Orange Close out ACC Slate on Saturday at Carolina

#1 SYRACUSE at #17 North Carolina
Game Details	Saturday, April 17 \| Fetzer Field \| 4 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats TV: ESPNU \| ACC Network Extra Listen: Cuse.com \| TK99/105 \| Syracuse IMG Sports Network \| WAER Twitter: @CuseMLAX Instagram: @CuseMLAX Facebook: /CuseMLAX
Syracuse Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes
Carolina Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes

TODAY'S GAME
- Syracuse looks to win the ACC regular season title and lock up the number one seed in the ACC Tournament with a win over UNC. 'Cuse can finish no lower than the No. 3 seed regardless of outcome.
- The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Anish Shroff and Quint Kessenich on the call. Brian Higgins and Kyle Fetterly will call the game on TK99/105 and Cuse.TV, with WAER also broadcasting the action.

THE NORTH CAROLINA SERIES
- This will be the 23rd meeting between the two programs, with Syracuse controlling a 15-7 record all-time against North Carolina.
- The Orange has won three straight against the Tar Heels, and eight of the last ten matchups between the two sides. Head coach John Desko holds a 4-1 record against North Carolina.
- Syracuse won last season's regular season matchup against the Tar Heels, 13-7. The Orange jumped out to an 8-2 halftime lead and held off a third-quarter charge from North Carolina for the victory. Sergio Salcido and Nick Mariano led the way with three goals each, while Salcido also added two assists.
- The two sides also faced off in last year's ACC Semifinals, with the Orange again capturing the win, 10-7. Holding North Carolina scoreless throughout the entirety of the first and third quarters, Evan Molloy totaled 14 saves for the game. Nick Mariano (1 g, 3 a) and Sergio Salcido (1 g, 2 a) led the way again.

POLL POINTS
- Syracuse enters the week having jumped to No. 1 in both the Nike/USILA Coaches poll and the Lacrosse Maverik Media poll.
- Syracuse has appeared in 62 consecutive USILA polls. The last time the Orange were not ranked was April 30, 2012. u
- Overall, Syracuse has been ranked in 202 of the 205 USILA polls that have been released since 2000 and 420 of the 449 polls since the USILA began its national rankings in 1973. u
- The Orange appeared in 273 straight USILA polls from April 10, 1978 to April 30, 2007.

A WIN AGAINST NORTH CAROLINA WOULD …
… Be the program's 892nd victory, second all-time behind Johns Hopkins.
… Improve SU's record to 46-14 since the start of the 2014 season.
… Give John Desko his 233rd career coaching win, sixth among active Division I coaches.
… Extend Syracuse's current winning streak to eight straight.

ACC FINALE
- The Orange holds a perfect 3-0 record heading into its regular season conference-finale. Sitting atop the ACC, a victory over North Carolina would clinch the regular season conference title. u
- Since joining the ACC for the 2014 season, the Orange is 9-7 overall against conference foes in regular season matchups and 14-8 overall, including ACC Tournament play. - In each of the last two seasons, the Orange has finished 2-2 in regular season conference play before going on to win the ACC Tournament title.

WHEN #1
- The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has been ranked atop the USILA Poll 97 times, nearly 22-percent of the time in the poll's history.
- Syracuse has been No. 1 in 97 polls since 1973. uThe Orange is 117-23 (.836) in games when holding the nation's top ranking, including a 50-11 (.820) record under head coach John Desko.
- Since the 2013-14 season, Syracuse's men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's cross country, men's soccer and field hockey teams have all spent time as No. 1 in their respective polls.

THE PHANTOM
- In all Syracuse's 11 games this season, defender Scott Firman has seen the opposing team's primary offensive weapon.
- Attackmen that Firman has face average 3.71 points per game this season.
- However, facing Firman, these attackmen average 2.00 points per game.
- They average 3.89 points per game in games they haven't seen Firman.

MASTERS OF THE MAN-UP
- Syracuse currently ranks second in the nation in man-up offense (.552), thanks in part to a 5-for-5 game against Hobart in extra-man opportunities.
- Nick Mariano led the way with three man-up goals against Hobart, and currently sits 12th nationally with five man-up scores on the season.

CARDIAC 'CUSE
- Prior to the six-goal victory against Hobart, Syracuse played in seven-straight one goal games, the longest streak in the 101-year history of the program.
- 'Cuse has recorded four-or-more straight one-goal games in 2017, 2013, 2008, 2002 and 1919. Prior to this season, the last-three times Syracuse has recorded four-or-more one goal games, they played for a National Championship in that season. In total, the program record for one-goal games happened in 2013, when the team tallied 10. The seven one-goal decisions this season sit alone for the second most all-time at SU.

ORANGE LEAD THE NATION IN ONE-GOAL GAMES
- Syracuse leads the country with seven one-goal games and sports a 6-1 record in such contests. The only other team with that many games decided by one goal is Virginia, who is 4-3 in such matchups, including a loss to the Orange.
- As of April 12, 84 Division I games have been decided by one goal. Syracuse (6-1), Army (3-0), Johns Hopkins (2-1), Towson (2-1), Boston (2-1), Furman (2-1), and Hobart (2-1) are the only teams with only one (or less) loss(es) that have played at least three such contests.

DESKO CLOSING IN ON 500 SU WINS
- A win on Saturday would be head coach John Desko's 497th win as a member of the Syracuse lacrosse program, including his time as a player and assistant coach.
- In four years as a player, Desko played in 35 wins. He won 229 games in 19 years as an assistant coach under Roy Simmons Jr. and currently has 232 wins in his 19th year as head coach.
- Desko has the third-most wins as an Orange head coach, behind Roy Simmons Jr. (290) and Roy Simmons Sr. (253).

BEST START SINCE '90
- With its victory over Cornell, the Orange tied its best start in nearly three decades.
- Since the 1990 team went 13-0 and won the NCAA title, Syracuse has started 9-1 on seven different occasions including this year.
- The Orange also started 9-1 in 1992, 1994, 2000, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

FIRMAN WITH CLASS
- Syracuse senior captain Scott Firman is one of the Senior CLASS Award's 10 finalists for the award.
- The award, which is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages athletes to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
- The 10 finalists' names will be on the official ballot. Firman's inclusion marks the third-straight season that a member of the Orange was a finalist for the award, following Kevin Rice (2015) and Dylan Donahue (2016).

Orange Close out ACC Slate on Saturday at Carolina

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dylan Donahue

Scott Firman

Nick Mariano

Evan Molloy

Sergio Salcido

Syracuse University Athletics