Syracuse University announced on May 13 that its men’s lacrosse team will play against North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals on Saturday, May 16, in Hempstead, New York. The game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
This matchup marks the third time this season that Syracuse and North Carolina have played each other. North Carolina won both previous meetings, but this weekend’s game will take place in New York rather than at a Tar Heels home venue. Syracuse returns to the NCAA quarterfinals for a third consecutive year, joining Georgetown and Notre Dame as the only teams with such a streak from 2024 through 2026.
James M. Shuart Stadium has been favorable for Syracuse; the team holds a perfect 6-0 record there in NCAA Tournament games, including last year’s narrow victory over Princeton. Last weekend, Syracuse defeated Yale by one goal to close out an undefeated home record at the Dome this spring. Meanwhile, North Carolina advanced after defeating UAlbany with a score of 24-6.
Saturday’s contest is historic for Syracuse as it is the first time in program history they have faced an opponent three times within one season. This situation arose partly because of conference alignments; Syracuse did not join a conference tournament until entering the BIG EAST in 2010 and later moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In their earlier matchups this year, UNC beat Syracuse both during regular season play and again at the ACC Tournament.
Both teams are considered battle-tested after playing multiple games against other tournament qualifiers throughout their schedules. If Syracuse wins Saturday’s game, it would improve their all-time series record against North Carolina to 21-15 and secure their spot at Championship Weekend for a second straight year—the first such back-to-back appearance since 2008-09.
