Opponent Preview: Here’s what to know about No. 8 UNC
After two straight losses, No. 11 Syracuse concludes its regular season at home against No. 5 North Carolina. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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As it enters the final stretch of the regular season, Syracuse is out of form. The Orange lost their last two games, snapping a six-game winning streak. First, it fell 17-12 to No. 1 Cornell, where SU had no response to Tewaaraton frontrunner CJ Kirst, who tallied five goals and three assists. The Big Red’s Ryan Goldstein also poured in eight points on three goals and five assists.
With a chance to rebound at No. 9 Duke Saturday, the Orange’s offense didn’t show up. They scored seven goals — tied for the lowest tally in fourth-year head coach Gary Gait’s tenure — in an 11-7 defeat to the Blue Devils. Nonetheless, SU is still likely in the NCAA Tournament field, according to Lacrosse Reference.
Syracuse can boost its resume and clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament No. 1 seed with a victory in its regular-season finale versus No. 8 North Carolina Saturday. UNC, for its part, hasn’t reached the Tournament since 2021 and is experiencing a resurgent season.
Here’s everything to know about the No. 8 Tar Heels (9-3, 2-1 ACC) before their matchup with No. 11 Syracuse (9-4, 2-1 ACC) Saturday:
All-time Series
Syracuse leads 20-12.
Last they played…
Last season’s meeting between the two squads was a game of runs. Then-No. 7 Syracuse survived a five-goal UNC burst in the final 20 minutes to escape Chapel Hill with a 10-9 win. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first nine minutes, but SU scored 10 of the next 11 goals to build a comfortable lead it nearly squandered.
The Orange got over the line with help from goalie Will Mark’s .591 save percentage and Joey Spallina’s five assists and one goal. The victory got the Orange back on track following its 18-17 double-overtime loss at Cornell, where they frittered away a 16-10 third-quarter lead.
Cole Ross | Digital Design Director
The Tar Heels Report
North Carolina is experiencing its best season since 2021, when it reached the Final Four. It lost starting goalie Collin Krieg and attack Logan McGovern, who tied for a team-high with 54 points, but otherwise, UNC brought back the heart of its roster.
Legendary basketball coach Al McGuire’s famed quote — “the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores” — applies to the Tar Heels’ sophomore attacking duo of Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala, who’ve combined for 67 goals and 89 points. Sophomore faceoff man Brady Wambach has also pitched in, spearheading a .653 winning percentage, which is fourth in Division I.
In net, the Tar Heels have had a fine replacement in Princeton graduate transfer Michael Gianforcaro. The goalie was on the Tewaaraton watchlist last year and is in the top 30 for save percentage (.529) this campaign. Another piece playing a bigger role is midfielder Ty English, Syracuse midfielder Sam English’s brother. Ty has played more offensively and is third on North Carolina with 19 goals, scoring in 11 of its 12 games.
UNC has the 11th-best scoring offense nationally, but it especially thrives on defense, with the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation. The Tar Heels don’t have many weak points, but one is their man-down defense, slotting in as the 13th-worst in D-I. Another vulnerable area is its 16.17 turnovers per game.
How Syracuse beats North Carolina
SU’s issues in its recent two losses were uncharacteristic. Against Cornell, SU’s man-down unit let in four goals, dropping the then-20th-ranked unit to 33rd. Versus Duke, Syracuse had 18 turnovers, a category they’d previously led with just 12.58 giveaways per game.
The Orange need to fix both areas to get back on track and defeat North Carolina. They also must slow down Duffy and Pietramala. Syracuse defensive coordinator John Odierna drew up masterful defensive game plans to limit then-No. 5 Notre Dame’s potent offense, but the Orange’s backline has struggled in their last two losses.
If SU can limit the duo’s production and have consistent offensive finishing of its own, it can end its slide and gain momentum heading into the ACC Tournament.
Stat to Know: 69.6
Another deciding factor Saturday will come at the faceoff X. Syracuse’s faceoff man John Mullen has cooled off from his red-hot stretch, going a combined 28-for-50 in his last two games away from the JMA Wireless Dome. However, the Dome is Mullen’s home, going 128-for-184 (69.6%) in the building this season, compared to 61-for-115 (53.0%) on the road. Alongside him, UNC’s Wambach is fourth in D-I faceoff winning percentage and has been consistent, only recording a sub-.500 winning percentage twice.
Player to Watch: Owen Duffy, No. 8, attack
Even with North Carolina finishing last in the ACC standings last season, Duffy’s freshman year performance was a silver lining. In 12 games, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023 scored 32 goals, added 22 assists and earned All-ACC honors.
The East Quogue, New York, native continues to boost the Tar Heels in their terrific 2024-25 campaign, tallying 36 goals and 32 assists in 15 games thus far. An evasive dodger with better footwork than ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, Duffy can work from X or in front of the goal and unlock defenses with his chameleon-eyed passes or dagger-quick finishes — like a fencer striking with a paintbrush, equal parts art and precision.
