CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  – The Virginia Cavaliers (3-0) return to action on Saturday, visiting the Syracuse Orange (0-1) at the Carrier Dome. Faceoff is set for 6 p.m. It is the ACC opener for both teams. UVA is ranked No. 3 in this week’s USILA coaches poll and No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse media polls. Syracuse is No. 10 in the coaches poll and No. 9 in the media poll.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live stats will be available at VirginiaSports.com. The game will be televised live on ACC Network. Anish Shroff will call the play-by-play, while Paul Carcaterra will provide analysis. ACC Network will also simulcast the broadcast on the WatchESPN app, or by logging onto ESPN.com/watch. There will be a live radio broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA 1070 AM and 98.9 FM. Luke Neer will provide the play-by-play and Doug Tarring will add analysis.

CAVALIER TIDBITS
• Matt Moore, who was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, needs eight goals to become the 19th Cavalier in program history to reach 100 career goals.
• Charlie Bertrand has at least one goal in all 61 game of his college career. His active goal streak and point streak are the longest in the nation among all DI players.
• UVA is No. 6 in the nation in caused turnovers per game (10.33), No. 3 in the nation in opponent clearing percentage (.672) and No. 1 in the nation in ground balls per game (43.00)
• FO Petey LaSalla is No. 4 in the nation with 10 ground balls per game and No. 1 in faceoff winning percentage with a 73.0 percent success rate.
• Payton Cormier leads UVA with 12 goals in just three games. He had 12 goals in UVA’s six games in 2020. Cormier also has at least a hat-trick in six of his nine career games.

SERIES INFO
The Cavaliers and Orange are meeting for the 37th time in series history, but are playing each other for only the seventh time as part of ACC play. Virginia has won 10 of the last 17 regular-season meetings, but four of the last seven losses have come at the Carrier Dome (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017).
• The series is tied, 18-18, and the all-time goals are even as well, 466-466.
• UVA and Syracuse won four combined NCAA titles between 2006-11.
• Not only is the series tied, but the all-time score when you combine all the games is also tied, 466-466. The last five games in the series have been decided by one goal, three of which have been won by Syracuse.
• The two schools battled only three times between 1938-93, but have met at least once each season between 1994 and 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic snapped the streak in 2020.

SYRACUSE
• John Desko is in his 23rd season as the Orange’s head coach.
• Syracuse went 5-0 during the 2020 season before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down.
• The Orange started the 2021 season with an 18-11 setback to Army. Tucker Dordevic leads the Orange with four goals and five points. Stephen Rehfuss (2-1) and Chase Scanlan (1-2) round out the top scorers with three points each.
• Drake Porter is saving 41.9 percent of shots between the pipes.

ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
No fans will be admitted into the Carrier Dome for the game.

UP NEXT
UVA returns home to host No. 15 High Point on Wednesday, March 3. Faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.