Syracuse lacrosse draws No.3 UNC

Syracuse will get a third shot at North Carolina on Saturday, May 16, when the sixth-seeded Orange meet the No. 3 Tar Heels in an NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinal at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, New York. The NCAA bracket lists the game as a 2:30 p.m. Eastern start on ESPNU, with the winner advancing to championship weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. The pairing became official once the first round closed and the quarterfinal bracket was updated by NCAA.com. Syracuse reached the round by beating Yale 16-15 on May 10, while North Carolina moved on with a 24-6 win over UAlbany on May 9. The matchup renews one of the ACC’s most familiar postseason pairings, but with a different setting. (ncaa.com) Hofstra’s stadium on Long Island will host two quarterfinals on Saturday, with Notre Dame facing Johns Hopkins at noon before North Carolina and Syracuse take the field. ### How did Syracuse and North Carolina get back here? Syracuse entered the NCAA field as the No. 6 seed and survived a one-goal game against Yale to reach the quarterfinals. The Orange are 12-5, according to Syracuse’s game notes for the week. North Carolina entered as the No. 3 seed and had the most lopsided first-round result in the bracket, beating UAlbany by 18 goals. (gohofstra.com) The Tar Heels are 13-4, according to Syracuse’s preview and North Carolina’s schedule page. The NCAA’s 18-team tournament began on May 6 and will end on May 25 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. (cuse.com) Saturday’s winner moves into the national semifinals scheduled for May 23. ### Why is this a third meeting? North Carolina has already beaten Syracuse twice in 2026. (cuse.com) The Tar Heels won 14-9 in Chapel Hill on April 4, then beat the Orange 12-10 in the ACC semifinals in Charlotte on May 1. Syracuse said in its game notes that Saturday will mark the first time in program history that the Orange have faced the same opponent three times in one season. (ncaa.com) That detail gives the quarterfinal an unusual shape for two teams that already know each other’s personnel and tendencies. The regular-season result came at Dorrance Field, where NCAA.com’s game summary lists Syracuse as losing despite three goals and two assists from Michael Leo. (ncaa.com) The ACC tournament loss followed four weeks later in Charlotte. ### What stands out about the site? James M. Shuart Stadium has been a favorable NCAA venue for Syracuse. Syracuse said in its weekly notes that the Orange are 6-0 all-time at the site in NCAA tournament play, including a 19-18 quarterfinal win over Princeton there last spring. (cuse.com) Hofstra said one ticket covers both Saturday quarterfinals and listed general-admission prices at $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the event. (ncaa.com) Parking is $20 in advance and $30 on game day, according to the school’s event notice. The Long Island location also gives the game a Northeast setting after Syracuse lost the first two meetings in North Carolina. (cuse.com) Syracuse’s preview noted that this time the game will be played “in the Empire State.” ### What does the bracket say about the stakes? The NCAA bracket places the Syracuse-North Carolina winner into the semifinal round at Scott Stadium. (gohofstra.com) The championship game is scheduled for Monday, May 25, in Charlottesville. Saturday’s game is also part of a quarterfinal weekend that includes Princeton, Penn State, Georgetown and Duke on the other side of the bracket, along with Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins in Hempstead. (cuse.com) The field no longer includes defending paths from the ACC tournament; from here, every game is single elimination. (ncaa.com) ### What should readers watch next? Saturday, May 16, is the next date on the schedule: Notre Dame plays Johns Hopkins at noon Eastern, and North Carolina plays Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, both on ESPNU. The winners will advance to the NCAA semifinals on May 23 in Charlottesville. (ncaa.com)