Syracuse Men’s lacrosse advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season after a narrow 16-15 victory over Yale.
The Orange face North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
Orange Edge Past Yale in First Round
John Mullen got Syracuse off to a quick start, scoring the game’s first goal six seconds into regulation. Wyatt Hottle followed with another ‘Cuse goal. Yale responded with two goals of their own before Payton Anderson scored to give the Orange a 3-2 lead after one quarter.
The two sides exchanged blows to start the second quarter, including a brief 2-0 run to give the Orange a two-goal lead with 5:55 left in the half. Just as the Orange looked to gain control, Yale exploded for four goals in just over four minutes to end the second. Yale’s Cole Jackson beat Syracuse goalie Jimmy McCool at 5:18 to start the late run and took an 8-6 advantage into the locker room.
Despite Yale’s late run in the second quarter, John Mullen went an outstanding 13 for 16 in draws in the first half with 12 ground balls to his name. The Orange outshot the Bulldogs 29-19 in the first half, including four Syracuse shots that found the pipes rather than twine.
Second-Half Surge Leads to Victory
The second half started the same as the first, a quick multi-goal run from the Orange. Michael Leo scored, followed by back-to-back tallies from Finn Thomson to regain the lead. Yale responded with two goals of their own before the Orange put together two more two-goal runs to close out the quarter. Syracuse scored on all seven shots on goal during the quarter, reclaiming a 13-11 lead into the final period.
According to Syracuse coach Gary Gait, “We had lots of opportunities earlier in the first half, but the ball just wasn’t going in. The second half we settled in, relaxed and got rolling”.
The Orange strung together another three-goal run behind goals from Luke Rhoa, Wyatt Hottle and Joey Spallina in the fourth to extend the lead to 16-12 with six minutes left. With the game looking out of reach, Yale scored three in a row in the final 5:39 and brought the game to final decisive possession.
Yale’s Nick Wehmeyer outdueled Mullen from the faceoff X to earn a final possession. The Orange called a timeout with 47 seconds left, and Yale had one shot to tie. Yale’s Cole Cashion was denied with 25 seconds left by goalie Jimmy McCool, allowing the Orange faithful to exhale, booking a trip.
Next Up: North Carolina
Syracuse will face #3 North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. The game takes place at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, NY. Time is set for 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, May 16th.
- Radio coverage: TK99, WAER, Cuse.com, TuneIn App
- Series History: Syracuse is 20-15 all-time against North Carolina.
- Syracuse has lost three in a row in the series, including two losses this season.
- Syracuse’s last win came in 2024 on the road, knocking off the Tar Heels 10-9.
Syracuse is 20-15 all-time against North Carolina, but has lost the last three games in the series.