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Syracuse men’s lacrosse (11-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) rose seven spots to No. 5 in the Week 13 Inside Lacrosse Poll, which was released Monday. It’s the Orange’s first ranking increase since April 7 after it defeated then-No. 5 Notre Dame 14-9.

SU’s jump comes after it won the ACC Tournament championship Sunday for the first time since 2016. It earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it’ll play Harvard Sunday.

Syracuse, which entered the conference tournament on the heels of three straight losses, beat No. 1 seed Notre Dame 14-12 Friday in the semifinal. Goalie Jimmy McCool recorded a career-high 20 saves to guide the Orange over the Fighting Irish for the second time this season.

SU’s man-down unit was also impressive, holding ND to 0-for-4 on man-up opportunities to start the matchup. At the faceoff X, SU’s John Mullen posted an exceptional 21-for-26 line. Owen Hiltz led the way on offense, logging five goals.

In the ACC title game Sunday, Syracuse snuck past No. 3 seed Duke 9-8. The Orange avenged their April 19 11-7 loss to the Blue Devils with a gritty defensive performance. Duke had a chance to level the score in the final seconds when attack Eric Malever missed a wide open shot from just left of the goal. Mullen was again terrific, winning 13-of-17 faceoffs.

Entering the ACC Tournament, Syracuse was ranked No. 11 in the rating percentage index, outside the top 10 automatic qualifying spots for the 18-team tournament. Yet, the Orange boosted their resume and seeding by winning the ACC Tournament.

Now, SU prepares for a rematch with Harvard in the first round, which it lost to 15-14 in shocking fashion on Feb. 22. If it defeats the Crimson, the Orange will face either No. 3 seed Princeton or Towson in Hempstead, New York.

Published on May 5, 2025 at 9:52 am
Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal