Could you imagine the hype if Virginia and Syracuse were playing for the actual NCAA men’s lacrosse championship?

Cue the ESPN montage and Anish Shroff voiceover and highlights galore.

Their 1997 clash at the Carrier Dome, in particular, is legendary. Casey Powell set Syracuse’s single-game record with 13 points. The teams combined for 43 goals on 118 shots. It was helter-skelter lacrosse in its prime.

“On Feb. 28, 1997, the teams put down their sticks, picked up some paint brushes and created an all-time offensive masterpiece in the Dome,” Lindsey Kramer of Syracuse Post-Standard wrote three years ago on the eve of the 20th anniversary. “The final was 22-21 Syracuse, a tally that seemingly could have run into triple figures if only the worn-out scoreboard had a little more time.”

The Virginia-Syracuse rivalry dates back to 1986. And although the two teams are perennial national title contenders, they have not met in the NCAA tournament since 2008, when eventual championship MVP Mike Leveille scored in overtime to lift the Orange to a 12-11 semifinal victory. Their lone championship game encounter came in 1999, with the Cavaliers prevailing 12-10.

VIRGINIA PREVIEW

The 2020 season ended at about the same point the 2019 Cavaliers got hot.

Virginia did not exactly make a compelling case for an NCAA championship repeat through six games, going 4-2 with wins over Loyola, Lehigh, High Point and Air Force and losses to Princeton and Brown. But the Cavaliers were 4-2 at the same point last season, albeit on the heels of three straight overtime escapes — including a 15-14 victory at the Carrier Dome in which they came back from a four-goal fourth-quarter deficit.

Matt Moore (19 goals, 16 assists) and Michael Kraus (14 goals, 12 assists) picked up where they left off, but Ian Laviano (11 goals) regressed some and Virginia was still waiting for Dox Aitken (nine goals on 20.9-percent shooting) to regain his first-team All-American form.

Three reasons the Cavaliers could have went on another run in 2020, as coach Lars Tiffany highlighted Wednesday: the anticipated return of top defenseman Cade Saustad, faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla getting better as the season goes on and the clutch gene of goalie Alex Rode.

SYRACUSE PREVIEW

There’s a reason nearly all of Syracuse’s senior starters have announced they’re returning in 2021.

The Orange were that good in 2020. Powered by its explosive midfield (highlighted in this article by US Lacrosse Magazine’s Nelson Rice) and an underrated defense, Syracuse steamrolled to a 5-0 start and No. 1 national ranking.

There was not a weakness to be found. Loyola transfer Chase Scanlan was as good as advertised, scoring seven goals in his Carrier Dome debut. Faceoff specialists Jakob Phaup and Danny Varello combined to win 67.1 percent of faceoffs and goalie Drake Porter was stopping shots at a 57.7-percent clip.

UNDER-THE-RADAR STARS

Payton Cormier, Virginia: Running with the first midfield but operating as the fourth attackman, the big-bodied Canadian was having consistent success finding seams with 12 goals (on 50-percent shooting) and seven assists through six games.

Kyle Kology, Virginia: The one-time walk-on became the only returning starter on defense when Saustad went down, not only covering the opponent’s top attackman but also coordinating a unit that included two freshman starters in Scott Bower and Quentin Matsui.

Peter Dearth, Syracuse: If you can say an All-American is under the radar, it’s because he plays the most overlooked position in lacrosse. But of all the seniors who have announced they’re returning, Dearth may have given the Orange most cause to celebrate. His ability to blunt repeated dodges in isolation factored significantly in Syracuse allowing just 9.4 goals per game (ranked 11th nationally). Dearth, a converted offensive midfielder, also poses a threat in transition.

Stephen Rehfuss, Syracuse: A four-year starter after transferring from Holy Cross, Rehfuss has never been the focal point of the Syracuse offense. But he has been incredibly productive as a distributor. He led the ACC and finished the shortened season ranked third nationally with 3.6 assists per game (18 total).

STATISTICAL COMPARISON

*National rank in parenthesis

HISTORY

The all-time series is tied at 17 games apiece, including NCAA tournament meetings in 1995 (won by Syracuse), 1998 (Syracuse), 1999 (Virginia), 2002 (Syracuse), 2006 (Virginia) and 2008 (Syracuse). Last year’s win was Virginia’s first at the Carrier Dome since 2009. Mikey Herring scored the winner in overtime.

May Lacrosse in March!!! Here is the overtime winner by Mikey Herring!!!! UVA improves to 3-2. #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/g1KFTuTa66

— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) March 2, 2019

QUOTABLE

"Every time Virginia plays Syracuse in a men's lacrosse game, whether it's a regular season game or in the ACC tournament, I pinch myself that I'm involved in the game. This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college lacrosse. Lacrosse fans know the history — how many one-goal and overtime games, and overall how tight and close the series is. It's a magical game." — Virginia coach Lars Tiffany

HOW TO VOTE

Voting in the Nike / US Lacrosse Magazine Virtual NCAA championship game begins Friday on Twitter (@uslacrossemag). You can vote all weekend long to help us determine the virtual champion.