Hempstead, New York, May 16, 2026, 15:09 (EDT)
With 9:46 left in the first quarter, North Carolina and Syracuse remained locked at 0-0 in Saturday’s NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinal, according to Inside Lacrosse’s live tracker. Whoever comes out on top gets a shot at the national championship game.
Intensity ramped up ahead of the opening faceoff. Notre Dame rolled past Johns Hopkins, 15-9, in game one of the Hempstead doubleheader, lining up a semifinal clash with whoever takes the North Carolina-Syracuse matchup at Championship Weekend.
This isn’t just another ACC showdown. North Carolina, seeded third, already owns two wins over Syracuse this season—14-9 in Chapel Hill, then 12-10 in the ACC Tournament semifinal down in Charlotte. Now, the Tar Heels are chasing a third straight victory that would finally send them back to the Final Four for the first time since 2021.
Syracuse’s task here was straightforward: don’t get swept this season. The Orange head into the quarterfinals at 12-5, No. 7 in the rankings according to the school, and this marks their third consecutive trip to this stage. They’re also aiming for something they haven’t pulled off since 2008-09—back-to-back Championship Weekend appearances.
The mood shifted around North Carolina last week. Dominic Pietramala poured in 10 goals as the Tar Heels crushed UAlbany 24-6 in the first round. According to the ACC box score, Carolina fired off 51 shots to UAlbany’s 28 and took 20 of 31 faceoffs—the draw at midfield that restarts play after goals and periods.
Syracuse squeezed past Yale, 16-15, leaning on two clutch saves from Jimmy McCool late. Coach Gary Gait summed it up: after squandering opportunities early, the Orange “settled in, relaxed and got rolling.” 247Sports
Midfield faceoffs present a critical battleground. Brady Wambach of North Carolina came into Saturday sitting third among all active Division I players, tallying 649 career faceoff wins. Syracuse’s John Mullen, per UNC’s game notes, had picked up 592.
Carolina faces another question mark. According to USA Lacrosse, Owen Duffy — UNC’s top scorer and a Tewaaraton finalist, the award recognizing college lacrosse’s best — sat out the UAlbany matchup due to injury. In net, senior Kent Goode got the nod, taking over for freshman Josh Marcus, who’d been the starter throughout the season.
Syracuse still leans on its venue track record, despite lacking recent success in the matchup. According to the school, the Orange entered Saturday with a spotless 6-0 mark in NCAA Tournament games at James M. Shuart Stadium, a run that includes last year’s 19-18 quarterfinal victory over Princeton at the same field.
North Carolina’s advantage feels sharper right now. The Tar Heels have taken seven of the past nine matchups, sweeping both 2026 contests. Even so, Syracuse maintains a 20-15 lead in the all-time series, according to USA Lacrosse.
North Carolina faces a familiar problem: in a third matchup, surprises tend to vanish. Syracuse knows the Tar Heels’ faceoff plans, Pietramala’s shot selection, and their closing tactics. As for UNC, the question is how much they trust Duffy this time, and if the recent goalie change can withstand a more intense quarterfinal.
