CHARLOTTESVILLE – Another Syracuse-Virginia lacrosse match came down to a single goal. This time, for the first time since 2014, the Cavaliers came out on top.
Fourth-seeded U.Va. upset the top-seeded Orange, 11-10, on Friday night, advancing to its first ACC championship match since 2013.
“It’s a big step,” second-year Cavaliers coach Lars Tiffany said. “In terms of beating a team we haven’t beaten in a long time. Beating a team that’s comfortable in pressure situations. Syracuse is the king of winning these one-goal games.”
Virginia plays third-seeded Notre Dame on Sunday for the title. The Fighting Irish upset second-seeded Duke, 14-11, in the tournament’s first semifinal Friday, on a night when both higher seeds lost.
The Cavaliers, who snapped an 18-match ACC losing streak earlier this month, had lost their last four meetings with Syracuse, the past three by a single goal. That included a 12-11 defeat on March 4 of this year.
Freshman midfielder Matt Moore scored a career-high four goals and freshman goalkeeper Alex Rode stopped 10 shots to lead a defense that turned in perhaps its best performance of this resurgent season.
“I thought they played good defense,” Syracuse coach John Desko said. “Winning the faceoffs and getting some good possessions, that always helps your defense.”
Maybe the biggest difference Friday from the earlier meeting of the longtime rivals came on the faceoff draws, where sophomore midfielder Justin Schwenk helped U.Va. win 18 of 25.
“I think we were just more locked in and ready to go,” Schwenk said. “We were on the whistle.”
In the first meeting, the Orange won 16 of 27 faceoffs and came out on top, 12-11.
“It certainly does help when you have the ball,” second-year Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said. “Give Justin Schwenk a ton of credit. Syracuse’s offense is very potent. And if they get enough opportunities, they’re going to put the ball in the net. We just played a smarter game.”
Sophomore attackman Stephen Rehfuss led Syracuse with two goals and an assist, but the Orange dropped its third match in its last four outings.
In the first-ever ACC tournament meeting between the two schools, U.Va. built a 5-4 halftime edge, going up on a goal by sophomore Dox Aitken with 3:12 left in the second quarter. Aitken and fellow sophomore Michael Kraus each scored a pair of first-half goals.
Moore scored three of his four tallies in the second half, when Virginia also got a pair of goals from senior attackman Mike D’Amario.