'Cuse and Carolina Square Off on Saturday

Saturday, April 17

Syracuse, NY

3 PM

Syracuse University

North Carolina

4/16/2021 2:50:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Desko Press Conference Quinn Interview Desko on Packer and Durham Porter Interview Phaup Interview

#9 SYRACUSE VS #5 NORTH CAROLINA
Game Details	Saturday, April 17 \| Syracuse, N.Y. \| 3 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats Watch: ACCN Listen: Cuse.com \| TK99/105 \| Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College TuneIn \| WAER Twitter: @CuseMLAX Instagram: @CuseMLAX Facebook: /CuseMLAX Game Program: Digital program
Syracuse Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes
UNC Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Game Notes

THE GAME
- Syracuse looks even its record in league play on Saturday, hosting North Carolina in what's scheduled as the Dome finale this season.
- The game will be broadcast on ACCN with Chris Cotter (PxP) and Paul Carcaterra '97 (analyst) on the call. Brian Higgins '04 (PxP) and Kyle Fetterly '09 (analyst) will broadcast the action on TK99/105, Cuse.com and the TuneIn App, while WAER will also carry the game.

FULL HOUSE
- Saturday's game is the first men's lacrosse game with the general public allowed back in the building and second overall, following last Saturday's women's lacrosse game. Prior to that, it'd been 405 days since non-students had been allowed in as spectators for any event.
- A limited number of tickets were made available with predetermined seats to ensure proper social distancing and all patrons in attendance have been required to either be fully inoculated (two weeks post final vaccine shot) or met the outlined testing requirements and provide documentation upon entry.
- All available tickets sold out the weekend they went on sale and a capacity crowd within COVID guidelines is expected. There are no day of game sales. Fans attending with any questions regarding our COVID testing policy should utilize the following links: Reopening protocol | FAQs

SENIOR SALUTE
- Saturday's game will serve as Senior Day in the Dome. 18 Orange seniors (16 players and two managers) will be honored. As in year's past, walking in senior day is NOT a precursor to a player playing in their final home game, as some of the players walking still have eligibility remaining should they choose to use it.
- The players partaking in Senior Day festivities will be: Brett Barlow, Jacob Buttermore, Peter Dearth, Nick DiPietro, Nate Garlow, Nate McPeak, Grant Murphy, Jonathan Partamian, Drake Porter, Stephen Rehfuss, Sam Schluter, Spencer Small, Jerry Staats, Jamie Trimboli, Danny Varello, Mitch Wykoff.
- Team managers Jesse Altmeyer and James Rodgers will also be honored for their years of service to the program.

THE CAROLINA SERIES
- This is the 28th meeting between 'Cuse and Carolina, and the first since 2019.
- Syracuse owns the all-time series 18-9 and has won six of the last eight matchups. UNC was victorious last time they met though, defeating the Orange in the first round of the 2019 ACC Tournament.
- Four of the last five meetings have been one-goal thrillers. In 2017, Paolo Ciferri knotted the game late so Sergio Salcido could win it in OT at Fetzer Field in the 2017 regular season. The teams met in the 2017 ACC Tournament as well, where Carolina led by nine at halftime before the Orange came roaring back with eight unanswered in the third quarter, but fell short 16-15. Last time Carolina visited the Dome in 2018, Brendan Curry scored twice in the final 1:34 to erase a two-goal deficit and then assisted Brendan Bomberry's overtime winner. Finally, after a lackluster regular season meeting in 2019 when the Orange won by three, Carolina defeated the Orange in the ACC first round 11-10 at Dorrance Field.

EFFICIENCY IS KEY
- Stephen Rehfuss enters Saturday's game as one-of-three players nationally to be shooting over 50-percent and also have 20+ goals on the year. Rehfuss has 20 goals on 40 shots this season (.500 pct.).
- Maryland's Dylan Maltz (27 goals/.628 shot pct.) and Richmond's Dalton Young (20 goals/.500 shot pct.) are the only other two players to do so this year.
- Brendan Bomberry is the last Syracuse player to score 20+ goals and have a shooting percentage over 50-percent. In 2017, he scored 28 goals while shooting .509.
- As a team, Syracuse ranks 11th nationally in shooting percentage (.334).

A WIN AGAINST CAROLINA WOULD...
- Be the program's 923rd victory, second all-time behind Johns Hopkins.
- Move head coach John Desko past Tony Seaman (263) for sole possession of 15th on the NCAA Division I wins list.
- Improve Syracuse to 2-2 in league play this season and extend their record to 18-11 in conference games since joining the ACC in 2014. That record is the best among any ACC programs.
- Be the 528th win Desko has been part of at Syracuse, including his time as a player, assistant and head coach. Only 18 NCAA Division I programs have more total wins as a program than Desko has been on the Orange sideline for.