No. 7 Syracuse men’s lacrosse opened ACC play with a statement win, holding off No. 4 Duke 16-15 on Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange (9-2, 1-0 ACC) handed the Blue Devils (8-1, 0-1 ACC) their first loss of the season behind a balanced offensive effort and timely stops late. Syracuse produced 16 goals with multiple contributors leading the way.
Joey Spallina paced the attack with six points on two goals and four assists while surpassing the 300-point mark for his career. Finn Thomson, Payton Anderson and Luke Rhoa each recorded hat tricks, giving Syracuse consistent scoring throughout the lineup.
Syracuse built its advantage through steady offensive execution, but Duke kept pace in a back-and-forth contest. The Orange relied on key defensive stands down the stretch to preserve the one-goal lead.
In net, Jimmy McCool made 11 saves, including several in critical moments as Duke pushed to equalize late. Syracuse’s defense held firm in the closing minutes to secure the conference-opening victory.
The win marked a strong start to ACC play for the Orange and reinforced their position among the nation’s top teams with a victory over a top-five opponent.
Syracuse returns to action Saturday, April 4, traveling to face North Carolina at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.