Orange Edges UNC in ACC Semifinals, 9-8

Friday, April 24

Chester, PA

8 pm

Syracuse University

10-2

North Carolina

12-3

Syracuse

North Carolina

Photo by: Atlantic Coast Conference

4/24/2015 11:10:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

Rice's late goal sends Syracuse to ACC title game

CHESTER, Pa. – Senior attackman Kevin Rice wheeled around the cage and scored unassisted with 1:48 remaining to lift third-seeded Syracuse (10-2) to a 9-8 win over second-seeded North Carolina (12-3) in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship on Friday, April 24 at PPL Park.

Syracuse advances to the ACC final for the second year in a row. The Orange will face No. 4 seed Duke at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 26 for the conference title. The Blue Devils knocked off top seed Notre Dame in Friday's first semifinal, 13-8.

"Both teams played really hard and we were fortunate and came out with the win so we can go on and play Duke on Sunday," Syracuse head coach John Desko said. "We're going to enjoy this and then try to get ready for the Blue Devils."

Rice's deciding tally was his fifth game-winner of the year, and the goal snapped a 23:03 second-half scoring drought for the Orange.

Rice and Dylan Donahue tied for game-high scoring honors with two goals and two assists each. Nicky Galasso, who transferred to SU from North Carolina after the 2012 season, led the Orange with three goals against his former team.

In addition to SU's three offensive stars, the Orange defense turned perhaps its best performance of the year. Less than two weeks after yielding 17 goals to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, SU held UNC to eight goals which matched their lowest output of the season.

Goalie Bobby Wardwell and close defenseman Brandon Mullins anchored the unit. Wardwell made a career-high 14 saves, including seven in the third quarter, to keep the UNC shooters at bay. Mullins shut out Carolina leading scorer Jimmy Bitter, holding him to 0-for-12 shooting.

In the game's early stages, Syracuse dominated possession and Galasso got the Orange going by scoring twice in the first 6:04 of the contest. However, North Carolina found its footing later in the period and received goals from Drew Hays and Walker Chafee to tie the game at 2-2.

The back and forth continued in the second quarter with each side scoring three times. Galasso had the final say, tallying his third goal of the half with 1:20 left to tie the score 5-5 at intermission.

Syracuse tacked on three more goals in the first 5:09 of the second half to open up an 8-5 advantage. But Henry Schoonmaker's unassisted score at the 9:51 mark of the third proved to be the team's last until Rice's clincher.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels notched three goals in a row, including consecutive tallies by Chad Tutton 1:25 apart in the fourth quarter to tie it, 8-8.

After Rice put the Orange back in front, Carolina had one final opportunity to tie the game. The Tar Heels gained possession with a little more than a minute left following a Galasso turnover. UNC went offside on the ensuing clear and the Orange retook possession, running out the clock to improve to 6-1 all-time in conference tournament games.

Tutton and Joey Sankey paced UNC with three points apiece. Tutton finished with two goals and one assist. Sankey recorded one goal and two assists.

UNC goalie Kieran Burke was outstanding in defeat. The junior made 13 saves Friday night after recording 17 stops in the regular-season meeting with the Orange.

Game Notes: Donahue has 40 goals on the season. He is the first SU 40-goal scorer since Stephen Keogh had 49 goals in 2009 … The last three meetings between North Carolina and Syracuse have been decided by a total of four goals ... The Orange improved to 5-0 all-time against the Tar Heels in neutral-site games … Bitter failed to score a point for the first time since March 10, 2012, snapping his 55-game point streak which had been the second-longest in Division I lacrosse … The Orange was 19-for-19 on clears, the third time this season Syracuse was perfect in that department.