3-seed Syracuse men’s lacrosse battles 2-seed North Carolina in ACC Championship Semifinals

With the regular season all wrapped up, 3rd-seeded No. 6 Syracuse men’s lacrosse (11-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) turns its attention to the ACC Championship down in Charlotte. SU has a bout against 2nd-seeded No. 5 North Carolina (11-3, 2-2 ACC) this Friday. Both teams dropped their regular-season finales to ACC opponents last weekend, and the Orange fell to the Tar Heels 14-9 about four weeks ago.

Down in South Bend, the 'Cuse fell to No. 1 Notre Dame 16-11 in a game that the ‘Cuse led 9-8 at the half.

"We lacked the possessions, and when we did get the possessions, we gave the ball back with turnovers, and it’s a tough way to win if you can’t maintain the ball and make plays,” SU head coach Gary Gait said of the second half.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels got upset by No. 11 Duke 16-12 at home.

Now, the last time these two teams played, North Carolina dominated at the faceoff dot. UNC’s faceoff specialist Brady Wambach won 16 out of 26, which is just above 60 percent.

"They had the advantage there and I think that was a big difference in the game," Gait said.

Also, Wambach was named the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.

Also, SU attackman Joey Spallina was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. Spallina led the conference in points with 71 and assists with 41. But in that game against the Tar Heels, the senior was held pointless for just the fourth time in his career.

“When he got the ball, they slid and doubled so there wasn’t much he could do with the ball in his stick,” Gait said of Spallina after the loss to the Tar Heels. “They made it tough on him so he couldn't be a feeder and did a good job”.

Ahead of Friday’s clash with the Tar Heels, Gait addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon.

"We'll change up the offense a little bit, and come at them a different way, and hopefully that should provide more opportunities for [Spallina],” he said.

Meanwhile, on the other side, North Carolina attackmen Dominic Pietramala and Owen Duffy are the two to keep an ear out for. In the regular season matchup, Pietramala scored five goals, while Duffy finished with a goal and two assists. At the season's end, Pietramala leads the team in goals with 41, and Duffy is number one on the Tar Heels in points with 61 and assists with 33. Those numbers led to the two standouts being named to the All-ACC Men’s Lacrosse team this season.

Outside of just the X’s and O’s, there’s an added wrinkle to the ACC championship this year for Syracuse: the Orange are the reigning champs.

“We get to accept the challenge and we are fired up about it, excited, and you’re going to see some great execution, energy, and enthusiasm for being there because this is why we play: for the postseason, and this is the first opportunity and we are looking forward to it,” Gait said.

The last time the Orange won back-to-back ACC championships was in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels’ most recent ACC championship was in 2017. Plus, the winner of this matchup would take on the winner of the top-seeded No. 1 Notre Dame and 4th seeded No. 8 Virginia on Sunday afternoon.

Cuse.com

All told, you can find out if Syracuse can defeat North Carolina down in Charlotte Friday at 8:00. Tune into WAER’s coverage that begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Faceoff at 7:30, which will be live right here on waer.org or turn that dial to 88.3 FM.