Syracuse men’s lacrosse: Orange win ACC opener 12-10 at Virginia

Despite an early 5-1 deficit, the Orange dug deep to secure a chippy win

The #8 Syracuse Orange men’s lacrosse team (8-2,1-0) narrowly defeated the Virginia Cavaliers (5-5, 0-1) 12-10 in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon.

Following an early 5-1 deficit, the brilliance of Jimmy McCool in net helped the Orange come back to win in a game that went down to the final minutes.

Following a nail-biting win against Colgate, the Orange started their ACC campaign off on a perfect note. With their final four games each coming against top-11 teams, this was a must-win for the Orange.

The Cavaliers had endured a difficult season so far, featuring a demanding schedule, but entered the game on a two-game win streak after beating Albany and Utah at home. Just one goal separated the two sides in an SU win when they faced off last year.

The game started poorly for the Orange as a few inefficient possessions in the first quarter allowed the Cavaliers to rush out to a 5-1 lead.

Notably, SU saw a few key rotations to the lineup as Payton Anderson, Nick Caccamo, and Drew Angelo all saw increased roles.

Two unforced errors, four turnovers, and a failed clear in the first period gave Virginia plenty of chances to get ahead. Meanwhile, SU’s shot selection was poor, often missing or hitting the goaltender. Conversely, the Cavaliers capitalized with shots from efficient areas.

The 5-1 difference could have been worse if not for four saves from Jimmy McCool and a few pipe hits from the Cavs.

With the clock ticking down on the quarter, a brilliant fast-break goal and display of athleticism from Anderson cut the difference to 5-2. The promising freshman earned his first start in Orange and had a few bright moments throughout the day.

John Mullen then won the faceoff out of the break and took it straight to goal to cut the lead down to two. Despite a poor run early on, Cuse was right back in the game.

Sam English was the next to score to cut the lead to one after the Orange’s best period of the day in a possession that extended well over two minutes.

The SU defense excelled through the quarter, conceding only once. McCool also continued his great outing with eight saves through the half.

The Orange went into the half down 6-4 but were well poised to push on after a much improved second period. By most metrics except the goals, there was little to split the two sides.

The Orange were the first to strike out of the break with a great set of passes allowing Michael Leo to get open right in front of goal to rifle home.

Just moments later, a powerful shot from Wyatt Hottle leveled the game up. Leo then put together a beautiful dodge to put the Orange ahead for the first time on the day.

McCool and the Orange defense continued to excel as they got more and more comfortable in the game, stifling the UVA offense and limiting the high-value opportunities they had seen in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Orange’s patience and teamwork shone on offense as they also looked much more comfortable. The great ball movement allowed Leo to get open again, making it a hat-trick for him in the third quarter alone.

The Orange had scored more in this efficient seven-minute stretch of the third quarter than they had in the entire first half.

Things slowed a bit for the Orange offense in the last few minutes of the quarter, allowing UVA to grab a few goals back. Anderson added another for the Orange before the break, and the period ended 9-9 with the game in the balance.

Virginia scored the first goal out of the break to take the lead, and both teams locked things down on defense over the proceeding minutes as the game got increasingly feisty.

English, who had been dogged the whole day on offense, leveled things up before the game again went quiet for an extended period.

It was Hiltz who grabbed the lead for the Orange with two minutes left with a rocket into the bottom near corner.

This lead was one the Orange would not relinquish, and Hiltz grabbed one more before the end of the game against the high Virginia pressure. SU walked away from their testing ACC opener with a 12-10 win.

There was still little to separate the teams by the numbers come the end. The Orange surprisingly lost the faceoff battle 16-9, but forced 13 turnovers and only had eight.

Despite conceding 10, Jimmy McCool was the standout in net for the Orange with 17 saves. Hiltz finished with three goals, including the two critical late scores. Leo’s three goals, all in the third period, were also crucial in getting the Orange into a winning position.

Following this ACC opener, the Orange will return home for another critical matchup at the JMA Wireless Dome against #7 Notre Dame next Saturday at 2:00.