Second-seeded Syracuse, behind four goals apiece from Kenny Nims and Patrick Perritt, hammered the third-seeded Blue Devils, 17-7, in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament at Gillette Stadium.

Last spring, right here in this Boston suburb, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team was on the precipice of an NCAA championship.

Virginia has announced its presence to the college lacrosse world — with authority.

The second-ranked Cavaliers (5-0) took down No. 1 Syracuse (2-1), 13-12, in front of 16,595 fans Friday night.

Tonight at the Carrier Dome, roughly eight months later, Syracuse and Virginia — the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country — square off again.

Virginia coach Dom Starsia didn’t even want to hear the end of the question. On a chilly Tuesday night against Mount St. Mary’s at Klockner Stadium, an irate Starsia didn’t have time for it.

UVa’s most notable non-conference games are back-to-back road affairs. The Cavaliers play at Syracuse the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28), then travel to take on Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge four days later (Dec. 2).

Ben Rubeor is a professional lacrosse player now, but he’s still thinking about the shot he took against Syracuse two weeks ago in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Virginia’s end of the field looked like a battle scene from the movie “Braveheart.” Bodies were strewn across the grass playing surface. Goalie Bud Petit lay crumpled and motionless.

In the aftermath of his team’s double-overtime loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Saturday, Virginia coach Dom Starsia became a tad emotional when asked about two of his seniors, Ben Rubeor and Bud Petit.

Virginia senior Ben Rubeor is arguably one of the top two or three players in the country. So you can imagine how he felt back on March 1 when he wasn’t able to play like it.

The first start of Garett Ince’s career came against Duke in front of 8,000 fans at Klockner Stadium on April 12. “I was pretty nervous,” recalled Ince, Virginia’s freshman faceoff specialist, “but it’s one of those things where you have to get your feet wet.”