The Syracuse men’s lacrosse team fell to North Carolina 12-10 in the ACC Tournament semifinal on Friday night, surrendering a fourth-quarter lead at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The Orange (11-5, 2-2 ACC) carried a 9-7 advantage into the final period before the Tar Heels (12-3, 2-2 ACC) scored four straight goals to seize control and advance.
Syracuse controlled much of the first half, building a 6-4 lead at the break behind balanced scoring and strong play at the faceoff X. Luke Rhoa, Michael Leo and Finn Thomson each recorded hat tricks, while Joey Spallina directed the offense with four assists. The Orange extended the lead to 9-7 early in the fourth quarter, appearing poised to close out the win.
North Carolina responded with a decisive run fueled by extra-man opportunities and improved possession. Brevin Wilson sparked the surge, and the Tar Heels capitalized on penalties to even the score before adding two more goals behind timely saves from goaltender Josh Marcus. Owen Duffy orchestrated the comeback, finishing with a goal and six assists.
Despite a late push that included Leo’s third goal to cut the deficit to one, Syracuse could not regain control as North Carolina continued to win key faceoffs down the stretch.
The loss marks Syracuse’s second straight defeat entering postseason play, though the Orange remain in position to host an opening-round NCAA Tournament game.
Syracuse will await its NCAA Tournament placement when the bracket is announced on Sunday, with first-round action expected to begin the following weekend at a site to be determined.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].