Charlotte, NC – In a game that felt like a redemption song, the No. 4 seed Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team delivered a masterclass in resilience, toppling the No. 1 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish 14-12 in a ACC Tournament semifinal on Friday night at American Legion Memorial Stadium. With their season teetering on the edge and a three-game losing streak haunting their steps, the Orange played with the desperation of a team with nothing to lose—and everything to gain.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Syracuse, a program steeped in lacrosse lore but searching for its first ACC title since 2016, reminded the college lacrosse world why it remains a perennial powerhouse. The victory all but secures an NCAA Tournament berth and propels the Orange into Sunday’s ACC Championship game against Duke, a rematch of a regular-season heartbreaker.
A Season on the Brink
Syracuse entered Charlotte as a team on the ropes. After a scintillating 14-9 win over Notre Dame on April 5 at the JMA Wireless Dome—highlighted by a 9-0 run and a five-point outburst from All-ACC attack Joey Spallina—the Orange stumbled. Losses to No. 1 Cornell, No. 12 Duke, and No. 8 North Carolina exposed cracks in their armor, dropping them to No. 12 in the national polls and onto the NCAA Tournament bubble.
What unfolded under the Charlotte lights was the most complete performance of Syracuse’s season—a game that married relentless offense, suffocating defense, and a faceoff clinic that tilted the field in their favor.
Hiltz and McCool: The Heroes of the Night
Junior attack Owen Hiltz, a name already etched in Syracuse’s offensive pantheon, erupted for a season-high five goals, each one a dagger to Notre Dame’s championship aspirations. From his opening strike off a John Mullen faceoff win to his fifth goal—a curling finish that sealed Syracuse’s lead late—Hiltz was unstoppable. His performance was a reminder of why he led the ACC in goals this season, blending finesse with ferocity.
But the game’s true hero stood between the pipes. Senior goalkeeper Jimmy McCool, the ACC’s goalie of the year, turned in a career-defining performance, making 20 saves on 32 shots. His nine stops in the fourth quarter alone were a masterclass in clutch play, none bigger than his point-blank denial of Notre Dame’s Devan McLane on a 6-on-4 man-up chance in the third. McCool’s save sparked a transition goal by Finn Thomson, pushing Syracuse’s lead to 11-8 and igniting the Orange faithful in the stands.
Mullen’s Mastery at the X
If Hiltz and McCool were the stars, faceoff specialist John Mullen was the unsung catalyst. The senior went 21-of-26 at the faceoff X, outdueling Notre Dame’s Will Lynch (118-of-195 this season) and giving Syracuse possession after possession. Mullen’s dominance was most evident in a 1:35 second-quarter stretch when he won four straight faceoffs, fueling a 4-0 run that included goals from Hiltz, Mullen himself, and Michael Leo. That surge gave Syracuse a 8-4 lead, one they’d never relinquish despite a 30-minute weather delay that tested their focus.
A Game of Runs and Resilience
Notre Dame, the back-to-back national champions and a team that hadn’t lost since Syracuse’s April upset, refused to go quietly. Graduate student Jake Taylor, a 125-career-goal sniper, and Chris Kavanagh, a Tewaaraton Award nominee, kept the Irish in the fight. Kavanagh and Max Busenkell answered Syracuse’s early 4-1 lead with back-to-back goals, and Jalen Seymour’s second-quarter tally knotted the game at 4-4. But Syracuse’s response—a rapid-fire offensive outburst—proved decisive.
The Orange’s defense, anchored by graduate student Sam English and senior Nick Caccamo, exploited Notre Dame’s Achilles’ heel: a man-down unit ranked 23rd-worst nationally. Syracuse went 2-for-2 on extra-man opportunities, a repeat of their April efficiency against the Irish. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s vaunted defense, which led the nation in 2024 allowing just 8.94 goals per game, couldn’t contain Syracuse’s balanced attack. Spallina, though held to three assists, carved up the Irish with surgical precision, setting up Hiltz and Leo for key scores.
A Fresh Start and a Date with Destiny
The final horn sparked a jubilant celebration. The 14-12 scoreline doesn’t capture the intensity of a game that saw Syracuse never trail, even as Notre Dame clawed within one goal late. For a team that had lost its swagger in recent weeks, this was a rebirth.
Syracuse now faces No. 9 Duke in the ACC Championship game on Sunday at noon (ACC Network), a chance to avenge an 18-13 loss in the regular season and claim their first conference title in nearly a decade. Duke advanced with a win over North Carolina in Friday’s second semifinal, setting up a clash of ACC titans.
For Syracuse, the win over Notre Dame was more than a ticket to the title game. It was a reminder of their potential—a team capable of beating anyone when they play with urgency and unity.
On Friday night in Charlotte, Syracuse fought. And they won. The lacrosse world is on notice: the Orange are back.