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No one’s safe in the Atlantic Coast Conference. There are five teams in the ACC, and all of them could beat each other on any given day. That’s the magic of college lacrosse.

There isn’t a squad on the planet that exemplifies that more than Virginia. Within the span of a month, the Cavaliers went from being squarely out of the playoff picture to being on the doorstep of an at-large bid. They’ve already knocked off Notre Dame and Duke and now roll into the JMA Wireless Dome to take on a Syracuse squad coming off a loss to North Carolina.

If the Orange can get a win, they’ll effectively seal their spot in the NCAA Tournament. If Virginia wins, it’ll drastically change the dynamics of power in the ACC and push the Cavaliers from a fringe contender to a bona fide top-tier conference team.

Here’s how our beat writers think No. 6 Syracuse (9-3, 1-1 ACC) will fare against No. 9 Virginia (7-4, 2-0 ACC) Saturday:

Zak Wolf (10-2)
Instant classic Pt. 2
Syracuse 16, Virginia 15 (OT)

Two years ago, before Syracuse’s regular-season finale versus Virginia, I predicted SU to win 17-16. My prediction tagline was “Instant classic.” The game finished 18-17 and was certainly that. So, in the teams’ first meeting in the Dome since then, why can’t we get a part two?

Syracuse versus Virginia is one of the quintessential lacrosse games. Both are known for their fast pace and, at times, chaotic styles. It makes for pure entertainment, and Saturday won’t be any different. Virginia will be a trendy pick for neutrals due to its huge wins over then-No. 1 Notre Dame and then-No. 8 Duke, which has boosted its postseason hopes. McCabe Millon is trying to put himself in the Tewaaraton Award conversation, totaling 54 points, while his freshman brother, Brendan, has matched that total.

Offense wasn’t UVA’s issue in the first half of the year. Defense was. Graduate student Jake Marek has steadied the ship with a 58% save percentage during the Cavaliers’ win streak. Despite Marek’s recent stretch, playing in the Dome is a different animal, and Marek will get swallowed up.

Syracuse’s defense has struggled against teams with multiple dynamic dodgers, and the Millon brothers will be a handful. Despite my reservations about the unit, just like the Duke game, SU will get enough stops, and its offense will catch fire to continue Syracuse’s home undefeated streak.

Mauricio Palmar (9-3)
Dome-field advantage
Syracuse 15, Virginia 14

If this were at Klöckner, I’m taking the Cavaliers. No doubt about it.

There are few teams in the nation riding hotter than Virginia right about now. About a month ago, the Cavaliers’ season was on life-support after they choked a five-goal halftime advantage against Johns Hopkins. On the back of Hunter Chauvette’s heroics, the Blue Jays ripped off a six-goal run late to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Social media was ready to relitigate Lars Tiffany’s tenure. On X, lacrosse accounts began positing the idea that Tiffany’s success was only due to Connor Shellenberger, and without him, Tiffany was — ironically — a shell of himself. Similar narratives emerged calling Tiffany a “Sean Kirwan merchant,” solely crediting the Cavaliers’ offensive prowess to the former Virginia offensive coordinator, who’s now Dartmouth’s head coach.

Is Lars Tiffany a Sean Kirwan merchant?

Lars Tiffany with Sean Kirwan:
• 73.9% win percentage
• 4 Final Fours
• 2 NCAA Championships

Lars Tiffany without Sean Kirwan:
• 57.7% win percentage
• 1 Final Four (Shelly’s senior year)
• 0 NCAA Championships pic.twitter.com/niFKfEUnW8

— doogs (@d00gs) March 4, 2026

The times have shifted a tad since then. The Cavaliers — with consecutive wins over Notre Dame and Duke — have resurrected their chances at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid and somehow find themselves back in the top 10.

On Virginia’s day, it could beat just about any team in the country. But no team has its day in the JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse is undefeated at home this season. The Dome, packed with thousands of raucous spectators decked out in Orange gear on a weekly basis, is an environment that’s impossible to replicate.

Grass is pretty hard to replicate for SU, too, in all fairness. At least Gait seems to think so. But the Orange won’t have to worry about that when the Cavaliers come to town.

Nicholas Alumkal (8-4)
Tough return home for Tiffany
Syracuse 16, Virginia 15

I’ve spent the last couple weeks reporting a feature story on Tiffany, Virginia’s head coach. He grew up in the shadow of the Dome, surrounded by Syracuse lacrosse and interwoven with the Onondaga, who created the sport. He became the first white man to play for the Iroquois Nationals, now the Haudenosaunee Nationals, and he served as the head coach of the team at the 2023 world championships.

He’s an amazing person and coach with a remarkable story — a welcome, ebullient, affable figure in the sport. However, on his return home to Syracuse, he’ll leave with a loss.

My prediction is more about Syracuse being in desperation mode than Virginia’s weaknesses. In the climate-controlled conditions of the Dome, coming off their loss on the grass in Chapel Hill last week, the Orange won’t let their form spiral. Sure, the Cavaliers are on a roll, winning their first two ACC contests, but SU will be more desperate for a win.

Joey Spallina, held pointless last week, will have an edge in playing a larger role in Syracuse’s offense this week. John Mullen, who had his worst day at the faceoff dot this year on Saturday, will rebound against UVA’s middling faceoff group. The Orange will thrive in the fast-paced, hand-brake off style Virginia plays, which Tiffany grew up playing in upstate New York alongside many Native players.

Like my fellow scribes, I expect a tremendous, down-to-the-wire game. Goals will fly in like Iowa hail. The game will see-saw, but Syracuse will earn its second ACC win and end UVA’s perfect start to conference play.

Published on April 8, 2026 at 10:53 pm