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No. 9 Syracuse (5-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) has three straight games against top-five opponents remaining, starting with No. 5 North Carolina (8-2, 1-2) on Saturday afternoon. It’s the final home game the Orange currently have on their schedule, with no replacement game for the canceled contest against Utah announced yet. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Tar Heels:

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 18-9

Last time they played

Two years ago, Syracuse traveled down to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the 2019 ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed with a matchup against the No. 5-seeded Tar Heels in the opening round. The Orange came in with a four-game winning streak to end the regular season and had beaten UNC less than two weeks earlier, 12-9. 

Unlike that game, which featured long runs by both teams, the ACC Tournament affair went back and forth, tied at four goals apiece by halftime. Syracuse took a slim 7-6 lead into the final quarter with a goal from Nate Solomon at two seconds left in the third quarter and built that into a 10-7 advantage. Then came the decisive North Carolina run. Four goals in the final four minutes of the game and Matt Gavin’s game-winner with 1:07 left on the clock sealed an early exit for the Orange. 

The North Carolina report 

After a fiery start with eight consecutive wins and an average of over 18 goals a game, the Tar Heels have cooled off in recent weeks and enter Saturday’s meeting with the Orange following back-to-back ACC losses. In the best game of the year to date, UNC lost 12-11 in overtime at Duke before being upset at home by Virginia, 18-16, last weekend.

Led by Chris Gray, the leading point-getter in the nation, North Carolina still boasts the top scoring offense in Division I lacrosse despite the two losses. Gray has been supplemented by career years from three upperclassmen, Nicky Solomon, William Perry and Tanner Cook. The three have combined for 59 goals this season and are all shooting at above 33%. 

At the back, the Tar Heels have found a freshman gem in goal: Collin Krieg. He’s earned 10 starts this year and gives up 10.72 goals a game while making 10.9 saves a game, which is 34th in the nation but third in the ACC behind SU goalie Drake Porter and Virginia’s Alex Rode, both of whom are seniors. Krieg has stepped up in every ACC game this season, including a 20-save performance against Virginia in the two teams’ first meeting and then 14 against Duke, including two late ones to keep UNC in the game. 

How Syracuse beats the Tar Heels

Once again, possessions will be key. UNC has won 54.6% of its faceoffs this year, and if Syracuse can’t counter that, the explosive Tar Heels offense could quickly put this game out of reach. SU head coach John Desko said he’s less worried about faceoffs against North Carolina because of the fast pace it plays at. Still, in both games UNC lost this year, it struggled at the faceoff X and was outshot as a result, so that’ll be SU’s blueprint for success. 

A great game for Porter in net will also be necessary. UNC averages 51.4 shots a game, and the Orange have faced that amount of shots or more just once this season. In that game, Porter set his new career-high for saves in a single game with 21. He may be called upon to match that against the Tar Heels. 

Mitch Wykoff will also be under the microscope again. As Syracuse’s top cover defender, he’ll likely match up with Gray, who is a mix of the players he’s seen earlier this year in Michael Sowers and Pat Kavanagh. Wykoff really struggled against both of those guys, allowing Kavanagh a career-high nine points and Sowers to pick up six. But if he’s learned from those mistakes and limits Gray’s damage, the Orange will be in great shape. 

Player to watch: Chris Gray, attack, No. 4

Gray’s got the shiftiness of Sowers behind the cage, the grit and vision of Kavanagh and is a pure finisher. He doesn’t really have a defined spot that he attacks from — he’s dangerous all over the field. Off the ball, he’s constantly moving, and with a supporting cast as strong as UNC’s, he’ll find open space. Wykoff will need to be alert on every possession. 

Compared to his standards, Gray had a pair of quiet games against Duke and Virginia. He earned just three points against the Blue Devils and picked up a hat trick and an assist against the Cavaliers. That could change when he visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday. 

Stat to know: 12.2

That’s the number of turnovers UNC averages per game, the least of any Division I team. Syracuse is just below it at fourth in the nation with 12.75 turnovers a game. Between two teams that won’t give up the ball cheaply, every possession will matter and every mistake will be magnified. To win a second ACC game, Syracuse needs to be crisp on offense again, unlike against Albany. 

Published on April 14, 2021 at 9:36 pm

Contact Arabdho: armajumd@syr.edu | @aromajumder