The Virginia-Syracuse rivalry could not be closer, historically.
The Cavs and Orange have split the series 18-18. Each team has scored 466 goals. The last five games have been one-goal affairs, including the last time they met a 15-14 Virginia overtime victory in 2019.
The teams meet 6 p.m. Saturday on ACC Network, the nightcap to a full day of lacrosse. It’s a game reflective of the talent in the ACC and also the state of lacrosse in 2021.
Virginia (3-0) is riding high after a full slate of preseason practices and three games in February. Syracuse (0-1), which was much more limited in preseason practice and did not have any games in the early part of February, is looking to bounce back after a disappointing opener to a promising season in which a championship is the expectation.
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(Photos by Tim Cowie/High Point Athletics)
After the 2018 season, High Point’s Asher Nolting and Chris Gray were spoken about in the same breath as two of the best freshmen in college lacrosse. In 2019, they had two of the most productive seasons in recent memory as Nolting put up 92 points and Gray put up 108. Last spring, Gray debuted at North Carolina after transferring from BU and Nolting’s production slipped a bit, posting 33 point in eight games as the Panthers started 2-6 before the season was shut down.
Now, they’re on a collision course for Tuesday afternoon as the Panthers and Tar Heels adjusted to Bellarmine’s recent 14-day program pause, opening up an opportunity for the North Carolina foes to meet at 2 p.m. on ACC Network in a battle of undefeateds.