Syracuse beats Notre Dame in NCAA Tournament type game
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Saturday wasn't just another game in the Dome. It was a battle of Atlantic Coast Conference heavyweights, and it brought all the energy of a playoff preview. After a rocky start, the Orange pulled off the upset, defeating Notre Dame 14-9.
No. 7 Syracuse (9-2, 7-1 at home) welcomed No. 5 Notre Dame (8-3, 2-1 on the road) back to Central New York for the first time since 2023, in a matchup between two of the ACC's top regular-season finishers. Before Saturday, the Orange had not beaten the Fighting Irish since 2018.
Fans packed the JMA Wireless Dome — 11,268 in total — marking the largest crowd for a lacrosse game there since 2015.
With both teams boasting top-10 scoring offenses, the game delivered fireworks from the opening faceoff.
In the first five minutes, Notre Dame surged ahead. Johnny Mullen won the opening faceoff, but no goal followed. By the time the Syracuse offense got another possession, the Orange were already trailing 3-0.
It was the second game in a row Syracuse found itself in an early hole. Last weekend, the Orange fell behind Virginia big in the first quarter before mounting a comeback.
"We talk about really playing 60-plus minutes with consistency. That's what we're really working on," head coach Gary Gait said. "Yeah, we had a bad five minutes, but I thought the other 55, we played pretty well. We didn't give up. We didn't panic."
While attackmen Joey Spallina says the team doesn't care about what's said outside the locker room, a win like this must feel good. He and Gait had not beaten Notre Dame during their time together — until now. Spallina led the way with a first-half hat trick.
"People think that we're not good in the big games," Spallina said. "I don't think we really care about that. I don't think we care what anybody has to say outside of our locker room."
Spallina finished with four goals and one assist. He'll look to continue his strong season next Saturday against No. 1 Cornell, but this week he credited the team's success to experience.
"I think the experience part is a prime example of the first quarter," he said. "We've got some guys who've played in a ton of games, all over the place, and I think that will only help us as we go along."
Mullen also had a standout performance at the faceoff X. Just last season, Notre Dame's Will Lynch dominated the matchup, winning 19 of 26 draws against Mullen and Mason Kohn. But on Saturday, Mullen flipped the script — winning 16 of 23 and finishing with zero turnovers.
"I knew I was going against one of the best faceoff guys in the country," Mullen said. "We prepared all week. The guys in the faceoff group do an amazing job working together. I just wanted to go out there and do what I can — and big shoutout to my wings."
Mullen also delivered what could be considered the play of the game. After diving out of bounds and spinning midair to save a faceoff, he threw the ball back into play. Later, as he was subbing off, Mullen noticed Notre Dame had regained possession — and stripped the defender to stop a clear. Fifteen seconds later, Sam English scored.
"I just want to give it all I've got," Mullen said. "I didn't really know what was going through my head when it was going out of bounds. All I wanted to do was just get the ball to somebody."
Goalie Jimmy McCool and the Syracuse defense also stepped up. Notre Dame entered the game averaging 15.6 goals per game. The Orange held the Irish to nine — with four of those coming in the fourth quarter.
"I think we were pretty aggressive too," McCool said. "We knew this was going to be a team that comes out firing — very intense, very physical — and we just wanted to match that. When the defense plays the way it did, it makes my life a lot easier."
The Orange also shut down Notre Dame's man-up offense, allowing just one goal on four attempts — and that didn't come until the fourth quarter.
On a day that also marked Gait's birthday, the team earned its sixth straight win, breaking the record for most consecutive victories under his leadership.
Next up: another major test. Syracuse takes on No. 1 Cornell at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mitchel Field in Uniondale, New York. A win there could prove this team is a serious contender come May.
