Cavaliers Open ACC Play, Host No. 8 Syracuse Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Having won three of its last four games, Virginia (5-4) opens ACC play Saturday (March 29), when the Cavaliers welcome No. 8 Syracuse (7-2). Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra and WINA (1070 AM/98.9 FM). 

Saturday’s game is also the Cavaliers’ Military/First Responder Appreciation Day. 

PARKING INFORMATION
Free parking is available in all surrounding John Paul Jones Arena lots and the Emmet/Ivy Garage. Following the conclusion of Saturday’s game, patrons should vacate the lots promptly due to a scheduled concert at JPJ. 

SERIES HISTORY 

• With its 18-17 victory over the Cavaliers in last year’s regular-season meeting at JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse evened the all-time series, 21-21. 
• Both teams tallied five goals each in the fourth quarter, but the Orange scored the final four. 
• The Hoos gained possession twice with under 45 seconds to play, but Cuse forced a turnover and goaltender Will Mark (15 saves) denied Jack Boyden’s shot with seven seconds remaining to erase a chance for UVA to force overtime. 
• The loss was UVA’s second consecutive at the time, and marked the first instance since 2017 that the Cavaliers suffered back-to-back defeats. UVA had won its previous 20 games coming off a loss. 
• In 42 all-time meetings, the Orange narrowly lead UVA 555-554 in goals scored. 
• The last time the Orange defeated UVA at Klöckner Stadium was on April 24, 2021, in a 13-11 decision. 
• Virginia won both regular-season meetings in 2022, including the ACC finale at The Dome, 21-15, to seal the program’s 19th ACC championship. UVA’s 21 goals also tied for the most by a Syracuse opponent in The Dome since it opened in 1980. 
• The two schools battled only three times between 1938-93, but have met at least once each season from 1994-2024 with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19. 
• The last time the two teams met in the NCAA Tournament was when Syracuse defeated the Cavaliers, 12-11, in a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the 2008 NCAA semifinals. The Orange went on to capture the national championship on Memorial Day. 
• The Orange victory snapped a five-game UVA win streak, the longest by either team in series history.

SCOUTING THE ORANGE 

• Considered by many to be the greatest lacrosse player of all-time, Gary Gait is in his fourth year as head coach of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team. 
• Gait took over the men’s program after leading the Syracuse women’s program for 14 years. 
• With an overall record of 7-2, Cuse’s only two losses this season came in back-to-back contests, on the road against then-No. 6 Maryland and then-No. 15 Harvard. 
• UVA and the Orange have faced five common opponents so far in 2025: Towson, Maryland, Utah, Johns Hopkins and Colgate. UVA is 3-2 in such contests, while Cuse is 4-1. 
• The Orange stand out among the Division-I team and individual statistical rankings. 
• Cuse leads the nation in turnovers (12.78/gm), is third in clearing (.909) and ground balls (36.67/gm), fourth in assists (9.33/gm), points (24.67), scoring margin (7.33) and scoring offense (15.33/gm), fifth in scoring defense (8.00/gm), sixth in faceoff win percentage (.635), and 10th in man-up offense (.500). 
• Cuse’s offense is quarterbacked by attackman Joey Spallina, who was held pointless for the first time of his career in last year’s meeting with UVA. This season, Spallina leads the ACC in both assists (3.56/gm) and points (6.00/gm). 
• Both Spallina and fellow attackman Owen Hiltz have scored a team-best 22 goals each. 
• Orange faceoff specialist John Mullen (.667) leads the ACC and is fourth nationally in faceoff win percentage. 

LAST TIME OUT 

• Virginia scored the first three goals and never looked back as the Cavaliers took down Utah 14-9 at Klöckner Stadium last Saturday (March 22). 
• Truitt Sunderland (3g, 3a), Ryan Colsey (3g, 1a) and Griffin Schutz (3g, 1a) all notched hat tricks in the UVA’s second consecutive victory. With two goals and three assists, McCabe Millon also stood out offensively for the Hoos. 
• For the fifth time this season and second consecutive game, the Cavaliers held their opponent to single-digit goals. UVA’s defense also held the Utes scoreless for the entirety of the third quarter and ultimately a span of 19:35. 
• Griffin Kology and John Schroter recorded three caused turnovers each. 
• In his fourth consecutive start, goalie Matthew Nunes (3-1) finished with 12 saves in 57:28 of action. With 603 career saves, Nunes is now No. 2 on UVA’s all-time saves list after surpassing former Cavalier netminder Alex Rode (598). 

VIRGINIA’S STINGY MAN-DOWN UNIT 

• Virginia’s man-down defense is much improved from last year to this. 
• Through their first nines games this season, the Cavaliers have only surrendered five goals on 35 opponent extra-man opportunities, a clip of 86.1 percent, which leads the ACC and is good for third nationally. 
• Last year, UVA opponents scored on 50.9 percent (28-55) of their EMO chances. 
• UVA’s man-down unit is coached by assistant coach and former UVA close defenseman Logan Greco ’19. 

ON THE HORIZON 

• Next Saturday, the Cavaliers travel to North Carolina (7-1, 0-0 ACC), which is ranked No. 5 in this week’s USILA coaches poll. 
• Opening faceoff from Dorrance Field is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network and WINA (1070 AM/98.9 FM). 
• This weekend, the Har Heels travel to No. 9 Army on Saturday for a top-10 showdown.