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teven Brooks remembers staring in the bathroom mirror prior to an early-season bout against Army in 2008 while applying eye black to his face. Brooks peered to his left and watched as then-freshman goalie John Galloway dipped his hands into a plastic bag filled with dirt and smeared it on his face.

Brooks didn’t know it at the time, but it was something Galloway used to do with his teammates at West Genesee High School in New York.

Brooks loved it. He thought it gave Galloway a much-needed edge as he dealt with the pressure of being SU’s starting goalie one season after it missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly three decades. The dirt-smearing tactic weirdly made Brooks confident in Galloway.

“I was kind of like, ‘OK, you got a screw loose, I like that,’” Brooks said. “‘There’s something about you that makes you a competitor. And now, with a screw loose, you can be something great.’”

Brooks was right. Galloway did end up being great. Arguably the greatest of all time. Galloway’s name is painted all over Syracuse’s record books, and his accolades are almost too hard to count. In his freshman and sophomore seasons from 2008-09, Galloway helped Syracuse win back-to-back National Championships. He finished his career as the winningest goalie in NCAA history (59) while becoming a two-time All-American and Tewaaraton Award finalist in 2011 — the second goalie ever to do so.

Fourteen years after his last game in the then-Carrier Dome, Galloway returns for the first time Saturday as Jacksonville University’s head coach. JU takes on Syracuse in the 2025 season-opener as Galloway — amid his ninth season at the helm — looks to spearhead an upset over the program where he once starred.

“I recognize that there will be some emotions to it, just like there is with any first game,” Galloway said. “But then you add the obvious factors of my hometown, my alma mater, being back there for the first time, it’ll certainly be a mix of emotion.”

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Growing up 15 minutes away, Galloway frequently attended Syracuse games. SU was headlined by brothers Casey, Ryan and Mike Powell, but Galloway kept his eyes on goalies like Rob Mulligan and Jay Pfeifer. Like most lacrosse players from central New York, Galloway imagined what it’d be like to play for Syracuse. While he was in 11th grade, former SU head coach John Desko started recruiting him.

When Galloway arrived at Syracuse in 2007, the program was arguably at its lowest point after missing the postseason for the first time since 1982. The Orange’s defense was leaky, and their goalies saved 51% of the shots they faced.

In the fall, there was a goalie competition between Galloway, sophomore Al Cavalieri and Pete Coluccini, who’d started every game the two seasons prior. Galloway used his elite clearing to separate himself. Joel White, who was part of Galloway’s 2007 recruiting class, said Galloway’s mindset was simple: Goalies are supposed to save the ball, so he separated himself with his outlet-passing game.

White said Galloway spent more time playing wall ball than any goalie he’d ever seen. His refined touch made 70-to-80-yard passes look routine, which grabbed Desko and then-goalie coach Kevin Donahue’s attention.

Donahue would set up trash cans at the corners of midfield after practice for Galloway to throw passes into. Brooks often heard loud “dings,” signaling Galloway either hit the target or was just off.

“Rarely do you get a high school defender or goalie coming in that just has a great command of the field. And John had that pretty quickly,” Desko said.

Galloway’s clearing earned him the starting job. When he stepped on the field in his debut against Villanova, he described it as “going to a movie you never thought you’d act in.”

The honeymoon didn’t last long. Galloway allowed 14 goals in an overtime loss to then-No. 3 Virginia. Two games later against then-No. 4 Johns Hopkins, he let 13 in with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and SU trailing by three. Galloway stopped the bleeding, pitching a shutout the rest of the way, as the Orange came back to win in overtime.

“I remember that game thinking, ‘Oh wow, I got some stuff to learn,’” Galloway said.

The confidence in Galloway never wavered, per Brooks. He wasn’t afraid to criticize veteran defenders in practice, demanding cleaner execution. It garnered a sense of respect from the upperclassmen, and Galloway never wavered in big moments, especially in the 2008 National Championship against Johns Hopkins.

In the semifinal, Galloway had a mediocre performance in regulation but produced two stops in the first overtime before Mike LaVelle’s game-winner in double overtime. Another heavyweight bout ensued versus Johns Hopkins, led by Paul Rabil, one of the best lacrosse players ever.

Brooks warned Galloway that Rabil shot low whenever he was running to his left. When Galloway allowed two early goals from Rabil, Brooks unleashed a profanity-laced rant to the goalie during a defensive huddle. The comments didn’t phase Galloway. They’d been talking to each other like that all season, demanding the best out of themselves.

“The next two shots (Rabil) took were high, so good thing I didn’t listen to Steve,” Galloway said.

Rabil scored six goals, though Galloway got the last laugh as Syracuse won 13-10. It was a dream freshman season for Galloway, yet that didn’t mean he could rest on his laurels.

John Galloway finished his career as the winningest goalie in NCAA history. Courtesy of SU Athletics

As a sophomore, Galloway admitted he was far from his peak and endured some roadblocks. He singled out a poor performance in a loss against Princeton.

When he returned to campus, Galloway picked up a copy of The Daily Orange’s latest issue. One of the headlines read, “Big City Bummer: Shaky goalie play leads to SU’s 2nd loss.” The article lambasted Galloway for his poor goalkeeping, getting outplayed by Princeton freshman Tyler Fiorito.

Galloway stuffed the paper in his bag and kept it there for the rest of the season. Syracuse didn’t lose a game from there, as Galloway helped it to a second-straight title, defeating Cornell 10-9 in the final.

“When lacrosse matters at an institution like Syracuse, it’s great when you’re winning, but it stinks when you’re losing,” Galloway said. “I think there is a very high expectation there, and that’s what drives you.”

Despite back-to-back national titles, complacency never set in for Galloway, who worked tirelessly with Donahue ahead of his junior season. They emphasized hip mobility and not taking full steps while remaining patient. The two often broke down film in Donahue’s office, making sure Galloway’s technique didn’t have holes.

There weren’t many over the next two seasons. As a junior, he led the nation with 7.16 goals allowed per game and ranked third with a 59.5% save percentage. In his final collegiate season, he allowed a career-best 6.9 goals per game and saved 57.2% of the shots he faced. He earned the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Award — given to the nation’s best goalie — in two straight seasons.

“I don’t know if there was another goalie I would trade for him,” Donahue said.

During that time, Galloway was a complete goalie. Rather than clearing through the defense, Desko entrusted him to make the right decision.

Once Galloway saved a shot, it was off to the races for White, a long-stick defensive midfielder. His mentality was, “Get the heck open because John could find you.”

White streaked up the middle of the field, and if he was open, Galloway hit him in stride. If not, Galloway looked elsewhere while players ran routes like wide receivers, systemically picking teams apart as if he were Tom Brady.

“Anybody that would watch the game, especially a coach, would say, ‘Oh my God, that’s maybe the best clearing goalie I’ve ever seen,’” Desko said.

JoJo Marasco, who played with Galloway from 2010-11, recalled a matchup with No. 1 Notre Dame in 2011. With less than 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Galloway tossed a perfectly placed ball from the 20-yard line to Marasco at the five on the other end. Marasco curled around the net and found Scott Loy for a goal in a game the Orange won 11-8.

“It was basically watching Wayne Gretzky on the ice, or watching Kobe Bryant, just like the aura and swag he had out there,” Marasco said.

The only thing missing was another National Championship. During his junior and senior seasons, the Orange suffered two upset defeats.

First came a shocking loss to Army in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which was considered one of the biggest upsets in lacrosse history. Galloway felt the team lost focus and wasn’t ready to win a title. He took ownership and ensured SU’s attention to detail during his senior season was razor-sharp.

The Orange were a buzzsaw in 2011. Galloway was at his peak, and SU was the best team in the country, with one loss heading into the NCAA Quarterfinal against Maryland. At the time, there was no shot clock in place, so the Terrapins often held the ball for minutes. The tactic worked, and Syracuse fell 6-5, with Galloway surrendering a goal to Grant Catalino in overtime.

The loss still burns Galloway to this day. It was an abrupt end to an illustrious career. After four years, Galloway finished as the gold standard for goalkeeping at Syracuse. He came in as a teenager living out a childhood dream and left with his name in the pantheon of Syracuse greats.

Galloway didn’t wow crowds with the flashiness of Syracuse legends like Gary and Paul Gait or the Powells. Instead, he bored people with how easy he made goalkeeping look. One thing is certain: Galloway will always be remembered as a Syracuse icon.

“He put it in place for the future for any goalie that ever wants to play at Syracuse, you have to look up and you want to strive to be like John Galloway,” Marasco said.

Photograph courtesy of SU Athletics

Published on January 29, 2025 at 10:39 pm

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