four-goal advantage midway through the third.
It became a five-goal advantage thanks to yet another special moment for Joey and the entire Spallina family. In a moment of transition, **Jake Spallina** ran the field and settled in the crease area for a potential attack. The moment became a reality when Joey hit Jake with a skip pass and Jake finished it off to give the Orange their biggest lead of the night at 10-5. It was an incredible moment between brothers on a night of celebrating not only the student-athletes, but also the families that helped get them to where they are today.
pic.twitter.com/FYRvENhX9b
— Joe Spallina (@JoeSpallina) April 19, 2026
Even down by five late in the third, Colgate refused to give in to all the positive ‘Cuse vibes filling the JMA Dome on Senior Night. The Raiders scored two goals in 50 seconds to make it 10-7 and send the game to the fourth quarter with an air of doubt still lingering despite all the exciting moments for the home team.
The first five minutes of the fourth were very back-and-forth, but the final 10 minutes of the game left absolutely no doubt as to who would celebrate last on this night. The Orange scored all four goals in the final frame, which included Finn scoring a natural hat trick as well as Joey assisting three in a row after the first goal.
Joey did not assist the first goal of the quarter because that goal belonged to Finn Thomson. If Joey’s record-setting goal earlier in the night was the perfect distillation of the flare that he and the senior class have revived in the program during their time, then Finn’s first fourth quarter tally perfectly exemplified who he is as a player and the kind of impact he can make.
Finn, who clearly decided that nobody could tell him ‘no’ on his senior night, took a ridiculous 16 shots during this game, and none of them were more positively-ridiculous than this goal. It started with Finn scrapping for a loose ball and dragging it on the ground into his possession, something that he’s done so well over the years to help gain extra possessions. Finn’s known for his gorgeous and slick stick skills, but he is as active in the ground ball and hustle departments as any ‘Cuse offensive player, and this goal reflected that.
As soon as Finn scooped up the GB into his stick, he immediately unleashed an absurd, whip-like BTB shot from way over on the football hash-mark, a crazy finish that he slotted just inside the far pipe in an absolutely perfect display of Finn’s precision finishing.
That's Syracuse lacrosse right there.
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📊 #HHH x #LikeNoOtherpic.twitter.com/tG4ZXbGqBu
— Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse (@CuseMLAX) April 18, 2026
The goal was so audaciously good, that Colgate goalie **Andrew Lehrman** dropped to his knees and brought his head down to the turf he was in such disbelief at what Finn had just slipped past him.
Finn also scored the next two, both of which were assisted by Joey, before **Payton Anderson** tallied the final goal of the night with Joey picking up his fifth and final helper in the process.
All in all, and for so many reasons, it was a special night in the Dome filled with lots of emotional and flashy plays that made for a thrilling atmosphere if not a beautifully played and executed game of lacrosse on ’Cuse’s part.
The bottom line is that SU is going to have to play a much tighter game next Saturday if they’re going to have any chance of beating the fortress that is the No. 1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They rarely make mistakes, and they punish those that do.
But that’s next week’s problem. On this night in the Dome, the Syracuse Orange came to party, and they put on one heck of a blowout bash for their seniors.
