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Syracuse dropped its second straight game Saturday, falling 11-7 at No. 9 Duke. The Orange tied their lowest goal total under head coach Gary Gait, going scoreless in the first and third quarters. They also committed a season-high 18 turnovers, five of which led to Duke goals, while Eric Malever torched SU for a career-high five goals.

Syracuse now closes the regular season at the JMA Wireless Dome against North Carolina. After finishing last in the Atlantic Coast Conference a year ago, the Tar Heels have surged, powered by the nation’s second-best faceoff rate (.646) and a dynamic sophomore duo — Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala — who’ve combined for 67 goals (41.6% of UNC’s total).

UNC is coming off a 12-6 loss to Notre Dame, squandering a 4-0 start and giving up the final seven goals. Both teams enter Saturday needing a win to build postseason momentum. With a win, SU clinches the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. A loss drops the Orange to No. 3, while a UNC win locks them into the No. 2 spot.

Here’s how our beat writers feel No. 11 Syracuse (9-4, 2-1 ACC) will fare against No. 5 North Carolina (9-3, 2-1 ACC) in its regular-season finale:

Cooper Andrews (9-4)
Womp Womp
Syracuse 11, North Carolina 13

The Orange’s letdown in Durham last weekend doesn’t make me very confident in them going forward. This year’s Duke squad isn’t that great. It might not even make the NCAA Tournament when it’s all said and done. Yet, Syracuse couldn’t take care of business. The same problems that have plagued SU in the past reappeared to doom it again.

Those issues — a lagging offense when Joey Spallina isn’t doing everything, horrible first and third-quarter starts and allowing the opposition’s top attack to go ballistic — will all be on full display this Saturday when North Carolina beats Syracuse in the confines of its home stadium.

It’s hard to pick which of Pietramala or Duffy will demolish SU’s long poles this weekend. But I’m going to lean toward Pietramala — the son of current UNC defensive coordinator and former Syracuse assistant Dave Pietramala. His 3.08 goals per game rank ninth in the country. I think he’ll drop at least five on the Orange, akin to CJ Kirst and Eric Malever’s recent performances versus SU’s back end.

Allowing one scorer to dominate the game has been a recurring problem for Syracuse’s defense, while on the other end, it hasn’t gotten its own top attacks going. If guys like Owen Hiltz, Luke Rhoa and Michael Leo can contribute solid efforts to take some of the weight off Spallina’s shoulders, then maybe SU has a chance. But I don’t envision the Orange bucking any of the poor trends they’ve set for themselves.

Zak Wolf (9-4)
Dome Sweet Dome
Syracuse 13, North Carolina 11

I’m the last person you should trust when picking this team right now. I’ve been wrong the last three weeks, but just like the Orange, I’m going to get back on track with this one. This game isn’t necessarily a must-win for Syracuse, but a victory would likely guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament. A loss would leave its fate up in the air, but it won’t come to that.

The biggest thing for me is that SU’s back at home. The Orange are a completely different team in the JMA Wireless Dome, with just one home loss this season. The pressure will be on, but I think Syracuse’s big stars will deliver. Spallina is going to have a monster day and spearhead a much more polished offensive outing. Hiltz, after being held quiet with one goal against Duke, will come alive. Syracuse’s attacking depth will be a major factor. Duffy and Pietramala are a lot to handle, but nobody else has more than 20 goals for UNC.

That lack of firepower will allow defensive coordinator John Odierna to concoct a cohesive game plan. Last week, the Tar Heels scored only two goals after the first quarter, while Syracuse goalie Jimmy McCool is coming off a 15-save performance against Duke. Those two factors are why I’m leaning toward the Orange coming out with a win.

Nicholas Alumkal (8-5)
Tar Heel Takedown
Syracuse 11, North Carolina 10

Sam English has never lost to a brother in college. Syracuse’s sixth-year midfielder is 3-0 against younger brother Brooks at Johns Hopkins and Ty at North Carolina. That winning streak will stay intact when the Orange escape with a win over the Tar Heels Saturday.

Sam, a do-it-all midfielder for the Orange, will get the better of Ty, who excelled as an offensive mid in UNC’s resurgent season. A title fight within this heavyweight clash also appears at the faceoff X. North Carolina’s Brady Wambach has the fourth-best winning percentage in Division I at .653, while Mullen slots in at seventh with a .632 clip. However, Mullen, who’s had off days in SU’s two recent road losses, returns to the familiar, turf-covered and climate-controlled confines of the Dome, where he’s posted an incredible 69.6% winning percentage this season.

UNC’s superb sophomore attacks Duffy and Pietramala are a tough assignment for the Orange and will get their goals. But, the Tar Heels’ lack of scoring diversity, on top of an expected stifling defense game plan by Odierna, will allow Syracuse’s offense — back at near-full strength thanks to Finn Thomson’s return from injury — to expose North Carolina’s backline.

It’ll be a wafer-thin margin, but SU will do just enough to secure the No. 1 Seed in the ACC Tournament and for Sam to retain the bragging rights over his younger brother, Ty.

Published on April 23, 2025 at 11:35 pm