A quick take on Syracuse’s 11-10 win against North Carolina on Saturday evening:
WHAT HAPPENED: What looked like a rout turned into a nail-biter as the Orange, down 6-3 at half and looking stymied by the Tar Heel D, stormed back to tie things up at 7 going into the fourth quarter. Syracuse took its first lead, 9-8, on a Nicky Galasso goal with 7:47 remaining, but the Tar Heels equalized, then took the lead again with just over 3 minutes to go. But Kevin Rice tied things up with 8 seconds to go, and, after a wild overtime-and-a-half, Billy Ward whipped a high shot past UNC goalkeeper Kieran Burke to give the Orange a huge victory.
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WHAT IT MEANS: This was an absolute stone-cold classic. The Orange secured a likely 3-seed in the 4-team ACC tournament and are riding the momentum from a string of impressive victories.
STAR GAZING: Ward and Rice share the spotlight for a pair of clutch goals to cap a furious SU comeback after the Orange went scoreless in a quarter for the first time all year. This was a wildly entertaining game, with great play on both sides.
UNC’s Jimmy Bitter scored 4 goals, and Burke was superb between the pipes, turning away a would-be game winner from Rice as the clock ran out in the first overtime.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will travel to Geneva, NY to take on upstate rival Hobart on Saturday, April 19, at 3 p.m. TV: TWCS.
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