UNC men's lacrosse falls to Syracuse in ACC Tournament semifinal

Despite being the top seed in the ACC Tournament, the North Carolina men’s lacrosse team’s spot in the NCAA Tournament was shrouded in doubt.

With a win over Syracuse on Friday, Tar Heels could have made it clear they deserved a place in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, after a 10-7 defeat — UNC’s second loss to the Orange in the past two weeks — the team’s fate is less secure than it was entering the weekend.

The Tar Heels have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but they have been just that: flashes.

North Carolina has put together monumental wins this season, namely their 17-15 victory over No. 1 Notre Dame on April 23  to earn a share of the ACC regular-season title. But UNC’s resume is still stained by inexplicable losses, like a 10-5 defeat at home to Hofstra on Feb. 20.

From one week to the next, it is unclear which UNC team will show up when it takes the field.

UNC’s inconsistency has taken players, coaches and the Tar Heel faithful on a grand tour of the highs and lows that one season can bring. And after being smothered by Syracuse on Friday, the Tar Heels delivered another low.

Quotable

“It’s disappointing because we know what we’re capable of. But the bottom line is we have to get into the tournament, and now we don’t necessarily control our own destiny. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.” — Coach Joe Breschi on his team’s tournament future.

Notable

For the Tar Heels, Friday’s loss marked the second-straight season that Syracuse knocked them out of the ACC Tournament. The Orange have had UNC’s number of late, winning the last three matches.

3 Numbers That Matter

5: Despite a disappointing outing as a team, Steve Pontrello’s inspired performance nearly helped the Tar Heels battle back. The senior totaled five points on three goals and two assists.

14: Syracuse goalkeeper Evan Molloy was a wall in the cage, recording 14 saves and holding UNC to seven goals for the second time this season.

2: UNC was shut out in the first and third quarters. Despite outscoring Syracuse in the other two quarters, the Tar Heels couldn’t battle back from two scoreless periods.

What's next? 

As the Tar Heels’ shot at an ACC title slipped away, so did their chance to control their NCAA Tournament fate. Now, they can only wait and hope that their name is called when the NCAA releases the bracket on May 8.

@_Brohammed

sports@dailytarheel.com