Syracuse men’s lacrosse: Orange picked second in ACC preseason poll

On Tuesday, the ACC coaches got their chance to weigh in with their preseason poll and All-ACC team, and it was another good showing for ‘Cuse.

The preseason hype train for the Syracuse Orange keeps on rolling as we inch closer to the 2025 season opener this Saturday against Jacksonville.

On Tuesday, the Orange got another strong recommendation for their credentials this season as the ACC’s five head coaches chose them to finish second in the ACC coaches preseason poll:

1. Notre Dame — 25 points
2. Syracuse — 20 points
3. Virginia — 12 points
4. Duke — 10 points
5. North Carolina — 8 points

‘Cuse has played second fiddle to Notre Dame in every single preseason poll, but they’ve also been placed ahead of everyone else in each one, as well. As usual, the five teams could finish in just about any conceivable order given the league’s perpetual strength and competitiveness.

The league’s head coaches also voted on the preseason All-ACC team, on which SU received three selections.

Joey Spallina, Owen Hiltz and Billy Dwan were all chosen for the Orange, which tied them with Duke for the second-most players on the team. Notre Dame, of course, had the most with five. Virginia and North Carolina had two each.

I personally was pretty surprised to not see one of SU’s elite midfielders chosen, but there’s extremely limited space when voting on a singular team for the best conference in the country.

We’re within touching distance of the season now, as Gary Gait and the Orange will open their campaign up against John Galloway and the Jacksonville Dolphins this Saturday, February 1 at 12 PM in the JMA Dome.