April 15, 2005
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#14/11 Notre Dame (6-3, 2-1 GWLL) vs. #20/nr Fairfield (8-2, 1-0 GWLL)
Sunday, April 17, 1 p.m. (EDT) • Lessing Field
– Radio: WVOF 88.5 FM (Fairfield area)
– Live Audio: www.wvof.org
#14 IRISH HEAD TO #20 FAIRFIELD FOR IMPORTANT GWLL GAME: The #14/11 University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team (6-3, 2-1 GWLL) heads back on the road this weekend for another important Great Western Lacrosse League matchup, as it will play at conference co-leader #20/nr Fairfield (8-2, 1-0 GWLL) on Sunday at 1 p.m. (EDT) at Lessing Field. It will be the sixth time the Irish have taken on a nationally-ranked team this season.
THE RADIO/LIVE AUDIO PLANS: Sunday’s game will be broadcast by the Fairfield University student radio station, WVOF 88.5 FM, and that feed also will be available online at www.wvof.org.
LAST TIME ON THE FIELD: Notre Dame split a pair of home Great Western Lacrosse League games last week, losing 9-6 against Denver on Thursday before prevailing 14-13 in overtime against Air Force on Sunday.
Denver used outstanding defense to defeat Notre Dame, holding the Irish to exactly half of their season goal average, as well as its lowest output since the finale of the 2003 season. The teams played a scoreless first quarter, and Denver held a 3-2 goal edge in each of the final three periods, building a lead of as many as four (9-5) and never allowing the Irish to score back-to-back goals. For the second game in a row, Notre Dame freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) turned in a strong performance in defeat. He stopped two-thirds of the shots he faced, making 18 saves, including a number on point-blank efforts from a Pioneers unit that had been tied for fourth in the nation in scoring, at 12.00 goals per game. Denver outshot the Irish 39-32 and also held a 27-15 edge in shots on goal. The Pioneers led 3-2 at halftime, but senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) knotted the score for the third time with a goal off an assist by senior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) just 2:24 into the second half. Denver senior M Scott Davidson won the ensuing faceoff, picked up the ground ball and passed to freshman A Brett Koll who found Zordani right in front for his second goal, just seven seconds after Morrison’s tally. That would put DU up for good, but Davidson then won the next faceoff to set up another Pioneer tally, coming just 15 seconds later from senior A Matt Brown – the GWLL’s top goal scorer – off another assist from Kroll. Morrison, had two goals and an assist, while junior M Drew Peters (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.) turned in the second multiple-goal game of his career (two goals), while junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) and sophomore M Lucius Polk (Washington, D.C./St. Albans H.S.) also scored for Notre Dame. Karweck also had a pair of assists to end with three points. Freshman M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) won a majority of the faceoffs for the eighth time in as many collegiate games, coming through on 10 of 19 draws. The teams collected 49 ground balls apiece, with junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) each picking up five.
Playing in his final game at Moose Krause Stadium, senior co-captain M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) scored five goals – including the game winner 2:42 into overtime – to lead the Irish to a thrilling victory over Air Force. After trailing by two in the fourth quarter, the Falcons scored a pair of goals to tie the game for the sixth time and force overtime in front of a record crowd of 1,305. Air Force fired a pair of shots on net, but fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) – who played the final 22:23 and got the victory – saved both of those attempts. His second stop transitioned into a successful clear for Notre Dame, which called a timeout with 1:33 left in the four-minute extra session. Out of the timeout, the Irish got the ball to senior A Matt Malakoff (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore H.S.) behind the goal. He sprinted to the left wing and passed to junior M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), who turned to the center of the field, and dished off to Giordano, who fired a shot from up top past Air Force goaltender Justin Pavoni. Giordano led the Irish with five points, while another Malakoff – who made his first start of the season – netted a career-high three goals and added an assist for a career-high four points. Junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) added a pair of goals, while Karweck ended with two assists. Other goal scorers for Notre Dame were senior M Colin Fatti (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles H.S.), junior M Drew Peters (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), sophomore M Ryan Cunn (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.), and Clagett. Ryan, Morrison, Fatti, and freshman M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) all registered assists. Crosland relieved freshman Kemp with 4:41 remaining in the third quarter with Notre Dame leading 11-10. The veteran made seven saves and allowed just three goals, with two of them coming on man-up opportunities. He moved to 2-1 this season. The Irish dominated statistically in virtually every category, finishing with a 51-36 advantage in shots (42-21 after three quarters) and a 57-38 ground-ball advantage (including a majority in every period). Notre Dame also won 21 of 31 faceoffs, with Clagett being victorious on 19 of the 28 that he attempted. He also picked up a collegiate-high 12 ground balls.
HEAD COACH Kevin Corrigan: Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan is in his 17th season at the helm of the Notre Dame program. He has led the Irish to a 145-82 (.639) mark, while holding a 155-97 (.615) overall record in 18+ seasons. Corrigan’s Notre Dame teams have earned 10 NCAA tournament berths since 1990, highlighted by quarterfinal appearances in 1995 and 2000 and a Final Four trip in 2001. Only six other Division I schools have as many postseason appearances in that span, while Corrigan and Princeton’s Bill Tierney are the only two mentors in the country to have led their current teams to 10 NCAA tournaments since `90. Corrigan’s teams have had 13 winning seasons, including 10 with nine or more victories. He has had at least one player earn All-America honors in each of the last 12 seasons for a total of 23 honorees since 1994. In addition, 85 players have garnered all-conference mention under Corrigan. The Irish also have claimed at least a share of 12 league titles (9 Great Western Lacrosse League, 3 Midwest Lacrosse Association Great Lakes Conference). In a three-year playing career as a midfielder at Virginia, Corrigan helped the Cavaliers to the NCAA final in 1979. He previously was an assistant at Notre Dame in 1983 and served as head coach of Randolph-Macon College for two years (1985-86).
IRISH DROP TO 11th IN INSIDE LACROSSE MEDIA POLL, 14th IN USILA LISTING: After losing to Denver and beating Air Force, Notre Dame dropped two spots to 11th in the latest Inside Lacrosse media poll, while falling three positions to 14th in the Geico/STX Coaches Poll, presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). Notre Dame began the season 14th in the USILA poll and ninth in the Inside Lacrosse listing and has been as high as ninth and sixth, respectively.
GWLL UPDATE: There have been only five (of 15 scheduled) games between Great Western Lacrosse League teams played thus far this season. At this point, Denver, Fairfield, and Ohio State are tied atop the standings with 1-0 records, while Notre Dame is 2-1, and both Butler and Air Force stand 0-2. The Irish-Stags contest is the lone league matchup this weekend. The GWLL champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Buckeyes have garnered that invitation in each of the last two years, though they were tri-champions with both Notre Dame and Denver in 2003.
IRISH-STAGS SERIES NOTES: Notre Dame and Fairfield will meet for the sixth consecutive year, with Notre Dame holding a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series. The schools first played in 2000, the Stags’ first season in the Great Western Lacrosse League, with the Irish prevailing 20-12 at home. Fairfield’s lone defeat came in an 11-10 decision in 2002 at Moose Krause Stadium, which propelled the Stags to the GWLL title and a trip to the NCAA tournament. The other four games have seen Notre Dame win easily, by an averag of 7.8 goals per game and at least six in every contest. In their two previous trips to Fairfield, the Irish won 12-5 in 2001 and 14-4 in `03. This will be the first time that the Stags are nationally-ranked when facing Notre Dame. Next year, Fairfield will leave the GWLL to join the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). Last year, Notre Dame won 16-7 at home against the Stags.
LAST YEAR’S ND-FFD GAME: Playing in his final collegiate home game, senior A Matt Howell turned in the best performance of his career, scoring five times and dishing off three assists to end up one shy of the school record for points in a game, as 14th-ranked Notre Dame beat Fairfield 16-7 on April 18 at Moose Krause Stadium. After the Irish went up 2-0 early, the Stags scored three times in less than three minutes to take their only lead of the game, 3-2. Following a Fairfield goal that cut the lead to 7-5 with 6:45 remaining in the first half, Notre Dame held Fairfield scoreless for a 25:42 stretch spanning the final three periods, scoring eight straight goals to take control of the contest. Notre Dame played without its entire first midfield, but got strong performances from a variety of players in its absence. Most notably, freshman M Lucius Polk (Washington, D.C./St. Albans H.S.) had two goals and an assist for the second game in a row. Sophomore Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) had three assists. In all, 11 different players registered points for Notre Dame, while nine had multiple points. Senior A Dan Berger finished his home career with two goals, while junior M Colin Fatti (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles H.S.) took advantage of increased playing time, scoring his first two goals of the season. Notre Dame won the ground ball battle 45-38, as senior D Brennan Creaney picked up eight, the most by an Irish player in a game this season. The Stags were victorious on 17 of 27 faceoffs. Senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) failed to stop the first three Stag shots on goal, but then allowed just three more the remainder of the game, making 13 saves for a .684 percentage.
THE LAST TIME ND VISITED FAIRFIELD: For the third straight outing, 19th-ranked Notre Dame turned in a stellar defensive effort, as the Irish held an opponent to fewer than five goals for the third time in as many games. Behind three goals by both senior Travis Wells and junior Dan Berger, Notre Dame won its third straight Great Western Lacrosse League contest with a 14-4 road win at Fairfield on April 19, 2003. The Irish scored the first four goals of the game and then went up 8-1 late in the second period. Notre Dame then went up 10-2 after three preiods and scored four times in the fourth. Junior Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) played 46:10 of the contest and finished with four saves and allowed two goals. Fairfield’s CJ Kemp recorded 16 saves and played in playing 49:30 minutes.
IRISH OFFENSE TOPS IN DIVISION I IN MAN-UP EFFICIENCY, SEVENTH IN SCORING: The Notre Dame offense is currently first in Division I in man-up conversions, having scored on 16 of 31 chanes (51.6%). Next best is UMBC, who has scored on 20 of 40 opportunities (50.0%). The Irish also rank seventh in scoring offense (11.56 goals per game) after being first earlier this spring.
WALSH FIFTH IN NATION IN SCORING: Junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) currently ranks fifth among Division I players in points per game (4.11), as well as seventh in assists per game (2.11). He leads the team with 18 goals and 19 assists (37 points).
KEMP THIRD IN DIVISION I IN SAVE PERCENTAGE: Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) is third among all Division I goaltenders in save percentage, at .632. Leading the country is Joseph Canuso of Villanova (.644), while Duke freshman Aaron Fenton is next at .640.
RECORD CROWD: A crowd of 1,305 saw Notre Dame prevail 14-13 in overtime against Air Force at Moose Krause Stadium on April 10. It is the largest home men’s lacrosse attendance on record. This season provided both of the two biggest home crowds in program history, after 1,089 saw Notre Dame beat Butler 22-6 on March 19.
KEMP POSTS MOST SAVES FOR ND GOALIE SINCE 1994: Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) made 23 saves (.697) in a 10-9 loss at #19 Dartmouth on April 2. It was the most saves by an Irish goaltender since Ryan Jewell had 23 in a 12-8 victory at Hobart on April 2, 1994. The Big Green outshot Notre Dame 51-32, but Kemp’s strong goaltending gave the Irish a chance to win.
KEMP MATCHES BEST-EVER START FOR AN ND GOALIE: Freshman goaltender Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School), who took over the starting job in the season’s third game (March 12 vs. #10 North Carolina), matched the best start ever by a Notre Dame goaltender, earning victories in each of his first four collegiate decisions. After beating the Tar Heels, Kemp was victorious against Butler (22-6), #13 Hofstra (9-8, 2OT), and Villanova (11-7), before losing at #19 Dartmouth (10-9). Two other Irish players began their collegiate careers 4-0, but they were both also defeated in their next appearances. In 1989, freshman Tom Duane notched wins against Wooster (8-7), Kenyon (14-7), Lake Forest (14-1), and Denison (8-5) before falling to Ohio Wesleyan (18-5) in his fifth game as the top Irish goalie. Sophomore Ryan Jewell registered wins against Canisius (21-5), Hobart (15-14, OT), Butler (22-11), and #15 Georgetown (13-10) in 1993 before losing 13-7 at #9 Duke.
WALSH FIRST ND PLAYER EVER TO SCORE SIX GOALS AGAINST A RANKED TEAM: Junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) scored six goals (to go with one assist), including the game-winning tally 2:05 into the second overtime to lead Notre Dame to a 9-8 double-overtime triumph at #13 Hofstra on March 26. It was the first time in the 25-year history of the Irish program that any player found the net six times against a nationally-ranked Division I squad. Walsh was the first Irish player to score six in a game against any team since Jon Harvey did so vs. Villanova in 2000. Walsh tied the Notre Dame record for goals in a road game, as it was the eighth time in program history that an Irish player scored six goals in an opponent’s stadium. It was last done by Chris Dusseau against Massachusetts in 1999.
IRISH END VILLANOVA’S 14-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK: Notre Dame’s 11-7 victory against Villanova on Monday ended the Wildcats 14-game home winning streak. It was the first home defeat for VU since a 13-10 loss to Towson on April 12, 2003. The Wildcats finished that year with two victories, then went 9-0 at home last year, and started 2005 with three consecutive home victories.
A MULTITUDE OF WEAPONS: Notre Dame’s offense saw a player score five or more goals in three consecutive games last month, with different Irish attackmen doing it on each occasion. Junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) had five goals (plus three assists) against Butler on March 19, and his classmate, All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.), notched six goals and an assist against Hofstra on March 26, before senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) scored five times vs. Villanova two days later.
IRISH END EIGHT-YEAR OVERTIME DROUGHT: When the sixth goal of the game by junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) handed the Irish a 9-8 double-overtime win at #13 Hofstra on March 26, Notre Dame snapped a six-game losing streak in overtime affairs and earned its first extra-session triumph since a 10-9 win against #12 Hobart on March 29, 1997. The Irish then beat Air Force 14-13 on senior M Brian Giordano’s (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) fifth goal of the game on April 10. They are now 10-8 all-time in overtime affairs, had previously also been defeated in their only other double-OT games, having lost 7-6 to #3 Loyola in 2002 and 9-8 against #3 Maryland last year.
WALSH, KARWECK, DRISCOLL, CROSLAND ALREADY NAMED GWLL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Through five weeks of the 2005 season, Notre Dame has boasted the Great Western Lacrosse League’s top player four times already this spring. Fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) was named the Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Week after helping Notre Dame to a season-opening 14-6 win at #21 Penn State on Feb. 27. The Landon School product stopped 73.9% of the shots he faced, making 17 saves to help the Irish to their largest-ever margin of victory in a road game against a nationally-ranked opponent. Crosland anchored an outstanding defensive performance that held the Nittany Lions scoreless in the final 25:17 of the contest, opening the door for Notre Dame’s offense to put the game out of reach with six unanswered goals. This week, it was junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Preparatory School) who earned conference accolades after he was a major factor in Notre Dame’s 9-7 upset of #10 North Carolina on March 12 at The First 4 invitational in Carson, Calif. Driscoll had the task of guarding UNC attackman Jed Prossner, a first-team All-American and one of five Tewaaraton Trophy finalists in 2004 (when he had 6 goals and 2 assists against ND), and he held the Carolina star to just one goal and one assist on seven shots. Prossner also committed a game-high four turnovers, while Driscoll led all players with six ground balls. It was just the third time in the last three years that North Carolina was held to fewer than eight goals in a game. Junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) then notched five goals and three assists in Notre Dame’s 22-6 victory over Butler on March 19, which was good enough to earn him league player-of-the-week accolades. He notched a career high in goals, matched his personal-best in assists, and doubled his previous collegiate-high total in points, ending up just one shy of the Irish record for points in a game. Karweck scored on all but one of his shots in helping Notre Dame to its highest scoring output since 1993. Junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) was the most-recent honoree, after he had six goals — including the game-winner in double overtime — and an assist in helping the Irish to a 9-8 road win against #13 Hofstra on March 26. He scored on all but two of his shots and registered a career high in goals in his return to Long Island.
KARWECK JUST MISSES ND RECORD FOR POINTS IN A GAME: Junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) had five goals and three assists in Notre Dame’s 22-6 victory over Butler on Saturday, falling just one shy of the school record for points in a game. He notched a career high in goals, matched his personal-best in assists, and doubled his previous collegiate-high total in points. He was one off the record of nine points in a game, which has been done eight times, but not since 1995. John Olmstead accomplished the feat twice in 1988, while Mike Sullivan did it in ’90 and ’91, and all-time scoring leader Randy Colley turned in four nine-point games from ’93-95. Karweck also was one off the record for most goals in a home game. Three players – Joe Franklin in 1986, Mike Quigley in 1990, and Jon Harvey in 2000 – have netted six in front of the home fans Karweck – who had just three goals and four points combined in the first three contests of 2005 – scored on all but one of his six shots and also picked up one ground ball. Heading into the game, his career high in points was four, which he had done on four occasions, including in the opening game of the season, at #21 Penn State (3 G, 1 A). His goal and point totals were the most by an Irish player since Matt Howell registered five goals and three assists against Fairfield last year. Karweck also tied the Loftus Center record for points in a game, done last by North Carolina’s Jed Prossner in 2004, when he had six goals and two assists.
MORRISON BECOMES FIRST ND PLAYER EVER TO OPEN SEASON WITH FOUR STRAIGHT HAT TRICKS: Senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) registered three goals and one assist against Butler on Saturday to become the first Notre Dame player ever to begin the season with four consecutive hat tricks. Morrison – who matched his career high in points (he also had 3 G, 1 A vs. Cornell this year) – also had hat tricks in each of the first three contests of the ’05 campaign, a feat which had been done just once previously in the 25-year history of the Irish program, by first-team All-American Tom Glatzel at the beginning of the 2001 campaign. The last Irish player to have four consecutive hat tricks – at any point in a season – was Jon Harvey in that same ’01 campaign. He did it five straight, against Ohio State (4), Denver (3), Air Force (3), Army (3), and Butler (3). The current Irish senior, who joined the team as a walk-on and had just one career goal in five games played prior to this season, has 18 goals on the season, which leads the teams.
IRISH PUT UP 22 AGAINST BUTLER: Notre Dame scored six times in the first 6:14 and led 12-0 midway through the second quarter en route to a 22-goal explosion against Butler on Saturday. The 22 goals stand as the most by any Division I school this season (Denver’s 20 against Lafayette on March 5 are next) and were the most by an Irish team in 12 years, since a 22-11 win over Butler on March 29, 1993, in the Bulldogs’ first season as a varsity program. It was the highest scoring output ever by any team in the Loftus Sports Center, as well as the largest margin of victory (16) for the Irish since a 21-5 win against Canisius on Feb. 27, 1993. The eight goals in both the first and third quarters are the most ever in a single period by any team in the facility. The 13 first-half tallies also are the most in a half in the Loftus Center.
BIG CROWD FOR BIG OFFENSIVE DAY vs. BUTLER: A crowd of 1,089 — the largest on record for an Irish home game at the time — took in Notre Dame’s 22-6 victory over Butler on March 19 in the Loftus Sports Center. The previous high was 927 on March 14, 2004, when #9 North Carolina topped the fifth-ranked Irish 14-11 in Loftus.
RYAN RAISING HIS OFFENSIVE GAME: After starting all 11 games in which he appeared and finishing with 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in 2004, junior Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) has become more of an offensive threat early this season, as he is fourth on the team in scoring and has already surpassed his point production from a year ago. Ryan has scored 10 goals (after having 11 in his career prior to this year) and added eight assists this season, registering at least a point in every game but one. After having just one multiple-goal game in his first two collegiate seasons (25 games played), Ryan scored twice in both of Notre Dame’s first two contests in 2004 and also against both Villanova and Dartmouth. He also had a pair of assists against #21 Penn State and then added another at #10 Cornell before matching his career high with three more vs. #10 North Carolina. Ryan’s scores against the Big Red came in a 2:10 span in the fourth quarter, igniting an Irish rally.
CLAGETT GETTING FACEOFF WINS: Freshman M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) has established himself as Notre Dame’s top faceoff man and turned the area into a strength for the Irish, reversing a recent trend. The rookie — the brother of four-year regular in the Irish midfield and 2004 graduate Steve Clagett — has won 63.1% (111-176) of the faceoffs he has taken — including at least half in every game — to rank seventh in Division I in the category. He has Notre Dame — which has not won more than half of the faceoffs in a season since 2001 and won just .440 in `04 — seventh nationally with a .604 (128-212) team success rate. The Irish have won at least half of the faceoffs in all nine games this season, after doing that just twice in all of 2004. Clagett also leads the team in ground balls (51) and ranks 13th in Division I (5.67 per game).
WALSH’S SIX POINTS IN OPENER MAKE HIM SECOND-FASTEST TO 100 CAREER POINTS: Junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) opened up the second half of his career with six points (3 G, 3 A) against #21 Penn State on Feb. 27. That brought his career point total to 105, making him the second-fastest Irish player ever to reach 100 career points, doing it in his 27th game. The quickest was all-time leading scorer Randy Colley (1991-95), who did it in 21 games en route to finishingwith 273 points (173 G, 100 A). The previous second-fastest to 100 was John Olmstead, who did it in 34 games and finished his career in 1989 with 146 points.
SHUTOUT STREAKS: Notre Dame has already put together three streaks of holding opponents scoreless for stretches of greater than 20:00. The first covered the final 25:17 of the season opener at #21 Penn State, allowing the Irish to score the game’s final six goals. Against Butler on March 19, Notre Dame held the Bulldogs without a goal in the initial 24:51 of the game, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. The Irish later pieced together another streak of 20:59 without giving up a goal against Butler from the latter part of the second quarter to early in the fourth. A year ago, Notre Dame had four shutout streaks of longer than 25 minutes.
IRISH REGISTER LARGEST-EVER VICTORY MARGIN IN ROAD GAME AGAINST RANKED FOE: Notre Dame’s eight-goal (14-6) win at #21 Penn State in the season opener marked the largest-ever margin of victory for the Irish in a road contest against a nationally-ranked opponent. Previously, the largest margin for Notre Dame in that situation was five, done against #17 Army in 2000 (10-5) and #18 Rutgers in 2001 (9-4). The Irish also notched a five-goal victory (12-7) in a neutral-site game against #10 Bucknell in the opening round of the 2001 NCAA tournament.
ALL THREE IRISH ATTACKMEN NOTCH HAT TRICKS vs. PENN STATE: Notre Dame’s starting attack unit, which lost two starters to graduation after last season, began the 2005 season in a big way, as all three attackmen — senior Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) and juniors Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) and Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) — registered hat tricks in Notre Dame’s 14-6 victory at #21 Penn State. Walsh tallied a game-high six points, also adding three assists, while Karweck had four points in his first collegiate game at the position (he moved there less than two weeks before the season following two seasons in the midfield). Morrison, who missed all of the 2004 campaign and had seen action in just five career games beforehand (1 goal), scored each of Notre Dame’s first three goals of the contest.
STREAKS: The following streaks are active heading into this weekend:
– ND has won four consecutive road games in Great Western Lacrosse League play (last loss: 11-5 at #19 Ohio State, 4/6/03)
– ND has won two consecutive overtime games (last loss: 9-8 in 2OT at #3 Maryland, 5/1/04)
– ND has won at least half of the faceoffs in seven consecutive games (last time didn’t win majority: 5/1/04 at #3 Maryland, 8-21)
– ND has lost 22 consecutive games when trailing after three quarters (last win: 9-8 vs. Harvard, 5/1/99, after trailing 8-6)
– ND has lost seven consecutive games against top-five opponents (last win: 13-9 vs. #3 Johns Hopkins, 5/20/01, NCAA quarterfinals)
– Freshman M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) has won at least half of faceoffs he has taken in all nine of his collegiate games
– Senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) has at least one point in nine consecutive games in which he has played (last goalless: 4/26/03 vs. Harvard)
– Junior M Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) has at least one point in five consecutive games (last pointless: 3/12/05 vs. #10 North Carolina)
IRISH LOSE PRESEASON HONORABLE-MENTION ALL-AMERICAN HUBSCHMANN FOR SEASON: Junior A Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Delbarton H.S.), tabbed preseason honorable-mention All-America by Inside Lacrosse, will miss the entire 2005 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in practice on Feb. 16, just nine days prior to the opening game. He was slated to be a starter at attack — where he played while helping Delbarton High School win the 2002 New Jersey state championship — after being a regular in the Irish midfield in his first two collegiate seasons. Hubschmann started all 11 games in which he played in 2004, finishing third on the team in scoring wiith 29 points (18 G, 11 A). Hubschmann, a second-team all-conference pick, led Notre Dame in both shots (88) and shots on goal (48) and ranked fifth in the Great Western Lacrosse League (T-48th nationally) in points per game (2.64) and seventh in assists per game (1.00; 50th in Division I). In response to the injury, the Irish moved junior Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) from midfield to attack and inserted freshman M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) into the first midfield.
WALSH ON TEWAARATON TROPHY WATCH LIST: Junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) was one of 37 players named to the watch list for the 2005 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top player at the conclusion of the season. The award will be presented at a banquet in Washington, D.C. on June 3. Walsh, who was one of 15 nominees for the award last year, is the only Irish player ever named the to watch list for the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is in just its fifth year, though A Tom Glatzel and A David Ulrich were nominees for the award in 2001.
FOUR EARN PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA MENTION: Four Irish players were mentioned on the Inside Lacrosse preseason All-America lists. Junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) led the way as a second-team selection, while junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) was on the third team, and senior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) and junior A Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Delbarton H.S.) were honorable-mention selections.
TOUGH SLATE: Notre Dame will face a difficult road to the 2005 NCAA Championship. This year’s Irish schedule features 11 games, with eight of those opponents listed in the Inside Lacrosse preseason coaches’ top 25, while the other three were receiving votes. Additionally, Notre Dame will have just three home games in 2005.
TV STARS: The 2005 season figures to be one of the most-televised ever for the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team. The Irish were shown live by College Sports Television to a national audience, as they knocked off #10 North Carolina 9-7 in The First 4 invitational at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on March 12. Additionally, Notre Dame’s final two home games, April 7 vs. Denver and April 10 vs. Air Force, were televised by Comcast Sports Local on a tape-delayed basis in Michigan and the South Bend area. The Butler game also was slated to be televised, but the move indoors precluded that from becoming a reality.
ROAD WARRIORS: Notre Dame will play eight of its 11 games away from home this season. The Irish will have just three home dates (March 19 vs. Butler, April 7 vs. Denver, April 10 vs. Air Force), in matching the 1987 season for the fewest home tilts in a campaign since the varsity program was established in 1981. Notre Dame began the year with away contests against Penn State and Cornell and then will take on North Carolina in Carson, Calif., in The First 4. The last time the Irish opened the season with four straight games away from home was 1989, when they lost at Stony Brook and against Georgetown in Hempstead, N.Y., before falling at Penn State and then beating Lehigh in University Park, Pa. The home opener that season was a 17-4 win over Hartford on March 25.
IRISH WELL REPRESENTED IN INSIDE LACROSSE SEASON PREVIEW ISSUE: Notre Dame was mentioned on numerous occasions in the season preview issue (Dec. 15, 2004) of Inside Lacrosse. The Irish were picked ninth in its Division I listing of the top 16 squads, as well as listed as one of four “Dark Horses” to reach the NCAA semifinals (along with Duke, UMass, and Army). Notre Dame’s game at GWLL rival Ohio State on April 29 also tabbed one of the six “Prime Time” games of the 2005 season. In addition to the Irish midfield being ranked #7 among Division I teams, junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) was one of four listed in the “Next in Line” category of IL’s Tewaaraton Trophy preview, which listed five favorites, meaning Walsh is among the magazine’s top nine candidates for the award given to the top player in the country. Walsh also was on the magazine’s list of both “Wheels” and “Anklebreakers”.
WALSH ON PACE TO BREAK IRISH RECORD FOR CAREER ASSISTS PER GAME: Though he still has nearly half of his career left, junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) has an excellent chance to break the Notre Dame record for assists per game. Thus far, he has notched 76 assists in 35 career games, an average of 2.17 per game. The top mark in Irish history is 1.96, done by all-time assist leader Dave Ulrich (1998-2001), who had 110 in 56 contests.
CROSLAND IN THE IRISH RECORD BOOK: Fifth-year senior Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) places high on a number of Irish career statistical lists. See the below chart for a summary of his positions:
Category, Stat, Rank, Next Up, All-Time LeaderSave Percentage, .624, 3rd, 2nd-Matt McQuillan (1985-88), .634, [3rd-Pat Poletti (1982-84), .6232], Tim Michels (1981), .677
Goals-Against Average, 8.111, 4th, 3rd-Alex Cade (1995-98), 8.107, Nick Antol (2001-03), 7.98Victories, 18, 5th 4th-Matt McQuillan (1985-88), 22, Kirk Howell (1998-2001) & Alex Cade (1995-98),Saves, 395, 6th, 5th-Chris Parent (1990-93), 416, Rob Simpson (1982-85), 623Minutes Played (goaltender), 1760:40, 3rd, 2nd-Kirk Howell (1998-2001), 2578:28 Alex Cade (1995-98), 2804:50Games Started (goaltender), 31, 5th, T-3rd-Rob Simpson (1982-85) & Alex Cade (1995-98), 50, Chris Parent (1990-93), 38Ground Balls (goaltender) 75 5th 4th-Chris Parent (1990-93), 77 Alex Cade (1995-98), 208
WALSH CLIMBING IRISH CAREER CHARTS: Even though he is just into the second half of his career, junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) already is climbing Notre Dame’s career offensive charts. See below a summary of his positions:
Category, Stat, Rank, Next Up, All-Time LeaderPoints, 135, 9th, 8th-Robbie Snyder (1991-94), 142, Randy Colley (1991-95), 273Points Per Game, 3.86, 2nd 1st-Randy Colley (1991-95), 4.96, [3rd-Bob Trocchi (1983-85), 3.76], Randy Colley (1991-95), 4.96
Goals, 59, T-15th (w/Sutton/Linehan/Harvey), T-13th-Tom Grote/Brian Mayglothling, 60, Randy Colley (1991-95), 173Goals Per Game, 1.69, 8th, 7th-Rob Snyder (1991-94), 1.73, [9th-Mike Sullivan (1989-92), 1.67], Randy Colley (1991-95), 3.14
Assists, 76, 4th, 3rd-Mike Sullivan (1989-92), 88, David Ulrich (1998-2001), 110Assists Per Game, 2.17, 1st, [2nd-David Ulrich (1998-2001), 1.96], David Ulrich (1998-2001), 1.96
IRISH IN OVERTIME: Should the game be tied at the end of regulation, Notre Dame will try to win its third overtime game of the season. On March 26, the Irish snapped a six-game losing streak in overtime affairs with a 9-8 double-OT win at #13 Hofstra. They followed that up with a 14-13 victory in one overtime at home vs. Air Force on April 10. The previous Irish overtime win was a 10-9 result at home against #12 Hobart on March 29, 1997. Notre Dame has a 10-8 all-time record in overtime games in the 25-year varsity history of the program. The Irish have played just three double-overtime games, losing in 2002 to Loyola and in `04 to Maryland before beating the Pride. Notre Dame has played overtime games against three teams on the 2005 schedule. The Irish lost to Penn State 10-9 at home in the 2002 season opener, beat Ohio State 11-10 in 1983 in Columbus, and had previously lost a pair at Hofstra (10-9, 1999; 11-10, 2001).
IRISH ADD SEVEN FOR NEXT SEASON: Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan recently announced that seven players have signed national letters of intent to join his squad for the 2006 season. Below are the newest members of the Irish. For more information, see www.und.com.
Name Pos. Hometown High SchoolPeter Christman A Simsbury, CT Westminster H.S.Dan Gibson A/M Germantown, TN Memphis University SchoolRyan Hoff A Baldwin, MD Dulaney H.S.Regis McDermott D Amityville, NY Chaminade H.S.Davey Melera M Lutherville, MD Boys' Latin H.S.Scott Rodgers G Wantagh, NY MacArthur H.S.Duncan Swezey A Ambler, PA Hatboro Horsham H.S.
KEVIN WHITE RADIO SHOW: A weekly radio show featuring Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White airs at 7 p.m. (Central time) each Thursday on ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago (1000 AM in Chicago, www.espnradio1000.com). Now in its fifth season, “The Kevin White Show” can be heard in 35 states. White welcomes to the show a series of guests and prominent figures associated with college athletics, including administrators, coaches and media members.
KEEPING UP WITH ND MEN’S LACROSSE: For the fastest results of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse games, call the Notre Dame Sports Hotline at (574) 631-3000 and choose #5 and #1. The hotline provides schedules and result information for all 26 varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the match recaps and weekly releases provided on the official athletic website, www.und.com. The hotline is the first medium updated with results of each Notre Dame men’s lacrosse game.
In addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting assistant sports information director Bo Rottenborn at Rottenborn.2@nd.edu. All requests for story ideas, interview access, match credentials, and further information on Irish men’s lacrosse should similarly be directed to Rottenborn. Credential and interview requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance.