Syracuse men’s lacrosse earned a wire-to-wire victory on Friday, defeating No. 6 Notre Dame, 14-12, in the ACC semifinals at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The win pushes the No. 12 Orange (10-5) into their first ACC championship game since 2016.
Syracuse set the tone early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in under five minutes thanks to goals from Owen Hiltz, Billy Dwan III, and Luke Rhoa. Despite a few pushes from the Fighting Irish, the Orange never relinquished the lead.
Hiltz starred with a five-goal, one-assist performance, including his 60th consecutive game with a point. Greg Elijah-Brown and Rhoa added two goals apiece, while Joey Spallina led the team with three assists. John Mullen dominated at the faceoff X, going 21-for-26, and Jimmy McCool anchored the defense with a career-high 20 saves.
A second-quarter surge, including three goals in just 21 seconds, gave Syracuse a commanding 8-4 lead. Although Notre Dame battled back, the Orange defense stepped up, holding the Irish scoreless for nearly 16 minutes through the third and fourth quarters.
Syracuse also won the faceoff battle decisively, 21-8, and for the second time this season, limited ACC Offensive Player of the Year Chris Kavanaugh to just two goals.
The Orange will play for the ACC title on Sunday at noon, awaiting the winner of North Carolina vs. Duke.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].