Everything to know before No. 6 Syracuse’s matchup with No. 9 Virginia
After a five-goal defeat on the grass at No. 1 North Carolina, No. 6 Syracuse returns to the JMA Wireless Dome to host No. 9 Virginia Saturday. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse was dealt its first setback in over a month when it convincingly fell 14-9 at No. 1 North Carolina Saturday. The result showed the Orange weren’t ready to announce themselves as the frontrunner for the national title in a season with lofty expectations. It also proved SU wasn’t ready to play on grass.
“It’s tough to replicate a grass field,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said postgame. “(We) saw it throughout the game. The ball was jumping and popping, and it’s tough when there’s just nowhere to practice on grass, so you just show up and you try and make the plays and do your best.”
The exciting news for the Orange is they return to the turf of the JMA Wireless Dome this weekend against Virginia, which has sprung out to a 2-0 start in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Cavaliers notably ended an inconceivable 22-year regular-season losing run against Duke Saturday with a 14-10 win.
Here’s everything you need to know about No. 9 Virginia (7-4, 2-0 ACC) before its conference clash with No. 6 Syracuse (9-3, 1-1 ACC) Saturday:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 22-21.
Last time they played
Syracuse escaped with a 12-10 win on grass at Virginia’s Klöckner Stadium last year. The win was an averted disaster for SU against the ACC bottom-feeder Cavaliers. But it nearly didn’t happen. The Orange trailed 5-1 with the first quarter winding down.
Enter Payton Anderson. He scored in the dying embers of the opening frame and tacked on two total goals. Michael Leo also pitched in a hat trick, alongside Owen Hiltz. SU was behind 10-9 with less than half the fourth quarter to play, but it scored the final three goals to eke out the victory.
Syracuse’s faceoff unit hindered the team’s performance. John Mullen recorded his worst winning percentage (40.9%) of the season, but the Orange overcame his dud to beat UVA.
The Cavaliers report
Coming off a last-place finish in the ACC and missing the conference and NCAA Tournament, Virginia seemed headed in the same direction in the early days of the season. The Cavaliers were throttled 18-12 at Richmond in their second game of the season. Then, UVA bottled an 11-4 second-half lead against Johns Hopkins, falling inconceivably 14-13.
The nadir was yet to come. Virginia lost to Towson 13-9 on March 7 and then-No. 10 Maryland, which has had an off-color season of its own, 13-12 in triple overtime. Not good.
However, the Cavaliers have reversed the narrative and razed the negativity with two wins in ACC play after losing all four games in 2025. The first came by scoring the lone two goals in the fourth quarter to pull out an 11-9 win over then-No. 1 Notre Dame. They then ended their 22-year drought against the Blue Devils Saturday. The pair of wins catapulted Virginia from being unranked to the top 10.
The force spearheading UVA is McCabe Millon, who has entered the Tewaaraton conversation with the second-most assists per game in the nation at 3.09 and the sixth-most points per contest with 4.91. His younger brother, freshman Brendan Millon, matches the tally.
The Cavaliers also excel at forcing turnovers, averaging 11.91 takeaways per game, third in the country.
How Syracuse beats Virginia
The Orange were humbled in Chapel Hill. Maybe it was the grass. Maybe it was the buzzsaw that is North Carolina. Maybe they were just due for an off day after a six-game winning run.
Whatever it was, SU can’t afford to be off against a surging Virginia team. Success for Syracuse begins with its offense returning to form. The Orange sported a porous .250 shooting percentage against the Tar Heels. Their attacking weapons — namely Joey Spallina, who was held pointless for only the fourth time in his collegiate career — need to hold the keys to the offense and help unpick the Cavaliers.
With the Millon brothers leading UVA’s offense, Syracuse’s defense needs to show its lockdown capabilities as well as its ability to snuff out the high-paced, at times chaotic Cavalier offense. They may be dizzied and drained, but that’ll be what it takes to defeat Virginia.
Stat to know: 37.36
Syracuse continues a gauntlet of ground ball goliaths against Virginia. Duke, which SU beat on March 28, is fifth nationally. UNC is second. UVA slots in at fourth, averaging 37.36 pick-ups per game.
The Orange? They wallow in 41st, scooping up 29.92 per contest. In a likely tight game, each possession will be valuable, and grabbing ground balls could swing the pendulum.
Player to watch: McCabe Millon, attack, No. 9
McCabe, the No. 2 recruit in the 2024 class, per Inside Lacrosse, has lived up to his ranking since arriving in Charlottesville. In Virginia’s 2024 Final Four run, he scored 41 goals in 18 games.
His production dipped last season with only 23 goals and 27 assists in 14 games as UVA missed the tournament. Normal service has resumed this campaign: he’s poured in 20 goals and 34 assists.
The Reisterstown, Maryland, native isn’t alone, though. He’s followed by his brother, freshman Brendan, attack Truitt Sunderland and Ryan Colsey, the son of Syracuse legend Roy Colsey.
