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Syracuse men’s lacrosse (10-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has climbed to No. 6 in the latest Inside Lacrosse top 20 poll. The move comes after the Orange defeated UNC 10-9 on April 13 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which moved SU up past Georgetown following the Hoyas’ loss to then-No. 10 Denver. It’s Syracuse’s first improvement in the IL poll since week 7.

Against North Carolina, SU initially continued to struggle without offensive coordinator Pat March, who was ejected from its 18-17 overtime loss to then-No. 13 Cornell on April 2 and suspended versus North Carolina. The Orange allowed three straight UNC goals early and struggled to find an offensive rhythm.

Joey Spallina led Syracuse to a resounding response. The attack posted a game-best six points, which included five assists, to help the Orange take a 7-4 halftime lead and a 10-4 early third-quarter advantage. Even though SU let UNC claw back to within one goal, its dominance in the middle of the game was enough to seal a victory.

“We made some mistakes. But we survived,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said postgame.

The win clinched a spot in the ACC Tournament for the Orange, who currently sit in second place with a 2-1 conference record. Syracuse will face No. 4 Virginia in its regular-season finale on April 20, a matchup that could decide the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. The Orange are 0-3 versus the Cavaliers in their last three meetings.