#3 Orange Clipped at #2 North Carolina

Saturday, April 4

Chapel Hill, N.C.

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-3, 1-1

North Carolina

10-1, 1-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Syracuse	3	2	2	2	9
North Carolina	4	4	4	2	14

4/4/2026 4:51:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Tickets Highlights Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Third-ranked Syracuse University men's lacrosse had its six-game winning streak snapped Saturday afternoon at Dorrance Field as No. 2 North Carolina picked up a 14-9 conference win.

Syracuse (9-3, 1-1 ACC) was paced by a five-point performance by Michael Leo, who chipped in three goals and two assists. Luke Rhoa notched two goals while eight different 'Cuse players registered a point. Michael Ippoliti played the final 24 minutes in net for the Orange, making four saves and allowing just two goals.

North Carolina (10-1, 1-0 ACC) was led by a five-goal day by Dominic Pietramala, who shot at a 50-percent rate. Mason Szewczyk had two goals and two assists while Owen Duffy was held in check with a goal and two helpers. Josh Marcus made 15 saves in net for the Tar Heels while North Carolina won 17 of the 27 faceoffs.

How it Happened

Pietramala started the scoring for North Carolina, but the Orange answered with back-to-back goals from Hottle and Leo a minute apart for a 2-1 'Cuse lead. The Heels tied the game at 2-2 three minutes later before Tucker Kellogg bounced home a go-ahead goal for a 3-2 lead with 73 seconds left in the first quarter.
Carolina went on a 6-0 run over the next 15 minutes with six different goal scorers. Syracuse ended a 15 minute scoring drought as Leo found Thomson in transition on a broken UNC clear. Leo finished the half's scoring with 49 seconds left on a dish from Payton Anderson, cutting the Tar Heel lead to 8-5 at the break.
North Carolina doubled its lead again to 10-5 with the first two goals of the second half but it was an even game from that point. Syracuse found a three-goal spark, cutting the lead down to three with 9:03 left in the game. Greg Elijah-Brown scored on the man-up late in the third on a Leo dish. Four minutes into the fourth quarter, Leo completed the hat trick before Rhoa scored two and a half minutes later for a 12-9 Tar Heel advantage.
Two goals in a 30 second span from Brevin Wilson and Pietramala finalized the score 14-9.

Behind the Numbers

Shooting was close, with Carolina holding a 41-36 advantage. Syracuse out-shot the Heels 22-17 in the second half.
Sloppy play dictated the pace on Saturday as Syracuse had 15 miscues while the Tar Heels had 18, including 11 in the second half. Syracuse failed three clears while North Carolina could not convert four times.
Drew Angelo went three-for-six at the faceoff X for Syracuse, helping mitigate a strong day from UNC's Brady Wambach (16-26).

Up Next for Syracuse

The Orange return home for a pair of games, leading off with an ACC clash against Virginia on Saturday, April 11.
It's a tripleheader day at the Dome as Syracuse women's lacrosse team leads off against Notre Dame at noon.
The men's team follows with its 4 p.m. game against Virginia live on ESPNU for a third-straight game.
Syracuse football hosts its annual Spring Game at the JMA Wireless Dome following the men's lacrosse game.
At halftime of the men's lacrosse game, Syracuse will enshrine legendary head coach John Desko in the Ring of Honor at the Dome, highlighting his role in 11 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse National Championships, including five as a head coach alongside 265 career wins.
Tickets for the men's lacrosse game are available at Cuse.com/lacrosse-tickets