May 10, 2012
#11 YALE
vs.
#4 NOTRE DAME (#4 seed)
NCAA Championship First Round
Sunday, May 13 – 5:15 p.m. (ET)
Arlotta Stadium – Notre Dame, Ind.
TV/INTERNET:
ESPNU/ESPN3
John Brickley (play-by-play)
Jamie Munro (analyst)
LIVE STATS:
GameTracker on UND.com
SCORE UPDATES:
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#4 IRISH TO HOST YALE IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
– No. 4 seed Notre Dame (11-2) will play host to unseeded Yale (11-4) on Sunday in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Faceoff is slated for 5:15 p.m. (ET) at Arlotta Stadium.
– The game will be aired on ESPNU/ESPN3 with John Brickley (play-by-play) and Jamie Munro (analyst) calling the action. Live stats will be available via GameTracker on UND.com.
– The Irish earned an at-large berth into the tournament, while the Bulldogs won the Ivy League Championship.
– This will be just the second meeting ever between Notre Dame and Yale. The Bulldogs topped the Irish, 17-5, during the 1983 season in Baltimore, Md.
– The winner of the Notre Dame-Yale contest will face the winner of the first-round tilt between Virginia and Princeton in the quarterfinals on Sunday, May 20 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Virginia is the tournament’s fifth seed, while Princeton is unseeded.
NOTRE DAME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
– The Fighting Irish are making their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Championship. Overall, the Irish have qualified for the NCAA tournament 17 times with every trip occurring under head coach Kevin Corrigan.
– Notre Dame is 9-16 all-time in NCAA play. Last season, Notre Dame also garnered the tournament’s No. 4 seed and defeated Penn, 13-6, in the first round before falling to Duke, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.
– Notre Dame has advanced to at least the quarterfinals on six occasions, including three times in the last four tournaments. The best finish for the Irish was a title game appearance in 2010. Notre Dame was a semifinalist in 2001.
– This is the fifth time that the Fighting Irish have earned one of the eight national seeds for the NCAA Championship. The No. 4 seed matches the highest-ever for Notre Dame. The Irish also were seeded for the 2001 (5th), 2008 (6th), 2009 (7th) and 2011 (4th) tournaments.
A LOOK AT YALE
– Yale will bring a nine-game win streak into Sunday’s showdown against the Irish. The Bulldogs captured the Ivy League Tournament title with wins over Cornell (14-10) and Princeton (15-7). Yale went 4-2 in Ivy League regular-season play.
– Yale is averaging 11.27 goals per game, while allowing 8.93 per contest. Senior attackman Matt Gibson has a team-high 56 points on 27 goals and 29 assists. Junior attackman Deron Dempster leads the Bulldogs in goals with 33. Sophomore Jack Meyer has 12 starts in goal and has a 9-4 record with an 8.45 goals-against average and a .498 save percentage. Sophomore Dylan Levings has a .634 (173-273) faceoff winning percentage.
– The Bulldogs went 10-4 last season, which included a 3-3 mark in the Ivy League.
– Head coach Andy Shay is in his ninth season at the helm of the Yale program.
– This is Yale’s first NCAA Championship appearance since 1992. It’s the fourth NCAA appearance in program history. The Bulldogs are 3-2 in NCAA play.
COMMON OPPONENTS
– Notre Dame and Yale have two common opponents this season (Providence and St. John’s). The Irish defeated Providence (9-1) and St. John’s (13-6) during the regular season before falling to the Red Storm (8-7) in the BIG EAST Championship. Yale captured victories over both Providence (9-6) and St. John’s (19-6).
IRISH AGAINST THE IVY LEAGUE
– This is the third straight season that Notre Dame has faced an Ivy League opponent in the first round of the NCAA Championship. The Irish won at Princeton, 8-5, in the opening round of the 2010 tournament and downed Penn, 13-6, in last season’s first round at Arlotta Stadium.
– The Fighting Irish are 3-1 against the Ivy League in the NCAA Championship. The other win was a 12-7 decision over Cornell in the 2010 semifinals. Notre Dame fell at Harvard, 9-3, in the first round of the 1990 NCAA Championship. That was Notre Dame’s first-ever NCAA tournament game.
– Notre Dame is 20-14 (.588) all-time against teams from the Ivy League. This will be Notre Dame’s first game against an Ivy League opponent this season.
THE LAST TIME
– Notre Dame opened the 1983 season with a 17-5 setback to Yale in Baltimore, Md. That is the only previous meeting between the two schools. That game marked the collegiate coaching debut for Kevin Corrigan, who was an assistant coach for the Fighting Irish during the 1983 campaign. He returned to Notre Dame as head coach in 1989.
FIGHTING IRISH AGAINST THE FIELD
– Notre Dame went 3-0 this season against teams that made the NCAA Championship field. The Irish defeated Duke (7-3), Denver (10-9 in 3ot) and Syracuse (8-6).
A DOMINATING DEFENSE
– Notre Dame’s defense ranks first nationally by surrendering just 5.92 goals per game this season. That mark is on pace to eclipse the program-record 6.19 goals-against average from the 2009 season.
– Notre Dame has held five opponents this season to five goals or fewer for the entire game.
KEEPING THEM DOWN
– Notre Dame’s man-down defense ranks first nationally. That unit has given up just three goals in 29 chances (.897).
SECOND HALF SHUTDOWNS
– The Irish have outscored their opponents 63-39 in the second half this season, including 40-16 in the last six games.
– Notre Dame is 4-1 this season when trailing at halftime.
A PERFORMER BETWEEN THE PIPES
– Junior goalie John Kemp ranks first nationally in goals-against average (5.88) and save percentage (.642). He is 16th in saves per game (10.62).
– Kemp was one of 25 nominees up for the Tewaaraton Award.
– Kemp made a career-high 18 saves in the 4-3 overtime setback to Penn State on Feb. 26. He has made 10 or more saves in a game seven times this season.
– He finished the 2011 campaign ranked second nationally in goals-against average (6.61) and fourth in save percentage (.602).
– Kemp boasts a 23-7 (.767) career record at Notre Dame.
SCORELESS STREAKS
– The Notre Dame defense has posted a scoreless streak totaling 30 minutes or longer six times this season, including two streaks over 40 minutes in length.
– Notre Dame held Syracuse off the scoreboard for the first 37:53 of the contest on April 28.
– The Irish had a season-best scoreless streak of 41:57 in the 9-1 win over Providence (April 7). After scoring their lone goal with 11:57 left in the second quarter, the Friars did not score for the remainder of the contest.
– The Fighting Irish posted a scoreless streak of 40:24 in the 7-3 season-opening win over Duke. That streak began at the 10:42 mark of the second quarter and ended with 18 seconds left in the contest.
COMEBACK KIDS
– Notre Dame has overcome four-goal deficits twice this season. The Irish fell behind Villanova 4-0 in the first quarter before scoring eight straight goals en route to the 10-7 victory on April 21.
– The Irish trailed Georgetown by four goals (5-1) at halftime on April 15, yet outscored the Hoyas 8-2 in the second half to secure the 9-7 win. The Irish tallied six straight goals to open the second half.
– The four-goal halftime deficit was the largest Notre Dame has ever overcome to win a game in the Kevin Corrigan era, which began in 1989.
BIG EAST BEST
– Notre Dame garnered three major awards during the BIG EAST Conference men’s lacrosse awards banquet. Senior Kevin Randall was named the league’s defensive player of the year, while junior John Kemp was selected goalkeeper of the year and Kevin Corrigan received the coach-of-the-year award.
– A total of six Irish players were named to the all-BIG EAST first or second team. Joining Randall and Kemp on the all-league first team were Sean Rogers (Sr./A) and Jim Marlatt (So./M). Randall and Rogers were unanimous picks. Max Pfeifer (Sr./M) and Matt Miller (Jr./D) copped second-team honors.
CONFERENCE CROWNS
– With Notre Dame capturing the BIG EAST regular-season title, it marked the 20th regular-season conference championship in program history.
– The Fighting Irish won 12 Great Western Lacrosse League titles during their time in the conference (1994-2009).
– Notre Dame won seven Midwest Lacrosse Association/Great Lakes Conference titles from 1981-93.
IRISH GET OFFENSIVE
– The Notre Dame offense is averaging 9.7 goals in the last seven games after averaging 6.7 goals in the first six contests of the season.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Nineteen different Irish players have scored a goal this season, while five Notre Dame players have tallied 10 or more goals.
– The Fighting Irish used a season-high nine goal scorers in the 13-6 win over St. John’s (April 1).
– The Irish had eight different goal scorers in wins over Denver (10-9 in 3OT), Rutgers (12-9), Georgetown (9-7) and Villanova (10-7).
– Six different Notre Dame players have posted a team-high goal total in a game this season. Senior attackman Sean Rogers has done it a team-best five times.
– A different Irish player has led the team in goals in five of the last six games.
KEEPING IT CLOSE
– Notre Dame has played six one-goal games this season. The Irish are 4-2 in those games, which includes two overtime victories and one overtime setback. Yale has played in seven one-goal contests this season. The Bulldogs are 4-3 in those games. Yale is 3-1 in overtime this season.
– The Irish played five consecutive one-goal affairs this season. The Irish went 4-1 in those contests. It was the first time in program history that Notre Dame played five straight one-goal games. It also was the first time the Fighting Irish had ever captured four straight one-goal decisions.
– The 10-9 win over Denver on March 18 was the first triple-overtime game in Fighting Irish history.
– Notre Dame’s five road wins this season have come by a combined seven goals.
MARLATT MAKING AN IMPACT
– Sophomore midfielder Jim Marlatt has a team-best nine assists and he is tied for the team lead in points with 24. His 15 goals rank second among all Irish players. Marlatt did not play last season due to injury.
– Marlatt has totaled three points or more in a game six times this season. His three assists against Villanova (April 21) were the most for any Notre Dame player this season.
– Marlatt was named the MVP of the Notre Dame-St. John’s game at the Big City Classic. Marlatt scored a game-high – and career-high – three goals in the Irish victory. All three goals came within a span of 1:19 to increase Notre Dame’s lead to five (10-5) by the 11:15 mark of the fourth quarter.
HOME SWEET HOME
– Notre Dame is 39-4 (.907) at home since the beginning of the 2006 season.
WINNING WAYS
– Notre Dame’s 11 victories equals the Irish win total from last season (11-3). The Fighting Irish have notched a double-digit win total in each of the last seven seasons.
RANDALL A LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
– Notre Dame defenseman Kevin Randall is one of 10 finalists up for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the men’s lacrosse division. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
CONSISTENCY IN THE CAGE
– Junior John Kemp is the third straight Notre Dame goalie to receive All-America honors. Kemp was an honorable mention All-America selection by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) last season.
– Scott Rodgers earned third-team All-America honors in 2009 and was an honorable mention pick in 2010. He also was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 NCAA Championship.
– Joey Kemp, John’s older brother, was a three-time All-America honoree at Notre Dame. He copped first-team honors in 2008 in addition to honorable mention accolades in 2006 and 2007.
A DEPENDABLE DEFENSE
– Over the last five seasons, the Notre Dame defense has been one of the best in the nation. The Irish are the only team in NCAA Division I to finish in the top five nationally in scoring defense in each of those five campaigns. Notre Dame produced the nation’s top defense in 2009 by allowing a program-record 6.19 goals per game. The Irish were second in 2010 (7.53) and 2011 (6.57), fourth in 2007 (6.66) and fifth in 2008 (7.04).
– Since the beginning of the 2007 season (a span of 92 games), the Irish defense has limited opponents to seven goals or fewer 64 times. Notre Dame has held foes to four goals or fewer 16 times during that stretch.
– The Irish have allowed 10 or more goals just once in the last 31 games. That occurred in last season’s 11-8 setback at Syracuse (4/30/11).
FORMIDABLE FOES
– Notre Dame went 7-1 against teams that finished the regular season in the top 25 of the RPI. The Fighting Irish ended the regular season with the nation’s No. 5 RPI.
CALL HIM CLUTCH
– Senior attackman Sean Rogers scored three consecutive game-winning goals earlier this season, including two overtime tallies.
– He deposited the game winner in the 10-9 triple-overtime triumph against Denver (March 18).
– Rogers also produced the overtime game winner at Hofstra (March 10) in Notre Dame’s 6-5 victory. That made it a happy homecoming for the Long Island native.
– He deposited the deciding goal with 4:42 left in regulation in the 6-5 win at Drexel (March 3).
– Rogers scored a career-high four goals in the 12-9 win over Rutgers (March 25).
A SUCCESSFUL STRETCH
– Notre Dame is 61-16 (.792) since the beginning of the 2008 season. That percentage is tied for third nationally during that time.
– The Fighting Irish have been to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship three times in the last four seasons, including the program’s first-ever NCAA title game appearance in 2010.
– On April 18, 2011, the Irish reached No. 1 in the national polls for the first time in program history.
– Since the beginning of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame has gone 25-6 (.806), with three of those losses coming in overtime.
IRISH IN THE BIG EAST
– Notre Dame has a 13-5 (.722) record all-time in BIG EAST regular-season play. The 2010 campaign marked the first season of BIG EAST men’s lacrosse and the Irish posted a 2-4 record. Notre Dame finished second in the league last season with a 5-1 mark. The Fighting Irish won this year’s regular-season league title with a perfect 6-0 record.
PLAYING ON THE BIG STAGE
– Playing in MetLife Stadium for the Konica Minolta Big City Classic against St. John’s was Notre Dame’s latest chance to compete in a major venue.
– The Irish opened the 2011 campaign against Duke at Everbank Field, which is home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Notre Dame faced Duke in the 2011 NCAA quarterfinals at the home venue of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium.
– Not only did the Irish compete at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore during the 2010 final four, they also played Loyola in the facility during that season’s Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.
– In 2009, Notre Dame played Ohio State at Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe) in Columbus, Ohio. Two weeks prior, the Irish faced Denver at Invesco Field, which is home to the Denver Broncos.
– In 2008, Notre Dame and Denver met at Toyota Park, home to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer (MLS) and former residence of Major League Lacrosse’s Chicago Machine.
– Notre Dame and North Carolina met at the Home Depot Center, which houses the MLS’s Los Angeles Galaxy, during the 2005 First Four Invitational in Carson, Calif.
FOUR IRISH PLAYERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES
– Four members of the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team garnered preseason All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse. Junior goalie John Kemp was named to the preseason All-America third team, while seniors Kevin Randall (D) and Sean Rogers (A) along with sophomore Liam O’Connor (M/FO) were honorable mention selections.
SENIOR TRIO TO CAPTAIN IRISH DURING 2012 CAMPAIGN
– Seniors Nicholas Beattie (A), Max Pfeifer (M) and Kevin Randall (D) will serve as team captains for the Fighting Irish during the 2012 campaign. All three are first-time captains for Notre Dame.
RANDALL SELECTED IN MLL DRAFT
– Notre Dame senior defenseman Kevin Randall was selected by the Charlotte Hounds in January’s Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft. Randall was the first pick in the seventh round (49th overall selection).