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SALT LAKE CITY — It’s easy to respond to injuries by imploring a next-man-up mentality. Often lost in the age-old sentiment is that someone, usually a reserve, has to dig deeper than they ever have before to seamlessly fill their team’s void. That isn’t always possible. Some players are irreplaceable. Some backups aren’t ready to handle added responsibility.

Don’t tell that to Wyatt Hottle, though.

The sophomore midfielder was thrust into increased roles in each of Syracuse’s last two games. First, he started against then-No. 15 Harvard in place of midfielder Luke Rhoa, who was inactive in the Orange’s loss to the Crimson. Hottle didn’t contribute much. But due to midfielder Jackson Birtwistle’s season-ending injury, Hottle’s playing time remained consistent on the road versus Utah. And this time, the 5-foot-7 speedster made a colossal impact.

Hottle tallied two first-quarter goals and was a pest on defense throughout No. 11 SU’s (4-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 15-5 thrashing of Utah (1-4, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. In his 23rd NCAA game, Hottle registered his first multi-goal game with the Orange and set a career-high of three shots on goal, which also tied a team-high in Syracuse’s win over the Utes.

Hottle wasn’t too moved by his own triumphs, however. He’s simply focused on SU’s March 9 meeting with No. 6 Johns Hopkins — as humble as you’d think a next-man-up would act.

“It’s next-man-up mentality, and we’ve got to be ready to roll next week,” Hottle said postgame. “Exciting thing (for me) to be out there, obviously hanging out with everybody and playing. It’s an unreal experience. But we got to play unselfish, got to move the ball and just continue to grow from this game.”

A former top-100 class of 2023 recruit, per Inside Lacrosse, Hottle brought elite pedigree to Syracuse upon his arrival last season. He attended the prestigious Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland. There, he accumulated 60 goals and 52 assists while earning All-State honors in 2022-23 and receiving an All-American nod as a senior in 2023.

Hottle may not appear overly intimidating. But he’s no slouch.

That’s why he received solid playing time as a freshman in 2024. On a loaded roster, Hottle managed to add depth to the Orange’s midfield. He saw time in 17 of SU’s 18 games. He ended his debut campaign with one goal, one assist, three ground ball pickups and two caused turnovers.

He was a spark plug for Syracuse, entering games for brief spurts and flashing his quickness along with tenacious one-on-one defense. Hottle’s crowning achievement in his rookie year came against then-No. 4 Virginia on April 20, 2024, when he blazed through the Cavaliers’ back end in transition en route to scoring a crucial goal; the Orange went on to win that game 18-17.

This season, SU head coach Gary Gait has often deployed Hottle as one of his first midfield options off the bench. He only tallied one goal through the Orange’s first four games, which came in Syracuse’s season-opener against Jacksonville, before he nabbed an assist after getting the start versus Harvard on Feb. 22.

Hottle struggled to find room to rumble when he possessed the ball throughout SU’s loss to the Crimson. Those issues were widespread, though, as the Orange fell in disappointing fashion. They needed more consistency in materializing open looks and finishing them — objectives Gait harped on with his players prior to their road battle against Utah.

Three minutes and 59 seconds into Saturday’s contest, Hottle answered Gait’s call.

Following a failed clear by the Utes, Syracuse worked the ball to Hottle high on the right flank. Utah had enough time to set its defense. Yet, Hottle charged forward a few yards, then rapidly cut in-field to create separation between him and Utes midfielder Chase Robertson.

As Utah’s defenders locked in on their assignments in its man-to-man set, there was no help to fend off Hottle, who paved himself a clear shooting lane at goalie Colin Lenskold. Hottle, from 12 yards out from the cage, reared his stick back and fired an on-the-move lefty release that sizzled past Lenskold’s left shoulder and into the top-right shelf.

Hottle’s first shot packed a punch, setting the tone for the Orange’s scintillating first half. It was the first tally of a four-goal unanswered run by Syracuse to commence the game.

He created offense for himself again toward the back half of the first, this time from the left side. As SU led 5-1, Hottle worked on midfielder Tyler Schifko. He received a cross-field pass from Owen Hiltz before setting his feet to examine his options. Hottle’s choice? Attack.

A little hop, chopping of his feet and abrupt cut to the left allowed Hottle to scamper past Schifko, who couldn’t adjust to Hottle’s nimble movements. Hottle needed just 10 yards to create a one-on-one opportunity with Lenskold. He buried another lefty runner finish, placing his shot on the low, weak side of Lenskold to put the Orange up 6-1.

Hottle was the lone multi-goal scorer of the first quarter. That was the end of his offensive production. But he also aided Syracuse’s suffocating defensive performance, nailing each and every one of his midfield assignments by using his quick feet to never trail behind his man.

Gait’s wishes for the Orange to take greater advantage of their offensive chances came true Saturday, and Hottle’s the one who opened up the floodgates. His ability to generate high-percentage shot attempts was a refreshing sign for a team so dependent on displaying the spectacular.

“I think just moving the ball and taking the best opportunity, not the first opportunity,” Hottle said of what SU’s offense did well against Utah. “I think sometimes we were settling for the first shot and not the best shot. And so therefore, all week, I thought we did a great job of moving the ball around, getting it to our second dodge and not on our first, and just spinning the ball.”

Hottle has the right mentality. It might be tough to take him off the field because of it, especially if he keeps executing like he did in Salt Lake City.

Published on March 1, 2025 at 9:56 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews