Syracuse's Season Ends in National Semifinals

Saturday, May 23

Charlottesville, Va.

2:30 p.m

Syracuse University

13-6, 2-2

#2/#3 Notre Dame

13-2, 3-1

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Syracuse	3	1	3	0	7
Notre Dame	4	3	2	6	15

5/23/2026 5:25:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

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The No. 6 seed Syracuse men's lacrosse team saw their season come to an end in the NCAA Semifinals, falling to No. 2 seed Notre Dame 15-7.

Syracuse (13-6) reached Championship Weekend for the second-straight season and the Orange's 13 victories ties for the most in a year since 2013.

Notre Dame (13-2) took control of the game early, with Syracuse pulling back to within one in the first half and two in the third, but the Fighting Irish's fourth-quarter surge pushed them to the National Championship game.

Finn Thomson tied a career-high with four goals, while Luke Rhoa (2-1), Payton Anderson (1-2) and Joey Spallina (0-2) added multi-point efforts. John Mullen won 14-of-24 faceoffs and Jimmy McCool made 11 saves in the loss. Syracuse won the faceoff and turnover battle, but extra-man opportunities proved to be a key factor, as Notre Dame tallied five extra-man goals while 'Cuse was 0-for-5 on its chances.

Notre Dame jumped out to a 4-0 lead early on goals from Brock Behrman and Will Angrick within the first five minutes of game play, before Max Busenkell added a tally with 5:15 left in the opening quarter. Two minutes later, Matt Jeffery found the back of the cage for the Irish.

Thomson took over to get 'Cuse going. He scored the Orange's first two goals of the day in the span of 56 seconds. The first came off a cross-crease pass from Spallina and on the ensuing possession he was setup by Rhoa. With seven seconds left in the first, Rhoa found the back of the net himself to pull 'Cuse back within one.

Teddy Lally broke the Orange's three-goal run just over four minutes into the second quarter. Busenkell then became the Irish's first multi-goal scorer of the day with just under eight minutes to go before halftime to up the lead back to three goals at 6-3.

Thomson made it a first-half hattrick with a nifty doorstep backhand. It is the fourth straight game that Thomson has 3+ goals. Anderson found him at the top of the crease – his second assist of the afternoon.

Josh Yago scored on an extra-man opportunity with 1:25 left in the half to send Notre Dame to the locker room with a 7-4 lead.

The Orange won the opening faceoff of the second half, which made Mullen 10-of-13 on the day. However after a save from Thomas Ricciardelli, Notre Dame gained an unsettled situation out of the sub game and Behrman made the Orange pay, upping their lead to 8-4.

Michael Leo thought ended a 13 minute Syracuse scoring drought, but a successful Notre Dame challenge ruled that Thomson's heel was in the crease on the pick that freed Leo. Dylan Faison scored on the other end to give the Fighting Irish a 9-4 lead.

Then the Orange got hot at the end of the third quarter. Spallina found Thomson on the doorstep again for his fourth of the day with four minutes left in the third. Rhoa added another just over a minute later to pull 'Cuse within three. Anderson's first goal of the day stung the top-right corner to pull the Orange back within two for the first time since early in the second quarter. The teams entered the fourth quarter with Notre Dame leading 9-7.

A crucial penalty opened the period as a full-time served two-minute penalty was called on Syracuse. Notre Dame capitalized with three extra-man goals. First, it was a behind-the-back goal from Brady Pokorny. Yago then scored from the left alley. Luke Miller capped off the run with another doorstep goal to extend the lead to 12-7 with 13:12 to go.

The Fighting Irish's Will Maheras then scored on a step-down shot from 10-yards out with 10:22 remaining, followed by a second tally from Miller with 6:12 left to push the lead to 14-7.

Anderson hit the pipe on the other end, before Yago scored his third of the afternoon to make it a 15-7 ballgame, which would be the final score.

Season tickets for the 2027 campaign are on sale now at Cuse.com/lacrosse-tickets, as Syracuse seeks its third-straight trip to Championship Weekend.