Spallina earns Tewaaraton finalist nod as Syracuse opens NCAA tournament
Joey Spallina made the Tewaaraton final five with 321 career points as Syracuse headed into the NCAA tournament, giving the Orange another national spotlight.
Joey Spallina’s finalist spot arrived at the exact moment Syracuse needed it most, with the Orange heading into the NCAA tournament and a shot at turning a strong season into a serious postseason run. The senior attackman became one of five men’s finalists for the 2026 Tewaaraton Award, the sport’s top individual honor, putting Syracuse back among lacrosse’s national headliners as it prepared to meet Yale in the first round.
The recognition carried added weight because Spallina has already changed the Syracuse record book. He passed Mike Powell’s long-standing career points mark of 307 and entered the tournament with 321 points in an Orange uniform. Syracuse said his milestone came on April 18 at the JMA Wireless Dome, when he reached 308 career points in a 14-7 win over Colgate on Senior Day before 6,498 fans. That was the kind of moment Syracuse lacrosse has built its identity on, with a packed Dome, a record chase and a program landmark all tied together.
Spallina’s season numbers explain why he reached the finalist stage. Syracuse listed him with 75 points this year, including 30 goals and 45 assists. His 45 assists ranked second in Division I, and his assists-per-game rate ranked fourth nationally. Syracuse also named the Mount Sinai, New York, native the 2026 ACC Offensive Player of the Year after he led the conference in total points and assists.
The finalist nod also placed Spallina in a familiar Syracuse lineage. He became the first Orange player named a Tewaaraton finalist since Kevin Rice in 2015. Syracuse has won the award before, with Kevin Leveille taking it in 2008 and Mikey Powell winning it twice, which gives Spallina’s rise more than individual significance. It connects directly to the program’s history as one of college lacrosse’s defining powers.
The Tewaaraton Foundation, which founded the award in 2001, invited the finalists to Washington, D.C., for the ceremony on May 28 at the University Club. Syracuse’s postseason path, though, was already clear. The NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse tournament is an 18-team, single-elimination bracket, and Syracuse was set to face Yale on May 9 before the championship game on May 25 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.
For Syracuse, Spallina’s finalist berth was not just another trophy-season note. It was a sign that the Orange still matter on the sport’s biggest stage, with one of their own leading the charge into May and carrying the weight of Syracuse lacrosse history with him.
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