Polls for Apr 6: Media #6 / Coaches #5

[OrangeXtreme]

1. North Carolina 438 (20)
2. Notre Dame 410 (2)
3. Princeton 388
4. Richmond 370
5. Harvard 345
6. Syracuse 338

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Tar Heels Take Top Spot in USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20

The Tar Heels' latest triumph over Syracuse, coupled with former No. 1 Richmond's loss to Notre Dame, opened the door for UNC to move up to top billing.

www.usalacrosse.com

1. North Carolina
2. Princeton
3. Notre Dame
4. Harvard
5. Richmond
6. Syracuse

 

[OrangeXtreme]

4. Syracuse

The Orange were sloppy playing on grass for the first time, as their defenders had issues covering picks, maintaining footing and didn’t they sub efficiently. Playing on natural grass is a rarity. Only three teams in the country have grass home fields: UVA, Duke and North Carolina. It’s a unique homefield advantage, especially when the surface is slick. I see weekly slippage at Dorrance Field. Players have to learn to cut on natural grass and shoot to maximize the more explosive bounces. I’ve been harping on these subtleties all spring because when you watch these games closely, you can see the difference.

SU’s six-game win streak was snapped in Chapel Hill. They marked UNC’s dangerous lefty shooter Dom Pietramala with Billy Dwan III, who was asked to slide as the help man. Pietramala was able to snake free and unload a high volume (10) of shots. Throw this strategy in the trash if there is a next meeting or two between these ACC superpowers, which is likely. Joey Spallina did not score a point, took three shots and had two turnovers. The Orange couldn’t win a face-off and didn’t make saves. Michael Leo was a bright spot.

Syracuse (9-3) received 140 inches of snow this winter. Their fans have been coming out in droves, recording the four biggest attendance figures of 2026. They will be honoring John Desko on Saturday when they host Virginia at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. Cooper Boardman and Paul Carcaterra have the call. Desko is a former SU player, assistant and head coach who owns a part of all 11 NCAA titles. Carc is uniquely qualified to bring this story to life for the viewer.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[FloridaCuse]

Media

1. North Carolina 438 (20)
2. Notre Dame 410 (2)
3. Princeton 388
4. Richmond 370
5. Harvard 345
6. Syracuse 338

Not that far behind #5 Harvard. I'm surprised TF had us as high as 6. He had all 5 ACC schools in his top 8.

 

[OrangeXtreme]