The Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team dropped a 16-11 decision to the top-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, closing out the regular season. No. 5 Syracuse finished 11-4 overall and 2-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, while No. 1 Notre Dame improved to 10-1 and 3-1 in conference action.
The Orange stayed within reach through a tightly contested first half before the Irish pulled away after the break. Payton Anderson led the offense with four goals, while Joey Spallina added three goals and one assist. In net, Jimmy McCool turned in a strong performance with 18 saves to keep Syracuse competitive throughout.
After a back-and-forth opening quarter, Syracuse gained momentum in the second, converting twice on man-up opportunities and outscoring Notre Dame 5-3 in the period. That surge gave the Orange a slim 8-7 advantage at halftime behind balanced scoring and improved execution offensively.
The turning point came in the third quarter, when Notre Dame seized control with a 5-2 run. The Irish capitalized on possessions and created separation, flipping a one-goal deficit into a multi-goal lead heading into the final quarter. Syracuse briefly trimmed the margin early in the fourth, but Notre Dame responded with another push to extend the gap and secure the win.
Syracuse will return to action on Friday, May 1, when it faces North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals. Faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.