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Gary Gait knows every game remaining on Syracuse’s schedule is a must-win. He knew the pressure was on for Saturday’s contest against No. 11 UNC in Olney, Maryland. The season would be over with a loss. The NCAA Tournament would still be in play with a win.

So with the game tied at 14, 1:08 left and the ball with Syracuse, the stakes were raised even more than usual.

During Syracuse’s timeout, offensive coordinator Pat March set up a play for the left side of the field. Syracuse ran its screens, but swung the ball to Michael Leo, isolated on the right side. As March yelled at Leo to “go, just go,” the freshman dodged on long-stick, senior defenseman Matt Wright before cutting back inside to score on a low, diving shot with only 12 seconds left. It lifted the Orange (8-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast), winless against UNC (7-5, 1-3) since 2019, to a 15-14 win — their biggest victory of the season.

“We’ve been hoping this would happen all year,” Gait said postgame. “We’ve come up short a few times, but today they answered the bell and made plays when they needed to, time after time.”

Unlike in late-February, when the Tar Heels poured in 19 goals and left Syracuse with a six-goal victory, the Orange played like they needed a win on Saturday. They initially struggled to win face-offs and clear successfully, lucky to enter halftime only down two. But they improved in the second half, and a burst — fueled by Cole Kirst and Joey Spallina’s five combined goals — arrived. With the win, so, too, did SU.
“I think now people can start to see that we’re legit and we can compete with anyone,” Leo said.

The last time it faced North Carolina, Syracuse struggled to win ground balls (36-22, UNC) and face-offs (19-16). Goalie Will Mark had a strong game, notching 17 saves, but UNC’s 50 shots were simply too much — even with the Orange recording the second-most efficient offensive performance any North Carolina opponent had all season.

Despite that six-goal loss, though, Syracuse uncovered a recipe for scoring against UNC’s defense which few others had. Through 11 games, only Duke and Virginia have hit double-digit goals against the Tar Heels, who have the nation’s most efficient defense per LacrosseReference. SU has now topped that mark twice against Carolina.

Face off and ground ball struggles diminished Syracuse’s chances again on Saturday, but SU’s attack took advantage of the ones it got. Midway through the first quarter, Simmons drew two defenders, and dished left to Finn Thomson, who dropped his stick low for the goal. Minutes later, Syracuse took its first lead of the afternoon when Kirst fed Griffin Cook, who launched a shot into the top shelf.

Once faceoffs, ground balls and a few penalties did tilt the Orange’s way in the third quarter, they made their move. Owen Hiltz dodged down the right wing and drew a slide, leading to a crossfield pass to Kirst, who slotted one low and in to make it 7-6, UNC. Four minutes later, Cook sped down the wing and hit Jackson Birtwhistle right in front of goal, tying the game. Then, Leo put Syracuse on top with a diving shot. The 5-1 run forced a Carolina timeout.

The Tar Heels, meanwhile, needed over eight minutes to even register a shot in the third quarter. The Orange adjusted out of halftime, running more players to the ball during clear attempts, and Jack Fine improved at the face-off X after an abysmal first half. That allowed Syracuse’s offense — the 5th-most efficient unit in the country, per LacrosseReference — to go to work.

The Tar Heels recovered, though, ripping off three goals in 40 seconds to retake the lead late in the third quarter. The window where Syracuse has seemingly collapsed and lost its games throughout this season appeared to have arrived.

But it hadn’t. SU answered with three straight goals, the last of which came from its star freshman. Spallina backed his defender down and slipped into the crease for a 12-11 Syracuse lead. He notched another goal minutes later, and with UNC stepping off him after a screen, stepped into a shot and “hammered” it into the top shelf.

“There were plenty of opportunities today when we could’ve packed it in,” Gait said. “Instead, we responded and fought back.”

Then, the ball sat on the turf, waiting to be scooped up after a faceoff. Finally, Brandon Aviles scooped it into his stick, looking to go all the way. His roaring shot past Colin Krieg made it 14-12 with 6:17 to go. UNC, however, answered with back-to-back goals from Griffin Gallagher and Dewey Egan.
Last week, when SU took down No. 15 Princeton on the road, it won the face-off and ground ball battles against the Tigers, ending a 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents that stretched back to last season.

But any momentum Syracuse had at the X evaporated in the humid Maryland air on Saturday. Tyeryar won six of his seven faceoffs in the first quarter, with SU, trying to get something going, splitting between Fine (0-for-4) and Johnny Richuissa (1-for-3). Syracuse’s defense labored as the losses piled up, with hands on hips, and sweat dripping onto the turf. Fine ultimately finished 7-for-22, and Richuissa just 3-for-10.

Mark, per usual, did what he could, recording 13 saves on 27 shots on goal. The Tar Heels notched 14 more shots than Syracuse, but Mark stood his ground. He made two huge saves at the end of the third quarter, including one on a buzzer-beating shot from James Matan.

Then, Mark denied Harry Wellford with 1:57 left, setting up SU’s final possession. Krieg stopped Spallina’s shot, but Hiltz raced to the corner of the field so Syracuse could keep the ball.

And with the ball in his stick on the right wing, and open grass beckoning him to goal, Leo — SU’s seventh-best goal scorer — made the play of the game. Spallina, who rooms with Leo in Syracuse and on the road, watched as UNC opted not to slide and the midfielder lifted a “weight off our shoulders.”

“There was a ton of pressure on us — it was a must-win game,” Gait said. “We felt it was a playoff game, essentially, and they came through and pulled it out.”

Published on April 15, 2023 at 6:35 pm

Contact Connor: [email protected] | @csmith17_