Five Things to Know: Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
5/21/2026 10:00:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Get prepped for Saturday's showdown at NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Weekend as No. 7 Syracuse takes on second-ranked Notre Dame. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia following the first semifinal game of the day between No. 1 Princeton and No. 13 Duke at noon. Both semifinal games will air on ESPN2 with Anish Shroff '04, All-American midfielder for the 'Cuse Paul Carcaterra '97, and Quint Kessenich in the booth with Virginia grad Dana Boyle reporting from the sidelines.
Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
Saturday sees the Orange and the Fighting Irish meet for the 25th time since 2001. This game is the second time Syracuse and Notre Dame will meet at Championship Weekend and the first time since that first-ever meeting on Saturday May 26, 2001. The month of May has favored the Orange when facing the Irish - Syracuse is 5-2 in the fifth month of the year, including 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
For the 29th Time
This weekend marks the 29th appearance in the NCAA Division I Semifinals for the Orange. Syracuse has reached this round for a second-straight season, the only one of the four teams in the Division I Semifinals to repeat the feat. The Orange have won the Semifinal game 17 times and are looking for their first trip to the title game since 2013.
Semi-Unique
This is the fourth time in program history Syracuse has played the other three semifinalists during the regular season. In the 1999 regular season Syracuse played Georgetown, Virginia, and Hopkins, beating the Hoyas in the semis before falling to the Cavaliers in the title game. The following season, Syracuse played Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Virginia in the regular season, beating Hopkins in the semifinals and Princeton for John Desko's first national championship as a head coach. Just two years later in 2002, Syracuse played the same teams in the regular season, beating Virginia in the semifinals before wresting back the crown from Princeton.Â
Punches in Bunches
Last weekend against North Carolina in the Quarterfinals, Luke Rhoa put away his 30th goal of the season, bringing the 2026 group to rarified air. The Orange now have four 30-goal scorers for the first time since 1990: Finn Thomson (41), Michael Leo (35), Joey Spallina (35), and now Luke Rhoa (30). The last four Orange to rack at least 30 goals in the same season: Gary Gait (46), Paul Gait (31), Tom Marechek (36) and Greg Burns (39) en route to the 1990 National Championship.
Vaguely Familiar
Familiar city, yes. Familiar venue, no. Syracuse is no stranger to playing in Charlottesville; the Orange have played University of Virginia 19 times in town. But it's been three quarters of a century since Syracuse men's lacrosse has played a game at Scott Stadium, which was the Virginia Cavaliers' primary stadium until Klöckner Stadium opened. Two Syracuse men's lacrosse teams have likely played at Scott Stadium - the 1938 team won 13-4 in Charlottesville, but the 1950 team fell 13-7 on Grounds. But head coach Gary Gait can get the scouting report on the field surface just by walking downstairs - his former assistant on the Syracuse women's lacrosse staff and current Orange women's head coach Regy Thorpe and the Orange picked up a 6-5 win over Virginia at Scott Stadium earlier this year.
Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
Saturday sees the Orange and the Fighting Irish meet for the 25th time since 2001. This game is the second time Syracuse and Notre Dame will meet at Championship Weekend and the first time since that first-ever meeting on Saturday May 26, 2001. The month of May has favored the Orange when facing the Irish - Syracuse is 5-2 in the fifth month of the year, including 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
For the 29th Time
This weekend marks the 29th appearance in the NCAA Division I Semifinals for the Orange. Syracuse has reached this round for a second-straight season, the only one of the four teams in the Division I Semifinals to repeat the feat. The Orange have won the Semifinal game 17 times and are looking for their first trip to the title game since 2013.
Semi-Unique
This is the fourth time in program history Syracuse has played the other three semifinalists during the regular season. In the 1999 regular season Syracuse played Georgetown, Virginia, and Hopkins, beating the Hoyas in the semis before falling to the Cavaliers in the title game. The following season, Syracuse played Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Virginia in the regular season, beating Hopkins in the semifinals and Princeton for John Desko's first national championship as a head coach. Just two years later in 2002, Syracuse played the same teams in the regular season, beating Virginia in the semifinals before wresting back the crown from Princeton.Â
Punches in Bunches
Last weekend against North Carolina in the Quarterfinals, Luke Rhoa put away his 30th goal of the season, bringing the 2026 group to rarified air. The Orange now have four 30-goal scorers for the first time since 1990: Finn Thomson (41), Michael Leo (35), Joey Spallina (35), and now Luke Rhoa (30). The last four Orange to rack at least 30 goals in the same season: Gary Gait (46), Paul Gait (31), Tom Marechek (36) and Greg Burns (39) en route to the 1990 National Championship.
Vaguely Familiar
Familiar city, yes. Familiar venue, no. Syracuse is no stranger to playing in Charlottesville; the Orange have played University of Virginia 19 times in town. But it's been three quarters of a century since Syracuse men's lacrosse has played a game at Scott Stadium, which was the Virginia Cavaliers' primary stadium until Klöckner Stadium opened. Two Syracuse men's lacrosse teams have likely played at Scott Stadium - the 1938 team won 13-4 in Charlottesville, but the 1950 team fell 13-7 on Grounds. But head coach Gary Gait can get the scouting report on the field surface just by walking downstairs - his former assistant on the Syracuse women's lacrosse staff and current Orange women's head coach Regy Thorpe and the Orange picked up a 6-5 win over Virginia at Scott Stadium earlier this year.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's LacrosseMen's Lacrosse Media Availability | May 21, 2026
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