Five Takeaways From Virginia Lacrosse's 14-9 Loss to No. 5 Syracuse

On Saturday, Virginia men’s lacrosse’s four-game win streak was snapped at the hands of No. 6 Syracuse on the road. After Ryan Duenkel scored the opening goal less than a minute in, the Orange responded with a four-goal run that gave them a lead they maintained for the remainder of the contest. That said, here are five takeaways from Virginia’s loss:

The winning streak is over. How do the Cavaliers respond? How does Virginia secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament picture?

The 2026 season has been a tale of two halves. The Hoos opened the season with a 3-4 record, which included heartbreaking one-goal losses to Johns Hopkins and Maryland in addition to losses to Towson and Richmond. In desperate need of an answer, the Hoos found life defeating Utah, Dartmouth, No. 1 Notre Dame, and No. 7 Duke, propelling themselves to the top of the ACC and into the NCAA Tournament picture. Now that the Cavaliers have dropped a game, it begs the question: how do they respond, and what do they need to do to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament?

Virginia has two regular-season games left against No. 1 North Carolina and Drexel before the ACC Tournament. That said, if Virginia, assuming they beat Drexel, can rally the troops and win either one game in the ACC Tournament or defeat UNC at home, the Hoos will find themselves dancing in May. Despite this, the question remains as to what kind of team shows up moving forward.

Hoos struggle to find a way past Syracuse goalie Jimmy McCool

The primary reason for Syracuse’s win was due to the outstanding performance by senior netminder Jimmy McCool, who delivered 16 saves and a .640 save percentage. Anytime the Cavaliers found a glimmer of light on offense, it was McCool who slammed the door shut with multiple saves. If the Cavaliers want to find a way to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, finding ways to disrupt elite goaltenders may be a potential storyline moving forward.

Jake Marek struggles: Can he bounce back?

The graduate transfer from Air Force has been on an outstanding run over the course of Virginia’s win streak, recording a save percentage of at least 55% in each contest. Despite his strong form heading into Saturday, the JMA Wireless Dome proved to be a spot of struggle for Marek as he recorded three saves and a mere .176 save percentage. It’s important to note that this was not entirely Marek's fault, as the barrage of shots he faced was difficult for any goalie to stop. Despite that, it's become clear that the form of Marek will be a factor that dictates how far the Cavaliers go this season.

The Millon brothers lead the UVA offense once again

Speaking of factors that will dictate the Virginia success, Brendan and McCabe Millon have served as the lifeblood of the Hoos' offense this season. Once again, the pair led the Cavaliers offensively, combining for seven points, with McCabe leading the charge with one goal and four assists while Brendan found the cage twice. The performance by McCabe was a massive confidence boost after the junior recorded zero points against Duke. Additionally, the Millon brothers showed they can perform against two of the best defenders in the country, in Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan III, showing the pair is capable of competing against any defense moving forward.

"Watch this shot" 👀

Brendan Millon with the catch and release #GoHoos🔸⚔️🔹 pic.twitter.com/MBPttN8r7x
— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) April 11, 2026

The Hoos have potentially played their last true away game of the season

The JMA Wireless Dome is one of the toughest places to play in college lacrosse and has suited Syracuse well this season, as the Orange are undefeated at home. Luckily for the Cavaliers, they host their last two games of the regular season at home before the neutral-site ACC Tournament. The only potential away game for the remainder of the year would be a first-round NCAA Tournament game, but if the Hoos can persevere and make it to Championship Weekend, they’d host it in their own backyard at Scott Stadium. That said, having home-field advantage moving forward is a massive positive for the Cavaliers.

Virginia returns to action next Saturday, April 18th, against No. 1 North Carolina at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia, at noon.