Syracuse opened the Atlantic Coast Conference Coaches Poll ranked third, trailing Notre Dame and IL’s preseason No. 1, Virginia. It’s one spot higher than the Orange opened in the poll last season, a year they finished 9-5 and fell to North Carolina in the ACC Championship. SU then lost to Loyola in the first round of the NCAA Championship.

In a preseason press conference, coach John Desko said that he wouldn’t be surprised to see this year’s team playing on championship weekend. Four members of the Orange were named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team, tied for the most with Virginia.

Just a week after seven Orange were honored as Preseason All-Americans midfielder Brendan Curry, defender Nick Mellen, short-stick midfielder Peter Dearth and goalkeeper Drake Porter were named to the All-ACC team Tuesday.

“We were saying a couple weeks ago, we got all the talent. We know we have the talent there, that’s not a question,” Porter said to Brian Higgins. “We got to work hard and be able to put it together.

Despite high expectations for the Syracuse attack, Chase Scanlan and Tucker Dordevic, who were honored as Preseason All-Americans, did not make the All-ACC list.