Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

After its one-goal loss against then-No. 4 Cornell, Syracuse suffered a three-game losing streak for the second time this season. Last Saturday, the Orange were unable to turn around their previous struggles, falling on a last-second goal by UNC’s Chris Gray.

Now, SU will finish under .500 for the first time since 2007, losing its postseason hopes in the process. It will return to the Carrier Dome to play against No. 6 Virginia, which defeated the Orange in Charlottesville, Virginia, 20-11 earlier this season, and is coming off a 21-9 win over Quinnipiac.

Here’s what our beat writers predict when Syracuse (4-8, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) faces Virginia (9-3, 4-1):

Alex Cirino (6-6)
Nothing to lose
Syracuse 17, Virginia 14

Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes are now nonexistent after its one-goal loss to the Tar Heels, and the Orange have just two games left this season, both at home against teams that blew them out earlier this season. The first of those is No. 6 Virginia, which handed Syracuse a nine-goal loss in Charlottesville in late February. The Cavaliers have dropped four spots since then, having lost two of their last four games.

While SU has dropped its last four games, two of them have been within a goal, which included an overtime loss to then-No. 4 Cornell. And with the Orange back at home, they can surely deliver another offensive outpour against a Virginia side they upset twice a season ago, including a 20-10 victory at the Dome. With nothing on the line and only the 2023 season to now look forward to, expect Syracuse to take it to the Cavaliers and snap its longest losing streak in 16 years.

Roshan Fernandez (7-5)
Syracuse is due
Syracuse 15, Virginia 14

The Orange, for the most part, have just had problems finishing out close games. They’ve shown they’re capable of keeping up with some of the nation’s best teams, like the overtime loss to Cornell. Syracuse lost in the last 15 seconds to No. 15 North Carolina, too.

I think SU is due for a big win. It had a very slow start in the first game against UVA, trailing 8-1 at the end of the first quarter. The Orange fought back but ultimately gave up another run during the third quarter that lost them the game. Syracuse, for some reason, looks like an entirely different team when it plays at home, especially as of late. Both Cornell and UNC made clutch game-winning plays in the last two games, but this time, I think it’ll be Syracuse’s Tucker Dordevic or Brendan Curry who has the last word.

Anish Vasudevan (7-5)
Past the end
Virginia 17, Syracuse 11

Last season, Syracuse upset Virginia twice, the highlight of an otherwise mediocre year that ended with the team only one game over .500 at the end of the season. Roster changes, John Desko’s retirement and Gary Gait’s hire were supposed to create a revitalized team in 2022, but injuries have prevented SU from reaching its full potential.

At the beginning of the season, the Orange weren’t able to bring their momentum from 2021 into their first matchup against the Cavaliers, losing 20-11. They only scored three goals in the first and fourth periods combined, with Dordevic finding the back of the net just once. Now, SU has already secured a sub-.500 finish to the year, with a four-game losing streak for the first time this season. Even if Dordevic gets going, or Bobby Gavin makes some key saves, the magic from Syracuse’s upset over Duke has completely vanished. And on Saturday, the result from earlier this season will most likely be the same again.

Published on April 20, 2022 at 9:36 pm