IL: Weekend Preview: Ivy League Showdown, Love is an ACC Battlefield | Syracusefan.com

IL: Weekend Preview: Ivy League Showdown, Love is an ACC Battlefield

OrangeXtreme

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No. 11 North Carolina (7-4, 2-0 ACC) at No. 9 Syracuse (6-4, 1-2 ACC)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Live on ESPN3

Last Meeting: April 24, 2015 – Syracuse won 9-8; April 11, 2015 – UNC won 17-15

MLL Draft Picks: North Carolina - Steve Pontrello (25th overall, Florida Launch), Jake Matthai (41st overall, Boston Cannons), Zach Powers (50th overall, Ohio Machine), Evan Connell (54th overall, Charlotte Hounds) Syracuse - Dylan Donahue (Second overall – Charlotte Hounds), Brandon Mullins (ninth overall – Boston Cannons), Warren Hill (36th overall, Atlanta Blaze), Tim Barber (48th overall, Denver Outlaws)

It’s been a season of peaks and valleys, but North Carolina may have recently found its stride. Since their 14-9 loss to UMass just over a month ago, the Tar Heels have won four of their past five games, most recently a 17-16 overtime win over Duke followed by last weekend’s 16-8 win over Virginia. It’s now time to tackle the top half of the conference, beginning this weekend with a trip to the Carrier Dome.

Unlike the Tar Heels, it’s been pretty much all valleys for Syracuse as of late, and the Orange have lost four of their past five. Having lost in double overtime during their most 2014 trip to the Dome, North Carolina arrives this time with several numbers that could equal trouble for the Orange. Averaging 13.55 goals per game (fourth overall), the Tar Heels put up 56 shots last weekend against Virginia, its 16 goals came courtesy of ten different goal scorers. Furthermore, while Syracuse 52% on man-up opportunities (fourth overall), North Carolina’s man-down defense stops 79% of attempts — good for third in the nation.

After seeing his faceoff percentage drop almost 10% in four games, Ben Williams bounced back strongly in the loss to Cornell. Along with scooping a game-high 10 groundballs, Williams won 18-of-22 face-offs, including 15-18 against Dominic Massimilian, who entered the game winning 68.2%. Williams will need that momentum to carry throughout the weekend, because North Carolina’s Stephen Kelly is winning 62.8% this season, averaging just over seven groundballs per game.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/artic...gue-showdown-love-is-an-acc-battlefield/34767
 

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