The No. 10/11 Syracuse men’s lacrosse team nearly erased a six-goal deficit but ultimately dropped a 14-12 decision to No. 8/8 North Carolina in its regular-season finale on Saturday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Joey Spallina and Sam English led the Orange (9-5, 2-2 ACC) with five points each, while Jimmy McCool made 16 saves in goal. Owen Hiltz, Michael Leo, and Finn Thomson each scored twice for Syracuse, which staged a furious late rally that fell just short.
After a strong start and an early 4-2 lead, Syracuse struggled late in the first half as UNC closed the second quarter on a four-goal run to take a 6-4 halftime advantage. The Tar Heels (10-3, 3-1 ACC) were powered by Dominic Pietramala’s six goals and seven points, their largest offensive output of the season.
Despite trailing by six late in the fourth quarter, Syracuse mounted a 4-0 run in the final minutes, sparked by English and capped by a Hiltz goal that made it 14-12. The Orange appeared to score again with 37 seconds left but the goal was disallowed, and UNC held on.
Syracuse next faces Notre Dame in the ACC semifinals on May 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].