Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 4 Virginia

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In three out of No. 6 Syracuse’s four losses this year, the game fell out of its control late. SU gave up a two-goal fourth quarter lead to Maryland on Feb. 17 and a three-goal third quarter advantage to Army 11 days later. But the most egregious example was two weeks ago in Ithaca, when a 7-0 first-quarter lead transformed into a double overtime loss to Cornell.

Last Saturday’s contest against North Carolina almost ballooned into a disaster too. With the Orange holding a six-goal lead in the second half, the Tar Heels sparked a 5-0 run in just 18 minutes. Luckily, Will Mark and Syracuse’s defense did just enough to hold off UNC 10-9 in the final two minutes, clinching a spot in the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Now, Syracuse has its toughest test since taking on No. 1 Notre Dame. The Cavaliers are the only team the Orange haven’t faced who are currently above them in Inside Lacrosse’s rankings. UVA dropped two spots in the ranking after an 18-12 loss to Duke last weekend.

Here’s everything you need to know before No. 6 Syracuse (10-4, 2-1 ACC) faces No. 4 Virginia (10-2, 1-1 ACC):

All-time series

Virginia leads 21-20.

Last time they played

By the end of the first quarter of Syracuse’s 19-12 loss to Virginia last April, the game was already lost for the Orange. Xander Dickson notched a hat trick in 11 minutes while the Cavaliers won six-of-seven faceoffs to take a 6-0 lead in the opening period. The Orange turned the ball over six times during that time, struggling against Virginia’s 10-man ride.

“The Cavaliers, I thought, came out ready to play,” SU head coach Gary Gait said after the defeat. “They were fired up, and they had a great first quarter.”

Dickson recorded seven goals and two assists in the contest. It was the second straight game that the Orange had five goals in the first half and Joey Spallina was held scoreless for the first and only time all season. The loss ended any chance of a postseason for SU.

The Cavaliers report

Virginia enters Saturday’s contest after its worst defensive performance since an 18-9 loss to Maryland in the 2022 NCAA Quarterfinals. The Cavaliers were in such desperate shape early that they pulled Matthew Nunes, 2023’s ACC leader in save percentage, after he allowed seven goals and zero saves in the first quarter.

The loss itself was uncharacteristic for Lars Tiffany’s squad, whose other blemish this season came in a 16-14 loss to Johns Hopkins on March 2. Otherwise, UVA has had a strong 2024 season after losing to Notre Dame in the Final Four last year with the second-best offensive pacing in the country and the 10th-best shooting percentage, according to Lacrosse Reference.

Payton Cormier and Connor Shellenberger are leading their attack with 51 and 53 points, respectively. Cormier leads the ACC with 3.67 goals per game. Freshman McCabe Millon has been another key addition to the attack with 45 points.

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How Syracuse beats Virginia

Syracuse must learn how to finish games. Gait knows this, saying the Orange “still have work to do” in fourth quarters after letting the Tar Heels creep back into last weekend’s matchup. Spallina knows this too, emphasizing that SU can’t repeat the same mistakes it made against UNC.

So how does Syracuse avoid those mistakes? It needs to do the exact opposite of what it did late against North Carolina. The Orange need to complete their clears, take the ball out of the hands of UVA’s best players and keep the ball on the attack for as long as possible.

Completing clears will be the hardest to achieve against Tiffany’s 10-man ride, but the Cavaliers’ overall defense is something SU can take advantage of since its attack is just as potent as Duke’s. Another consistent performance from Mark and the faceoff unit would help solidify the Orange’s chances too.

Stat to know: 9.75

Virginia leads the country with 9.75 assists per game, sitting one spot ahead of Syracuse. At the third spot nationally is Cornell, who embarrassed the Orange with a flurry of assisted goals not too long ago.

This could be a big factor Saturday, especially if the game is close late. Shellenberger is the designated “quarterback” for the Cavaliers, leading the team with 33 assists. SU has historically done well against Shellenberger, holding him to just two points last year, but he could be the difference this time around.

Player to watch: McCabe Millon, attack, No. 9

Millon was Inside Lacrosse’s No. 1 recruit last year out of the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland. While the Orange will go all out with Billy Dwan and Riley Figueiras on Shellenberger and Cormier, Millon could dominate on a short-stick matchup as the Cavaliers’ tertiary option.