Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse men’s lacrosse team faces the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in an NCAA Division I semifinal game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The game will air on ESPN2.
See in-game team and individual stats here.
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Syracuse and Notre Dame face off in the national semifinal.
Note: Refresh this page throughout Syracuse’s game vs. Notre Dame to see the latest updates
Final: Notre Dame 15, Syracuse 7
Syracuse’s bid for its first national championship since 2009 came to a grinding, sudden halt against the new premier program in college lacrosse.
Notre Dame led wire-to-wire, but the Orange remained in striking distance until a decisive stretch early in the fourth quarter that was set in motion with a crushing penalty by freshman defender Louis D’Agostino at the end of the third.
D’Agostino was flagged for a late crosscheck to the head/neck area in the closing seconds of the third quarter, resulting in a 2-minute non-releasable penalty that led to three man-up goals for the Irish in the early minutes of the final quarter.
That turned a 9-7 margin into a crushing 12-7 lead, propelling the Irish to a 6-0 advantage in the final quarter.
For Syracuse, it extinguished the senior class’s title-or-bust aspirations in swift, stunning fashion.
The Orange had crawled back after falling behind 4-0 to start the game and 9-4 in the third quarter.
D’Agostino’s penalty came as SU was methodically unwinding the Irish’s cushy lead.
It came moments after Payton Anderson netted SU’s third-straight goal, a faint light for an offense that struggled to initiate much of the day against a staunch defense that was happy to play a six-on-six game at each end of the field.
Anderson’s goal came after a hustle play by FOGO John Mullen, who chased down the Notre Dame ball carrier after losing the faceoff, caused a turnover and sent the possession the other direction.
Mullen, hobbled by a sore ankle, won 14 of 24 faceoffs to deliver his offense plenty of possessions, but the Orange’s misfires on cage proved lethal. Senior Finn Thomson shot 4-for-5. The rest of the team shot 3-for-40.
Fourth quarter
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 15, Syracuse 7 with 5:14 remaining
Josh Yago, the Air Force transfer, gets his hat trick, accelerating through the SU defense.
He’s got seven points today and no turnovers.
Second straight game he’s done that.
A 6-0 scoring run since the D’Agostino penalty at the end of the third quarter.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 13, Syracuse 7 with 10:22 remaining
Yago works off the pick and sets up Will Maheras, who kickstarts the dance party on the Irish sideline and has Quint Kessenich calling for Notre Dame to extend the hotel reservation through Monday.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 12, Syracuse 7 with 13:12 remaining
Notre Dame wins the faceoff and still has a minute of the man-up power play.
The Irish hit their fourth extra-man goal of the game with Yago beating McCool going five-hole.
The power of the 2-minute penalty on D’Agostino shows up again and has led to three Notre Dame goals.
Five man-up goals for the Irish, which happens to be the margin today. Notre Dame also has a man-down goal.
Syracuse trailed 9-7 before the 2-minute high crosscheck penalty on D’Agostino led to three extra-man goals by the Irish.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 10, Syracuse 7 with 14:24 remaining
Announced attendance of 24,396 for this semifinal. Notre Dame is seeking its third national championship over the past four seasons. Syracuse is seeking its first national title game appearance since 2013, when it lost to Duke.
Notre Dame cashes in on the D’Agostino penalty.
Third quarter
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Notre Dame 9, Syracuse 7
Another big freshman error, this one a 2-minite unreleasable penalty by Louis D’Agostino, who makes direct contact to the head/neck area.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 9, Syracuse 7 with 1:39 remaining
Luke Rhoa snakes in close and bounces one in to bring the Orange within three.
John Mullen chases down the Notre Dame ball carrier to help force a turnover after losing the faceoff. Mullen has put forth a gutsy performance today.
Then, Anderson rips in a third-straight goal, spinning away from his defender and switching to his off right hand.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 9, Syracuse 5 with 4:00 remaining
Syracuse going on a 30-minute scoring drought.
Joey Spallina engaged in the two-man game, dishes a pass to Wyatt Hottle, who can’t convert.
Syracuse shooters are 1-for-20 (Finn Thomson is 4-for-5).
Thomson gets shoved into the goal mouth after finishing in close.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 9, Syracuse 4 with 6:48 remaining
Notre Dame is looking at a man-up moment on a shove from behind by Jayden Kittelberger, who then gets another flagged for apparently talking back to the official.
That’s a crucial freshman mistake that gives the Irish a two-man advantage.
Syracuse’s defense steps up, but its offense continues to find little ball movement. It has just one goal over the last 22-plus minutes.
Michael Leo gets on the board working from the X. Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan challenges the goal, contending Thomson was in the crease and successfully gets the goal wiped off the board.
And it goes into the books as the Orange’s eighth turnover.
Notre Dame scores at the other end.
That’s a tide-turner.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 8, Syracuse 4 with 1:25 remaining
Brock Behrman gets a bouncing shot by Jimmy McCool off quick sub in transition.
On the earlier trip down the field, Spallina’s mid-range shot was swallowed up by Ricciardelli. Think the Irish has had the better goalie play on this day.
Halftime: Notre Dame 7, Syracuse 4
Notre Dame has a two man-up goals and a man-down goal, accounting for the halftime margin at Scott Stadium.
Syracuse has to find some way to initiate its offense. It’s been left to grind out in the six-on-six game. Joey Spallina has been limited to two shots and one assist.
Payton Anderson has been SU’s best initiator drawing the slide.
Here’s what Brent Axe texted our Syracuse Sports Insiders at the break. You can join the conversation here.
SU let two golden opportunities slip through its fingers with three minutes of unreleaseable penalties equaling zero goals.
Irish goalie Thomas Riccardelli is locked in. He’s made 7 saves on 11 Orange shots that have arrived on cage.
SU’s Jimmy McCool has made just six saves, allowing 7 goals on 13 shots on goal.
Six different Irish scored in the first half, typical of its “everyone eats” scoring approach.
Finn Thomson leads SU with 3 goals.
Shawn Lyght has kept Joey Spallina in check. He has just 1 assist so far.
Second quarter
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 7, Syracuse 4 with 1:25 remaining
The Orange shows an invert zone defense. Busenkill has gotten a couple good looks at cage but can’t convert.
Syracuse turns it over at the other end, but the Irish can’t convert in transition. Matt McIntee gets flagged for a 1-minute unnecessary roughness penalty.
Josh Yago unleashes from the outside and buries it.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 6, Syracuse 4 with 5:49 remaining
Syracuse had a chance to knot the score with a 2-minute man-up advantage before falling back to a three-goal deficit.
Will Donovan comes up with another turnover. SU has four turnovers and four shots in this quarter.
Anderson feeds Thomson inside for his third goal of the game.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 6, Syracuse 3 with 7:54 remaining
Syracuse has an 8-2 edge on faceoffs, but two turnovers off the faceoff win puts the possession game a bit more evenly matched.
Busenkill gets his second goal of the day. He was 0-for-18 against all opponents other than Syracuse this season.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 5, Syracuse 3 with 10:52 remaining
Syracuse get a 2-minute man-up advantage on the head-to-head contact on Thomas Porell on Wyatt Hottle.
Officials reviewed the play and determined it was direct. Porell led his helmet, making it an obvious call.
Syracuse turns it over on a behind-the-back pass attempt by Thomson looking for Rhoa. Notre Dame can kill off the long, unreleasable penalty.
Instead, the Irish cash in a man-down goal by Teddy Lally.
First quarter
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Notre Dame 4, Syracuse 3
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 4, Syracuse 3 with :06 seconds remaining
Rhoa switches his shot angle, who holds the ball in his pocket for a beat, and beats Ricciardelli high.
Anderson, who had four goals in the earlier matchup against the Irish in South Bend, continues to attract extra defensive attention.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 4, Syracuse 2 with 1:04 remaining
Syracuse gets on the board after a 13-minute scoring drought.
Spallina drew a second defender and finds Finn Thomson on the backside on the crease to finish in close.
Thomson gets a second goal after Anderson draws a double-team and finds the senior who rips a wrister into the upper corner.
Mullen has won six of seven faceoffs.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 4, Syracuse 0 with 2:39 remaining
Ricciardelli is on early. He swallows up an outside shot by Rhoa, his fifth save of the opening quarter.
Matt Jeffery gets his hands free matched up on Chuck Kuczynski.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 3, Syracuse 0 with 5:15 remaining
Luke Rhoa tries to beat his man on the dodge but can only get a low, weak shot that’s easily scooped up by Ricciardelli.
Ricciardelli then handles a high shot by Matt McIntee.
Spallina and Lyght go at each other for the first time this afternoon. Spallina ducks underneath Lyght but Ricciardelli is there with a nice save.
Max Busenkell pings a corner. He’s got four goals this season, and all four have come against the Orange.
Syracuse Sports Insider Steve N. says … Poor angle shots – too many weapons for ND – McCool getting beat easily.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 2, Syracuse 0 with 10:05 remaining
John Mullen, nursing an ankle injury over the course of the season, limps off the field following the second faceoff.
The Irish buries another goal with 10:05 remaining off the stick of Will Angrick.
Mullen returns for the ensuing faceoff.
SCORE UPDATE: Notre Dame 1, Syracuse 0 with 11:01 remaining
Syracuse wins the opening faceoff but can’t get a shot off as Payton Anderson turns it over.
Notre Dame gets an early man-up advantage with 11:36 remaining following an offside on Joey Spallina on the ride.
The Irish cash in as time expires on the 30-second man-up with a goal by Brock Behrman.
Pregame
Notre Dame (12-2, 3-1 ACC) has been one of the country’s most dominant teams this season, coming into this game as the No. 2 overall seed with both a top 10 scoring offense and defense.
They were one of two teams to showcase that balance this year, along with Richmond.
Syracuse (13-5, 2-2) is the No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The winner of Saturday’s semifinal will face No. 1 seed in Princeton in Monday’s national championship game.
The Tigers defeated Duke 14-7 in the earlier game Saturday at Scott Stadium.
Notre Dame defender Shawn Lyght was the only defensive player among the five finalists for the Tewaaraton Award, which honors the country’s best player.
The award list is traditionally dominated by offensive players like Syracuse’s Joey Spallina. Lyght is the first defensive player to be named a finalist since 2016.
Lyght plays in front of goaltender Thomas Ricciardelli, who led the ACC with a save percentage of .576 this year. He is the only player in the ACC who saved a higher percentage than SU’s Jimmy McCool.
Notre Dame faceoff specialist Tyler Spano was second in the ACC this season winning 58.9 percent of his draws. He was excellent in the first meeting between the two teams, a 16-11 home win for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish won the faceoff battle, 18-13.
Syracuse faceoff specialist John Mullen came up big last week in what was likely a more difficult matchup, playing the best faceoff specialist in the country to a virtual stalemate during SU’s win over North Carolina.
Syracuse’s Finn Thomson (2.28 goals per game) and Joey Spallina (2.78 assists per game) rank the best among the players on the two teams in those categories. They are part of an SU offense that has been slightly more efficient with its shots over the course of the year.
Syracuse led at halftime when the teams met earlier this season and was within one goal early in the fourth quarter before Notre Dame pulled away.
The only team to beat Notre Dame this season is Virginia, which knocked off the Fighting Irish twice.
Notre Dame has been the country’s most dominant program in the recent years, winning back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024.
Syracuse, likely the best program in the history of the sport, is looking for its first championship since 2009.