The Queen City proved to be an optimal place for fourth-seeded Syracuse men’s lacrosse (11-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to find royalty once again. The Orange edged third-seeded Duke (12-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) 9-8 down in Charlotte to clinch the program’s first conference championship in nine years.
So what changed just 15 calendar days after falling to the same Blue Devils squad on the road?
Defense.
It was the first time in nearly a month that Syracuse held an opponent to single-digit scoring. The victory marked the Orange’s 86th consecutive win when keeping opponents under 10 goals.
After a bad end to the regular season, No. 4 @CuseMLAX turned things around in the ACC Championship, defeating No. 3 @DukeMLAX 9-8 for the conference title.@BurgessLuke03 and @SamuelReisTV had the call from American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/wpv9fFVNVp
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“The emphasis the last three weeks has been really trying to get better at ground balls,” SU head coach Gary Gait said. “Today, they all did a great job.”
The fourth-year coach singled out defensemen Michael Grace, Billy Dwan III, and Riley Figueiras in his postgame remarks. The trio combined for eight ground balls and four caused turnovers, contributing to Syracuse’s fewest goals-allowed total since last year’s regular-season matchup against Duke.
Among a game filled with playmakers, none shined brighter than Syracuse goalkeeper Jimmy McCool. Fresh off earning the ACC Goalie of the Year award, the redshirt sophomore capped an outstanding weekend—with 10 saves in the final.
While he didn’t make a dramatic, buzzer-beating save, McCool stood firm on Duke’s final rush.
“I saw them run at us, get a good shot, miss, and we won. I’m happy,” the typically reserved McCool said, prompting smirks and laughter from teammates Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz.
“We have a pretty decent goalie,” Spallina said jokingly, referring to McCool, who was named the ACC tournament’s most outstanding player after stopping 30 of 50 shots faced over the weekend.
On offense, Owen Hiltz sparked the attack with two goals, including the game’s opening score. Spallina added one goal and two assists, while freshman Payton Anderson delivered two crucial goals in the second half.
“[Payton’s] had opportunities all year and has done a really good job,” Gait said. “He came in today and made some plays.”
The standout moment? Anderson’s deking, diving beeline to the cage, which resulted in Syracuse’s game-winning ninth goal.
After a maneuver through the Blue Devil defense, @CuseMLAX attackman Payton Anderson notched his second goal of the game.@SamuelReisTV recounted the score for the freshman.
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“It was one of our best team games of the year, where every position, every player contributed and made the difference today,” Gait said.
Notably, it was the first time this season Syracuse won without scoring at least 12 goals. Entering Sunday, the Orange had lost four straight in that category, dating back to 2023.
Looking ahead, Syracuse will get another rematch with a familiar foe. The No. 6 Orange welcome in Harvard (10-4, 4-3 Ivy League) for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. SU’s two-win ACC tournament was enough to be awarded home turf. Sunday’s contest from the JMA Wireless Dome starts at 5 p.m., with WAER’s McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Faceoff live at 4:30.