Syracuse Faces Duke in ACC Championship Showdown

Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team will face Duke University in the ACC Championship game on Sunday at 12 p.m. at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

This marks Syracuse’s first appearance in the ACC title game since 2016, when they last won the tournament. The Orange advanced to the championship after solid performances, including Owen Hiltz scoring five goals and great defense from ACC Goalie of the Year Jimmy McCool, who made 20 saves. Syracuse also excelled at faceoffs, winning 21 out of 29.

Duke reached the title game after defeating North Carolina 14-7 on Friday. Tomas Delgado scored three goals in the first half, contributing to the Blue Devils’ commanding performance, which saw them lead 12-2 after three quarters. Eric Malever, Andrew McAdorey, and Max Sloat each added a pair of goals for Duke, while Patrick Jameison made 10 saves.

Earlier in the regular season, on April 19 in Durham, Duke’s defense overwhelmed the Syracuse offense, forcing 18 turnovers and holding them to their lowest scoring total during Gary Gait‘s tenure as head coach. Both Syracuse and Duke are expected to receive at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament, despite there being no automatic bid from the ACC. The winner of the championship game will earn an opening-round home game in the NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach Gary Gait expressed confidence going into the matchup, saying, “If we can go out and win a game, it builds some confidence again. We’re going in with a mentality of we’ve got nothing to lose.”

The upcoming game promises to be a thrilling contest between two strong teams seeking the ACC title.