Six Orange Earn Preseason All-America Nods
1/20/2026 11:01:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
SPARKS, Md. – Six Syracuse University men's lacrosse standouts earned recognition on the USA Lacrosse Division I Preseason All-America lists. USA Lacrosse announced its preseason teams Tuesday morning.
Syracuse's six preseason honorees are the second-most across Division I, trailing only Maryland and Princeton with seven.
Joey Spallina (attack) and Michael Leo (midfield) were named First Team Preseason All-America, while John Mullen (faceoff) was named Second Team Preseason All-America. Luke Rhoa (midfield), Billy Dwan III (defense) and Jimmy McCool (goalie) earned Honorable Mention recognition.
Now a senior attackman, Joey Spallina enters the season ranked tied for ninth all-time at Syracuse with 246 points (108g, 138a) and is within striking distance of the program's all-time points record of 307 (Mike Powell 2001-04). The Mount Sinai, New Yorker led Syracuse last spring as a Second Team All-American with a career-best 90 points on 35 goals and a team-best 55 assists en route to Tewaaraton Nominee status.
The top producing midfielder for the Orange in 2025, Michael Leo also returns for his senior campaign after racking 32 goals and 12 assists for the team's third-most points at 44. Leo notched five man-up goals, tied for the second-most on the team a year ago. The Seaford, New York product was a USILA Third Team All-America pick last year and was a second team by Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse.
One of the top faceoff men in the country, John Mullen finished sixth in Division I with a 63.0 faceoff winning percentage. Mullen was the NCAA Statistical Champion for ground balls per game a year ago, hoovering nearly 10 per game (9.58) with a program-record 182 ground balls in a single season, nearly 20 clear of Sam Bassett's 164 (2000). A USILA Second Team All-American last spring, Mullen was also a threat off the draw, scoring five times with three assists for a career-best eight points. Mullen's success at the X helped the Orange offense as one of the most productive units in the country - Syracuse scored nearly 100 goals directly following a John Mullen faceoff win.
A two-handed threat out of Potomac, Maryland, Luke Rhoa was a USILA Honorable Mention All-America selection last spring after posting the third-most points for a Syracuse midfielder. Rhoa tallied 27 goals and six assists, including two game-winning goals. He added 13 ground balls as well.
A dynamic close defenseman, Billy Dwan III was an Honorable Mention All-American last year by both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse. A Tewaaraton Trophy Nominee as well, Dwan was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team. The Lutherville, Marylander was second on the team a year ago with 18 caused turnovers and fifth with 33 ground balls. Another threat on the run, Dwan notched three goals and one assist as he continued to climb up the program records for points by a defenseman.
Last spring, Jimmy McCool led the ACC in saves per game en route to ACC Goalie of the Year honors, turning aside 11.37 per outing and had the second-best save percentage in the league at 53.5. Matriculating from Boston, Massachusetts, McCool was named ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player after making 30 saves in the ACC Tournament at a 66.7 percent clip, backing the Orange to their first ACC title since 2016. McCool finished the year with 216 total saves while adding his first career point with an assist at Utah in early March 2025.
Syracuse opens the 2026 campaign on Sunday, February 1 with Boston University in the first official matchup between programs. Tickets are available at cuse.com/tickets.
Syracuse's six preseason honorees are the second-most across Division I, trailing only Maryland and Princeton with seven.
Joey Spallina (attack) and Michael Leo (midfield) were named First Team Preseason All-America, while John Mullen (faceoff) was named Second Team Preseason All-America. Luke Rhoa (midfield), Billy Dwan III (defense) and Jimmy McCool (goalie) earned Honorable Mention recognition.
Now a senior attackman, Joey Spallina enters the season ranked tied for ninth all-time at Syracuse with 246 points (108g, 138a) and is within striking distance of the program's all-time points record of 307 (Mike Powell 2001-04). The Mount Sinai, New Yorker led Syracuse last spring as a Second Team All-American with a career-best 90 points on 35 goals and a team-best 55 assists en route to Tewaaraton Nominee status.
The top producing midfielder for the Orange in 2025, Michael Leo also returns for his senior campaign after racking 32 goals and 12 assists for the team's third-most points at 44. Leo notched five man-up goals, tied for the second-most on the team a year ago. The Seaford, New York product was a USILA Third Team All-America pick last year and was a second team by Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse.
One of the top faceoff men in the country, John Mullen finished sixth in Division I with a 63.0 faceoff winning percentage. Mullen was the NCAA Statistical Champion for ground balls per game a year ago, hoovering nearly 10 per game (9.58) with a program-record 182 ground balls in a single season, nearly 20 clear of Sam Bassett's 164 (2000). A USILA Second Team All-American last spring, Mullen was also a threat off the draw, scoring five times with three assists for a career-best eight points. Mullen's success at the X helped the Orange offense as one of the most productive units in the country - Syracuse scored nearly 100 goals directly following a John Mullen faceoff win.
A two-handed threat out of Potomac, Maryland, Luke Rhoa was a USILA Honorable Mention All-America selection last spring after posting the third-most points for a Syracuse midfielder. Rhoa tallied 27 goals and six assists, including two game-winning goals. He added 13 ground balls as well.
A dynamic close defenseman, Billy Dwan III was an Honorable Mention All-American last year by both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse. A Tewaaraton Trophy Nominee as well, Dwan was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team. The Lutherville, Marylander was second on the team a year ago with 18 caused turnovers and fifth with 33 ground balls. Another threat on the run, Dwan notched three goals and one assist as he continued to climb up the program records for points by a defenseman.
Last spring, Jimmy McCool led the ACC in saves per game en route to ACC Goalie of the Year honors, turning aside 11.37 per outing and had the second-best save percentage in the league at 53.5. Matriculating from Boston, Massachusetts, McCool was named ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player after making 30 saves in the ACC Tournament at a 66.7 percent clip, backing the Orange to their first ACC title since 2016. McCool finished the year with 216 total saves while adding his first career point with an assist at Utah in early March 2025.
Syracuse opens the 2026 campaign on Sunday, February 1 with Boston University in the first official matchup between programs. Tickets are available at cuse.com/tickets.
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