GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) - The nation's top two ranked teams square off in ACC men's lacrosse action on Thursday, as No. 1 Duke entertains No. 2 North Carolina at 7 p.m. ACC Network has the television broadcast. It marks the sixth all-time No. 1 versus 2 showdown between ACC teams.

All five ACC teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally again this week. No. 4 Syracuse plays host to No. 9 Notre Dame at noon Saturday on ESPNU. No. 5 Virginia steps out of conference play and takes on No. 13 Richmond at 5 p.m. Saturday on ACCNX.
 

#2 Duke 15, #4 Syracuse 14

Saturday, March 27

#9 Virginia 12, #6 Notre Dame 11

Thursday, April 1

#2 North Carolina at #1 Duke | 7 p.m. | ACCN

Saturday, April 3

#9 Notre Dame at #4 Syracuse | Noon | ESPNU

#13/17 Richmond at #5/6 Virginia | 5 p.m. | ACCNX

Thursday, April 8

Albany at Syracuse | 5 p.m. | ACCN

Saturday, April 10

Duke at Notre Dame | Noon | ESPNU

Virginia at North Carolina | 2 p.m. | ESPNU

All times Eastern; Rankings: USILA/Inside Lacrosse

Noting ACC Men's Lacrosse

• The five ACC teams all rank among the top 10 in both polls, with Duke topping the USILA and Inside Lacrosse rankings at No. 1, followed by Duke (2), Syracuse (4), Virginia (5) and Notre Dame (9). UVa is ranked No. 6 in the IL poll.

• Duke and UNC are two of the six remaining unbeaten teams in Division I.

• Both conference games last week were decided by a single goal.

• The Duke-UNC clash on Thursday marks the sixth-ever ACC game pitting the nation's No. 1 and 2 teams in the USILA poll:

4/18/15 - at No. 1 Notre Dame 15, No. 2 North Carolina 14

3/28/15 - at No. 2 Notre Dame 13, No. 1 Syracuse 12 (2OT)

4/10/10 - No. 1 Virginia 7, No. 2 North Carolina 5 (in East Rutherford, N.J.)

3/28/87 - at No. 2 Maryland 16, No. 1 North Carolina 6

4/13/74 - at No. 1 Maryland 25, No. 2 Virginia 13

• Duke attackman Michael Sowers was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week (3g, 3a vs. Syracuse; assisted on game-tying goal and scored game-winning goal).

• Duke freshman face-off specialist Jake Naso earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week laurels 

(won a career-best 24-of-32 faceoffs, picked up a career-high 14 ground balls vs. Syracuse). 

• Naso also was named the US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Player of the Week.

• ACC teams are 28-1 in non-conference play this year while outscoring their opponents 484-258.

• The five ACC teams all rank among the top 20 nationally in scoring: North Carolina (1st, 18.4 gpg, Duke (2nd, 17.0), Syracuse (5th, 15.7), Virginia (14th, 14.4) and Notre Dame (17th (14.2).

• Notre Dame ranks first nationally in scoring defense (6.6 gpg), while Duke is 10th (8.7).

• The ACC boasts the NCAA's active individual career leaders in points (Michael Sowers, Duke, 352), goals (Charlie Bertrand, UVa, 225) and assists (Sowers, 210). Sowers (6.29) and UNC's Chris Gray (5.78) are the NCAA's active leaders in career points per game.

• UNC's Chris Gray ranks first nationally in points per game (6.6), while ND's Pat Kavanagh is ninth (5.6). Kavanagh leads the nation in assists per game (4.2) and Sowers is seventh (3.2).

• Notre Dame's Liam Entenmann boasts the top goals-against average nationally (6.57), while Duke's Mike Adler is eighth (8.03).

• The ACC led all conferences with 12 players on the 2021 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. Each of the five ACC programs had at least one representative on the list.