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A few weeks ago, Syracuse had the chance to cement itself in the top of college lacrosse. A 10-4 win over then-No. 4 Duke was followed by a 13-7 win over Hobart, giving the Orange their fifth straight victory. Syracuse then traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to face No. 1 Notre Dame. The Orange battled but fell 14-12 to the Fighting Irish.

Three days later, Syracuse had a chance to bounce back against then-No. 13 Cornell. It jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first quarter and led 16-12 in the third. Yet, SU collapsed down the stretch and fell 18-17 in double overtime. It was Syracuse’s third overtime loss of the season and the first time all year it’s lost two straight games.

Standing in between Syracuse and a third straight defeat is North Carolina. SU has beaten UNC just twice since 2019, including two one-goal defeats.

Here’s everything to know about North Carolina (6-5, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) ahead of its matchup with No. 7 Syracuse (9-4, 1-1 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 19-12.

Last time they played…

Then-No. 18 Syracuse defeated then-No. 12 North Carolina 15-14 on April 15, 2023, in Olney, Maryland. The Orange trailed 11-10 in the third quarter, but three straight goals from Griffin Cook, Alex Simmons and Joey Spallina put SU in front.

UNC fought back to tie the game with under a minute left before Michael Leo’s goal with 12 seconds left won the game for Syracuse. Spallina, Cole Kirst and Owen Hiltz all registered four points in the win, while Will Mark registered 13 saves.

The Tar Heels report

With five NCAA championships, North Carolina is known as one of the premier college lacrosse programs in the country. But in recent years, the Tar Heels have struggled. After making each tournament from 2007-17, North Carolina has made the postseason just once (2021) since. In 2023, the Tar Heels finished 7-7 for the first time since 2018 and though there’s been some improvement this season, UNC is still hovering around .500.

After a 2-2 start, North Carolina rattled off three straight wins, including a 13-9 victory over then-No. 17 Penn. Since then, the Tar Heels have lost three straight with two one-goal losses to High Point and Army before a blowout loss to No. 2 Virginia.

North Carolina is last in the ACC in goals per game with just 13. The Tar Heels attack isn’t as deep as the rest of those in the ACC. Their top three goal scorers — Owen Duffy, Logan McGovern and Dominic Pietramala — account for 52% of their goals this season. According to Lacrosse Reference, the Tar Heels have the 38th most efficient offense in the country and their 27% shooting rate ranks 56th.

Cindy Zhang | Digital Design Director

How Syracuse beats North Carolina

Late in the first quarter of Syracuse’s game against Cornell, offensive coordinator and associate head coach Pat March was ejected after arguing a potential offsides call. Per NCAA rules, March’s ejection warrants a one-game suspension, meaning he won’t be on the sidelines Saturday. March is the mastermind behind SU’s attack and his absence will be a big blow.

Late against the Big Red, March’s void couldn’t be more clear. Eight turnovers across the fourth quarter and overtime periods allowed Cornell to creep back into the game.

Syracuse can’t afford the same mistakes against North Carolina. The Orange have displayed explosive runs throughout this season, but extended droughts have also come back to bite them. If SU wants to leave Chapel Hill with a win, limiting turnovers and executing its offense will be key.

Stat to know: 63.3%

North Carolina leads the ACC and is second in the country in faceoff percentage, winning 63.3% of its matchups at the X. Led by freshman Brady Wambach, faceoffs have been one of the only strong points for the Tar Heels this season. Wambach is fourth in the country in faceoff percentage (62.6%), including a 16-for-29 performance against Army’s All-American Will Coletti.

Wambach is joined by graduate student Andrew Tyeryar, who has been UNC’s main faceoff since 2021. Tyeryar’s 102 attempts in 2024 brings his career total to 896, and his 62.7% winning percentage is a career-high mark.

Player to watch: Owen Duffy, attack, No. 8

Duffy was the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, per Inside Lacrosse, recording 147 points in his last two seasons at St. Anthony’s (New York). Duffy has made an instant impact with the Tar Heels, leading them in points (49) and goals (29) while ranking second in assists (20).

After being held scoreless in UNC’s season-opener against Mercer, Duffy has multiple points in every game since. Duffy’s marquee performance came against Hofstra on March 8, where he recorded nine points (four goals, five assists) in a 21-9 win.

Published on April 10, 2024 at 11:51 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22