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The postseason is finally here. After a gauntlet schedule, Syracuse is gearing up for a monumental few weeks and is under immense pressure to win it all.

It has the talent to. Whether it executes is another story. SU has been inconsistent at times since February. It has big wins over then-No. 1 Maryland, then-No. 11 Johns Hopkins, then-No. 6 Duke and then-No. 13 Georgetown. It’s also lost to then-No. 7 Princeton, then-No. 2 North Carolina and most recently No. 1 Notre Dame. On paper, the losses aren’t concerning, but Syracuse will have to beat some of these teams if it wants to win it all.

The Orange will get another good test this weekend by taking on North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals. Three weeks ago, SU was beaten handily in Chapel Hill. Now, it gets a chance at revenge in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Here’s how our beat writers feel No. 6 Syracuse (11-4, 2-2 ACC) will fare against No. 5 North Carolina (11-3, 2-2 ACC):

Zak Wolf (13-2)
Carolina blues
Syracuse 11, North Carolina 14

Syracuse hasn’t given me any reason to trust it in a big game away from the JMA Wireless Dome all season. So I’ll pass on the Orange getting a chance to win their second straight ACC Tournament title. The first meeting between these two programs showed why North Carolina is a nightmare matchup for SU.

The Tar Heels always have a built-in possession advantage with Brady Wambach, the best faceoff specialist in the country. Per Lacrosse Reference, they’re averaging 9.2 more possessions per game than their opponents. John Mullen’s year-long slump and faceoff violation problem don’t spell good news for Syracuse. Wambach will dominate once again, and the lack of time with the ball will lead SU to force things on offense.

In big games, Syracuse’s defense has also been lackluster. The Orange give up a lot of shots — especially open ones — which is a problem against Dominic Pietramala, who lit them up for five goals earlier this month. Owen Duffy is also one of the best X attackmen in the country, and his dodging will give Syracuse headaches.

North Carolina is coming off a horrid 16-12 loss to then-No. 16 Duke and will be hungry to create momentum before the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse will also be keen, but UNC played much worse than SU last week.

When Syracuse arrived in Charlotte last year, it was desperate. The Orange flirted with the NCAA Tournament bubble and needed a win to guarantee more postseason lacrosse. Since they’re a lock this time, I don’t see the same results as last season. Once again, Syracuse will disappoint in a big game away from home.

Mauricio Palmar (11-4)
It’s turf.
Syracuse 14, North Carolina 12

Check the tagline. That’s about the only reason that I’m buying into Syracuse’s chances to win this one. No matter how badly it comes across, the truth is, North Carolina’s grass field did pose some issues for the Orange when they last faced off.

And had Syracuse head coach Gary Gait been given the opportunity to practice on UNC’s grass field beforehand, the outcome may have been different. It probably wouldn’t have been a five-goal loss.

SU hasn’t looked that far out of its depth in a game all year. I’m willing to bet that was an aberration, not a trend. Every single time the Orange have had a chance to play on turf, they have shown up ready to play. Even last week, in Notre Dame’s Arlotta Stadium, Syracuse put up one of its best halves of the year before faltering late in a 16-11 loss to ND.

In all honesty, I think that the advantageous playing conditions just made too many stars align for the Tar Heels when these teams last faced off. Jimmy McCool isn’t going to get benched in net again. Joey Spallina isn’t going to get held without a point for a third time this season. And the Orange aren’t going to go down without a fight on this turf.

If you asked me to make this pick about two weeks ago, I’d probably bet on the opposite outcome. But this isn’t Chapel Hill anymore, and these aren’t the same Tar Heels that smoked SU almost a month ago. Last week, Duke gave the Orange the blueprint to defeat UNC.

I think Syracuse has what it takes to follow it for four straight quarters.

Nicholas Alumkal (11-4)
No repeat, only repeat UNC possessions
Syracuse 10, North Carolina 13

Syracuse’s ACC Tournament triumph last year was unexpected. You’re telling me a team that lurched into the championship on three straight losses, their NCAA Tournament hopes falling like a hippo on a water slide, ran the table and were crowned kings in the Queen City? I would have called you crazy.

Despite entering this year’s tournament in slightly better form, there will be no repeat title for the Orange. That’s because they won’t win repeated possessions at the faceoff X.

Against North Carolina, that facet of the game is especially lopsided. Faceoff man Wambach is fourth in the nation with a 68.4% winning percentage. On SU’s side, John Mullen’s productivity has slipped from 63% last season to 52.6% in 2026. When the two teams clashed on April 4, Mullen only won a third of the draws.

Gait bemoaned Syracuse’s lost faceoffs for its loss at Notre Dame Saturday. When teams like the Fighting Irish — or the Tar Heels — have more possessions, it’s hard to keep up with their dynamic attacks.

As my fellow scribe Mauricio argued, Spallina will play better than he did last time versus UNC, and McCool won’t put in a benching-worthy performance. Yet, they can only do so much with the possession battle tilted like an elephant on a seesaw towards the Tar Heels.

The pendulum of this semifinal will hinge on how the Orange’s defense holds up. We know their offense can score in bunches when given the opportunity. But can SU’s backline survive like a lighthouse in a lightning storm when put under the cosh?

I see North Carolina doing just enough to get in behind Syracuse. The only repeat will be the faceoff wins on UNC’s side. And there won’t be a repeat title for the Orange.

Published on April 29, 2026 at 11:46 pm