Sophomore Joey Kemp had a solid day in net for the Irish on Sunday as he collected 13 saves and allowed just four goals in the season-opening victory.

#9/7 Irish Set For Big Road Trip To #13/15 Hofstra, Villanova

March 24, 2005

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#9/7 Notre Dame (3-1) vs. #13/15 Hofstra (3-3)

Saturday, March 26, 2 p.m. • Shuart Stadium

– Radio: WNYG-AM 1440 (Long Island area)

– Live Audio: www.hofstra.edu/athletics or www.wrhu.org

#9/7 Notre Dame vs. Villanova

Monday, March 28, 1 p.m. • Villanova Stadium

– Live Audio: www.villanova.com

#9/7 IRISH SET FOR BIG ROAD TRIP TO #13/15 HOFSTRA, VILLANOVA: The #9/7 University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team (3-1) will continue its role as road warriors with a pair of difficult tests over the Easter weekend. The Irish will first play at #13/15 Hofstra (3-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. (EST) in a battle of top-15 squads before heading to Villanova (4-2) on Monday for a 1 p.m. (EST) contest.

THE RADIO PLANS: Both games of the road trip will feature live internet audio broadcasts provided by the host schools. Saturday’s game against Hofstra will have a free broadcast available via the Pride’s official athletic site, www.hofstra.edu/athletics, and also www.wrhu.org. That feed also will be available in the Long Island area on WNYG-AM 1440. Monday’s game against Villanova will feature live audio available to Yahoo! Sports subscribers and accessible via the Wildcats’ official site, www.villanova.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS NOTES PACKAGE: Below are some of the top points from this notes package. For more details on any topic, consult the remainder of this release.

* Notre Dame stands 3-1 on the season and ranked seventh in the Inside Lacrosse media poll and ninth in the USILA’s Geico/STX Coaches Top 20. The Irish are 1-0 in the Great Western Lacrosse League, tied with Fairfield for the early lead in the conference standings.

* The Irish opened the season with a 14-6 road victory against #21 Penn State before losing 11-10 at #10 Cornell. They then beat #10 North Carolina 9-7 in The First 4 invitational in Carson, Calif., before downing Butler 22-6 in the home and GWLL opener.

* Notre Dame is coming off a 2004 season in which it was 7-5, finished second in the Great Western Lacrosse League (4-1 record, behind Ohio State), and was 12th in the final USILA national rankings.

* The Irish returned 17 monogram winners, including six starters, from last year’s team. Among those are junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.), a USILA third-team All-American in 2004 after being honorable mention as a rookie. After being one of the 15 nominees for the Tewaaraton Trophy (awarded to the top player in college lacrosse) last season, he is again among the 37 selected for the watch list for this year’s award.

* Other returning starters for the Irish are fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School), senior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School), and juniors D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Preparatory School), A Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Hun School), and M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.). Hubschmann will miss the entire season, though, after suffering a knee injury in mid-February.

* The Irish are first in Division I in scoring offense this season (13.75 goals per game) after finishing 2004 second at 12.50. Also, Notre Dame is second in man-up offense (.542) and scoring margin (+6.25 goals per game).

* Junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) is tied for first in the nation in assists per game (3.00) and ranks third in points per game (5.00). He leads the GWLL in both categories. Walsh was sixth in Division I in assists in both 2003 and `04 and came in 12th in `03 and seventh in `04 in scoring.

* Senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) is the first Notre Dame player ever to begin the season with four consecutive hat tricks. He ranks first in the GWLL and tied for sixth in Division I in goals per game (3.00).

* Junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) was the GWLL Player of the Week after notching five goals and three assists against Butler last weekend. He missed the Notre Dame record for points in a game by just one. No Division I player has had more than eight points in a contest this season.

* Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) took over as Notre Dame’s starting goaltender against #10 North Carolina on March 12 and helped the Irish to a 9-7 victory. He is the only Irish freshman goalie to beat a nationally-ranked team in his first career start. Kemp also got the victory against Butler to be the first ND rookie since 1990 to begin his career 2-0.

* Notre Dame has boasted the GWLL Player of the Week three times in four weeks this season, with fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) winning in the first week of 2005, junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) gaining it in week three, and junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) the latest winner.

* Freshman M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) has won 65.8% (60-98) of the faceoffs he has taken this season to rank seventh in the nation. He has the Irish ninth in Division I as a team (.612), after they won just 44.0% of faceoffs in 2004. ND has won more than half of the faceoffs in every game this season after doing that just twice in 12 contests a year ago. Clagett also leads the team in ground balls (23) and is 12th in the nation (5.75).

* Notre Dame scored the game’s first 12 goals and led 21-3 after three quarters en route to a 22-6 victory over Butler last weekend. It marks the most goals by any Division I team this season and the most for Notre Dame since 1993.

* Dating back to last year, Notre Dame’s defense has held its opponents to fewer than 10 goals in nine of the last 11 games, allowing just 7.00 goals per game over that span, while posting an 8-3 record.

* Notre Dame already has posted three shutout streaks of longer than 20:00 this season. The Irish held #21 Penn State without a goal in the final 24:17 of the season opener and then shut out Butler for the first 24:51 of the game on March 19 before notching another goalless streak of 20:59 later in the game vs. the Bulldogs.

* Notre Dame is in the midst of a season-opening stretch of playing six of its first seven games away from home. In all, eight of the 11 Irish contests in 2005 will be on the road.

* On Saturday, Notre Dame will be playing a nationally-ranked opponent for the fourth time in five games this season.

* The Irish will play Hofstra for the ninth consecutive year and 12th time overall. The Pride holds a 6-5 advantage and had won five in a row prior to Notre Dame’s 19-11 victory at home in 2004.

* Notre Dame is just 1-4 all-time at Hofstra, including three consecutive losses all coming by one goal and all when the Irish were the higher-ranked team. #15 Hofstra def. #13 ND 10-9 in OT in 1999; Unranked Hofstra def. #2 ND 11-10 in OT in 2001; #15 Hofstra def. #11 ND 9-8 in 2003.

* Six of the last nine games between Notre Dame and Hofstra have been one-goal affairs, with the Pride winning four.

* Notre Dame and Villanova — rivals in the BIG EAST Conference in most other sports — will meet for the first time since 2000 and the ninth time overall. The Wildcats won the first four meetings, while the Irish have taken each of the last four (1995, `96, `99, `00). ND is 2-1 at Villanova, having lost in its initial trip, in 1990.

* Villanova will welcome Notre Dame having won 14 consecutive home games, dating back to a 13-10 loss to Towson on April 12, 2003.

* Monday’s game will match up the nation’s leader in scoring offense (Notre Dame, 13.75 goals per game) with a Villanova team that ranks second in Division I in scoring defense (5.50 per game).

* Notre Dame had four players mentioned on the Inside Lacrosse preseason All-America lists, with junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) on the second team, junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) 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.) as honorable-mention selections.

* The Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook also listed Notre Dame as the favorite to win the Great Western Lacrosse League this season, ahead of Denver, defending champion Ohio State, Air Force, Fairfield, and Butler.

* Notre Dame has 13 New York natives among the 41 players on its roster (more than 30%), and 10 of them hail from Long Island: seniors M Craig Bishko (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.), G Sean Quigley (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), and LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.); juniors G Daniel Hickey (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), M Drew Peters (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), M Brandon Schultheis (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), D James Severin (Bayville, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), and A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.); and sophomores M Ryan Cunn (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) and M John Greaney (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.).

* Notre Dame has five Pennsylvania natives on its roster, all of whom hail from the Philadelphia area: juniors D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), sophomore M Bill Liva (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Malvern Prep School), and freshmen D Sean Dougherty (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.).

SNAPSHOT OF THE IRISH: Notre Dame’s men’s lacrosse program has experienced a wealth of success since the arrival of head coach Kevin Corrigan in 1989. In his 15 seasons, Corrigan has guided Notre Dame to a winning record 13 times, including 10 seasons with nine or more victories, compiling a 142-80 (.640) mark. The Irish have earned 10 berths to the NCAA Championship, including quarterfinal apperances in 1995 and 2000 and a Final Four trip in 2001. Notre Dame has 37 victories over ranked opponents, including nine vs. top-10 teams and holds a 73-23 (.760) overall record at home. Notre Dame has won 12 conference titles (9 Great Western Lacrosse League, 3 Midwest Lacrosse Association Great Lakes Conference) in that span. Since the formation of the GWLL in 1994, the Irish are 42-5 (.894) in conference play — including 23-2 (.920) at home — winning at least a share of the league championship in every season except 1998 and 2004. Notre Dame has had at least one player earn All-America honors in each of the last 12 seasons, a total of 23 honorees since 1994. In addition, the Irish have garnered 85 all-conference honors, highlighted by four GWLL player-of-the-year awards.

The 2005 Irish team returned 17 monogram winners and six starters from last year’s squad that was 7-5, finished second to Ohio State in the GWLL (4-1 record), and finished 12th in the final USILA national rankings, just missing a bid to the NCAA Championship.

Notre Dame had one of the top offenses in all of college lacrosse last year, finishing second in Division I in scoring offense (12.50 goals per game) and first in assists per game (7.9). Back from that team are five of the top seven — and three of the top four — scorers, and the Irish are the top scoring team in Division I (13.75 goals per game) early in 2005, while also ranking second in man-up offense (.542). Headlining the attack is junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.), who was a third-team All-American and one of 15 nominees (seven attackmen, five of whom are back in `05) for the Tewaaraton Trophy (awarded to the top player in collegiate lacrosse). After finishing seventh in the nation in scoring in 2004 (3.92 points per game), he is tied for the national lead in assists per game (3.00) this season and ranks third in scoring (5.00 points per game). He has eight goals and 12 assists in four games this season. The Irish were slated to have another starter back at attack, as junior A Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Delbarton H.S.) — who was preseason honorable mention All-America by Inside Lacrosse — made the move back to his prep position after being a starting midfielder in 2004 (and finishing third on the team in scoring, with 18 goals and 11 assists), but a season-ending knee injury suffered last month will preclude him from seeing action in 2005. As a result, Notre Dame has moved junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) from being a starting midfielder to a starter on attack. He was a starter in the midfield for the Irish in 2003 and last year ran on the second midfield, mostly in an offensive role. He was the GWLL Player of the Week last week after missing the Irish record for points in a game by one with an eight-point (5 G, 3 A) performance against Butler on Saturday. The final starting slot on attack is filled by senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.), a former walk-on who is Notre Dame’s top creaseman. He was earning major minutes in fall ball as a junior, but then missed all of last season due to injuries. He had played in only five games (1 G) prior to this year, but now stands as the only player in Irish history ever to start a season with four consecutive hat tricks. Morrison leads Notre Dame in goals with 12, and his average of 3.00 per game is tied for sixth in Division I. Senior A Matt Malakoff (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore H.S.), who has been a contributor throughout his career, is Notre Dame’s top reserve at attack. He had two goals against Butler.

In the midfield, Notre Dame is led by its most-experienced player, senior co-captain M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School), who is back for his fourth year as a starter. He was named first-team all-GWLL in each of the last two campaigns. Giordano, who had multiple goals in six of 10 games in which he played in 2004, was named preseason honorable mention All-America by Inside Lacrosse this season and thus far has eight points (6 G, 2 A). Also back in a starting role is junior M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), who has been a major contributor in each of the last two seasons. Last year, he led non-seniors in ground balls with 39, and he has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) this season. The final spot on Notre Dame’s top midfield — vacated by Karweck — is filled by freshman M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), a strong all-around player who was a prep All-American at Ridley High School. He had a hat trick against North Carolina and has eight points (4 G, 4 A) in his young collegiate career. On Notre Dame’s second midfield are senior M Colin Fatti (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles H.S.), junior M Drew Peters (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), and sophomore M Bill Liva (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Malvern Prep School), all who have played key roles for the Irish in the past. Others who contribute in the midfield are sophomore M Lucius Polk (Washington, D.C./St. Albans H.S.) — especially in man-up situations — as well as sophomores M Ryan Cunn (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) and M John Greaney (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.). The top defensive shortstick middies are junior M Brandon Schultheis (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.) — who was an LSM last year and early in 2005 — and freshmen M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) and M Anson Fraser (Summit, N.J./Summit H.S.). Clagett, whose brother Steve graduated last year after being a four-year contributor in the Irish midfield, has emerged as not only Notre Dame’s top faceoff man, but one of the best in the nation, winning 65.8% (48-73) thus far, which places him seventh in Division I.

Defense will be a key factor in Notre Dame’s fortunes this year, as it came in as a relatively-inexperienced unit. Junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) is the lone returning starter, but he figures to be one of the top defensemen in the nation this year. He set a Notre Dame freshman record for ground balls (61) in 2003 and last year developed into the team’s top on-ball defender. This season, he is second on the team in ground balls (21) and was the GWLL Player of the Week after holding North Carolina’s Jed Prossner — a 2004 first-team All-American and one of five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy — to just one goal, one assist, and four turnovers in ND’s 9-7 win over Carolina on March 12. He is joined down low by sophomore D Joey Rallo (Cockeysville, Md./Boys’ Latin H.S.) — who was the top Irish reserve defenseman in 2004 — and sophomore J.R. Stahl (Sparks, Md./Boys’ Latin H.S.), who made his first career start against North Carolina. Freshman D Ross Zimmerman (Utica, Mich./Brother Rice H.S.) started the first two contests of the season and since has been the top reserve at close defense. Senior co-captain LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.) is back for his second year as Notre Dame’s top longstick midfielder after switching from shortstick middie midway through his career. He is backed up by freshman D Sean Dougherty (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep School), who started the season as a defenseman.

The final line of defense figures to be a strength for the Irish, who boast two capable players at the position. Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School), who is expected to be a future star, made his first collegiate start against North Carolina and notched 13 saves and was named the game’s MVP. He is 2-0 this season with a 6.35 goals-against average (7th in the nation) and .600 save percentage (19th). Fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) had started 30 consecutive games in goal prior to that, and he is the backup.

LAST TIME ON THE FIELD: Notre Dame scored the game’s first 12 goals and went on to a dominating 22-6 victory over Butler Saturday afternoon in the Loftus Sports Center in front of a crowd of 1,089 in the Great Western Lacrosse League opener for both teams. Among the offensive stars for the Irish were junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy), who missed the school record for points in a game by one (5 G, 3 A), junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.), who had three goals and three assists, and senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.), who became the first Notre Dame player ever to begin a season with four consecutive hat tricks (also one assist). The Irish continued a trend of starting strong, using a big first quarter to take control of the game. Notre Dame held an 8-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of play, outshooting Butler 21-3 in the opening period, while also winning seven of nine faceoffs. The Irish also scored the first four goals of the second quarter to lead 12-0 before Butler got its first tally 24:51 into the contest. After Bulldog senior A Kyle Tietjen scored his second of three goals 2:25 before halftime (making the score 13-3), the Irish defense once again took over, shutting out Butler for the next 20:59 to allow Notre Dame to outscore the Bulldogs 8-0 in the third quarter. The statistics bore out the dominating Irish performance, as Notre Dame outshot Butler 68-24 (46-7 combined in the first and third quarters; 61-14 after three periods), held a 46-22 ground ball advantage (18-4 in the second quarter; 43-14 after three periods), and won 20 of 30 faceoffs. The Irish also converted on six of 11 extra-man opportunities against the team that came in leading the GWLL in penalty killing, having allowed just two man-up tallies in 12 opportunities. Notre Dame was up 21-3 before Butler outscored the Irish 3-1 in the fourth quarter to account for the final margin.

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 142-80 (.640) mark, while holding a 152-95 (.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 UP TO 7TH IN INSIDE LACROSSE MEDIA POLL, STILL 9TH IN USILA LISTING: A 22-6 home victory over Butler on Saturday propelled Notre Dame up two spots to a season-high seventh in the latest edition of the Inside Lacrosse media poll, released Monday. The Irish moved ahead of Syracuse (1-3, dropped from 6th to 8th) and Princeton (0-3, 8th to 12th), who both took losses last weekend. Notre Dame stayed ninth in the latest Geico/STX Coaches Poll, presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), also released on Monday. The Irish are no longer tied with Massachusetts for that spot, as they were last week, but they are one behind the Orange. Notre Dame was 14th in the first USILA poll of the year (released March 7) after being 12th in the final listing of the 2004 campaign, released prior ot the NCAA Championship. Of Notre Dame’s 11 opponents, nine of them — #10 Cornell, #15 Hofstra, #17 North Carolina, #18 Denver, Penn State (listed 22nd), Ohio State (listed 24th), Dartmouth (listed 27th), Fairfield (listed 31st), and Villanova (listed 34th) — are in either in the the Inside Lacrosse poll or receiving votes.

IRISH-PRIDE SERIES NOTES: Notre Dame and Hofstra will meet for the ninth year in a row and the 12th time overall, with the Pride holding a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series. Hofstra also is 4-1 at home against the Irish, including three consecutive victories (all coming by one goal). Notre Dame’s last win in Hempstead was a 9-8 decision in 1993. After that, the Irish lost 10-9 in overtime in 1999, 11-10 in overtime in 2001, and 9-8 in `03. The schools first met in 1991, when 16th-ranked Hofstra prevailed at home 10-5. Notre Dame then won each of the next four meetings (`92, `93, `97, `98), but the Pride responded with five straight wins from 1999-2003 (with four of them coming by just one goal). The Irish broke that streak last year with a 19-11 win in the Loftus Sports Center. In all, six of the last nine games between the schools have been decided by just a single goal, with Hofstra winning four of those. This will be the sixth time in the last seven years that both teams are ranked. It will also be the eighth consecutive year that the higher-ranked team had been ranked lower the year before, meaning that neither team has been higher-ranked for two years in a row since the Pride were in both 1997 and `98. Notre Dame is 0-3 when playing a lower-ranked Hofstra team. In 1999, the 13th-ranked Irish lost 10-9 in OT to #15 Hofstra in Hempstead. Two years later, #2 Notre Dame took its only regular-season defeat in an 11-10 overtime game on the road against an unranked Pride squad. In 2003, the 15th-ranked Pride prevailed 9-8 at home against #11 ND.

LAST YEAR’S ND-HOFSTRA GAME: 15th-ranked Notre Dame jumped out to a 7-0 lead en route to a 19-11 victory over #13 Hofstra on March 24, 2004, in the Loftus Sports Center to snap a three-game losing streak. The Irish defense held the Pride without a shot for the first 16 minutes of the game, while three Notre Dame players had five points, highlighted by a five-goal performance from junior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School). Notre Dame posted its highest goal output in nearly four years, while the 19 goals were the most given up by Hofstra since 1993. In addition to Giordano, Notre Dame sophomores M Brian Hubschmann (Short Hill, N.J./Delbarton H.S.) and A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) both delivered five points. Hubschmann had a career-high four goals to go along with an assist, while Walsh had two goals and three assists. The Irish dominated the affair from the beginning, as they took 17 shots in the first period, while Hofstra did not manage one until Tim Treubig’s attempt sailed wide right with 13:18 to go in the second quarter. Notre Dame held a 47-32 advantage in ground balls and won 20 of 32 faceoffs. A physical game that featured 16 penalties, the Irish were 2-7 on EMOs, while Hofstra was 3-9. The Pride were led by Athan Ianucci, who had four goals and an assist, while Chris Unterstein notched three goals and one assist.

THE LAST TIME ND VISITED HOFSTRA: Despite a five-goal performance from junior attackman Dan Berger, 11th-ranked Notre Dame could not hold on to an 8-7 second-half lead, dropping its third straight contest 9-8 to #15 Hofstra on March 21, 2003, at Shuart Stadium. The seventh goal of the game for Hofstra’s Jim Femminella, coming with 7:22 remaining off an assist from Chris Unterstein, proved to be the difference in the contest, completing the second comeback of the evening for the Pride. Trailing 7-5 at halftime, the Irish offense came out firing in the third period, netting three goals in a two-minute span, culiminating with Berger taking a pass from freshman midfielder Matt Karweck 35 seconds later and scoring to give Notre Dame an 8-7 advantage with 6:02 left in the third quarter. With 3:20 left in the period, Hofstra’s Joe Kostolansky netted his second score of the game to even the contest at 8-8, setting up Femminella’s game winner. Notre Dame outscored the Pride 3-1 in the initial period to take control of the game early, but Hofstra’s offense came alive in the second period, scoring six times to take a 7-5 lead into the intermission. The teams were virtually even in every statistical category, with the Pride holding a 35-33 edge in shots and a 38-34 advantage in ground balls. The Irish won 12 of 21 faceoffs. The game had its start delayed 36 minutes due to thunderstorms.

NOTRE DAME-HOFSTRA CONNECTIONS: Notre Dame has 13 New York natives among the 41 players on its roster (more than 30%), and 10 of them hail from Long Island: seniors M Craig Bishko (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.), G Sean Quigley (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), and LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.); juniors G Daniel Hickey (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), M Drew Peters (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), M Brandon Schultheis (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.), D James Severin (Bayville, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.), and A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.); and sophomores M Ryan Cunn (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) and M John Greaney (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.).

IRISH-WILDCATS SERIES NOTES: Notre Dame and Villanova — rivals in the BIG EAST Conference in most other sports — will meet for the first time since 2000 and the ninth time overall, with both sides having won four of the previous contests. The Wildcats won the first meeting by a 7-6 score in 1987 on Long Island, N.Y., en route to taking four consecutive games in the series. Notre Dame got its first win (15-7 at home) in 1995 and has not lost since then, also prevailing in 1996 and `99 at Villanova and in 2000 at Notre Dame. The last Wildcat victory came in 1992 in a neutral-site meeting in Philadelphia that ended in a 14-10 decision. The most-recent contest saw the 12th-ranked Irish prevail 17-9 at Moose Krause Stadium, while Notre Dame’s last trip to Villanova resulted in a 14-10 win for the 19th-ranked Irish in 1999. The lone Irish defeat at VU came in their first trip, a 13-5 affair in 1990.

THE LAST TIME ND AND VILLANOVA PLAYED: Junior A Jon Harvey tallied a career-high six goals, tying the Notre Dame record for goals in a home game, as he led the 12th-ranked Irish to a 17-9 victory over Villanova at Moose Krause Stadium on April 19, 2000. The difference in the game was when Notre Dame scored 12 consecutive goals in the second half after falling behind 7-5 early in the third quarter. Seven different players scored in the contest for the Irish, as junior David Ulrich tallied four goals and dished off three assists while his classmate, Tom Glatzel, added three goals and four assists. Notre Dame led 3-0 and junior Todd Ulrich gave the Irish a 5-4 lead 1:26 into the second half, but then VU scored three goals in a 2:00 span, as the Wildcats grabbed a 7-5 lead with 10:13 left in the third quarter on a Brian Marks score. David Ulrich answered with a goal six seconds later to begin the Irish run. Notre Dame won 20 of the game’s 29 faceoffs and held a 52-35 advantage in ground balls. For the Wildcats, Jack McTigue led the way with four points (2 G, 2 A), while Chris Larson had three (2 G, 1 A).

THE LAST TIME ND VISITED VILLANOVA: Senior Chris Dusseau and sophomore Tom Glatzel each scored three goals and sophomore Dave Ulrich added five assists to lead 19th-ranked Notre Dame to a 14-10 victory at Villanova on March 13, 1999. The Irish jumped out to a 4-0 lead before VU tied the game at 4-4, but Notre Dame then closed out the first half with four goals to take control of the game. The Irish outshot Villanova 39-24, but the Wildcats had a 37-29 ground-ball edge. Villanova cut the Notre Dame lead to 9-7 in the fourth quarter before Dusseau, Glatzel and freshman John Flandina each netted scores to put the Irish ahead 12-7. Villanova got three goals from Justin Looney and a trio of assists from John McTigue.

NOTRE DAME-VILLANOVA CONNECTIONS: Notre Dame has five Pennsylvania natives on its roster, all of whom hail from the Philadelphia area: juniors D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), sophomore M Bill Liva (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Malvern Prep School), and freshmen D Sean Dougherty (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.).

IRISH WILL TRY TO SNAP VILLANOVA’S 14-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK: Villanova will welcome Notre Dame having won 14 consecutive home games, dating back to 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.

KARWECK, DRISCOLL, CROSLAND ALREADY NAMED GWLL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Through four weeks of the 2005 season, Notre Dame has boasted the Great Western Lacrosse League’s top player three 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. Most recently, junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) 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.

WALSH, IRISH OFFENSE ATOP FIRST SET OF NCAA STATS: Junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) is tied for the national lead in assists per game (3.00), while Notre Dame ranks first in Division I in scoring offense (13.75 goals per game), according to the first set of NCAA men’s lacrosse statistics, released this week. In all, the Irish are mentioned 15 times in the national leaders, including six top-five placings. Notre Dame has scored 55 goals in four contests this season, which places them just ahead of Virginia and Dartmouth, who are averaging 13.67 goals per game. A year ago, the Irish finished second in Division I in scoring (12.50 per game). Walsh, a third-team All-American in 2004 after being honorable mention as a rookie, is in a four-way tie for first on the assists list, along with Jon Birsner of Navy (15 assists in 5 games), Ben Grinnell of Dartmouth (9 in 3), and Brown’s Kyle Wailes (9 in 3). The Irish junior, who finished sixth in Division I in the category in both 2003 (2.29 per game) and ’04 (2.17), has set up 12 goals in four contests this season. Walsh also ranks third in Division I in points per game, at 5.00. Mundorf leads the way at 5.40, while Bucknell’s Chris Cara is second with an average of 5.25 per game. The Irish junior, one of 15 nominees for the 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy, has registered 20 points this season. Notre Dame also came in second in man-up offense, having converted 54.2% (13-24) of EMOs this season. The Irish, who finished first in the conference and 14th nationally in the category in 2004 (.358), trail only North Carolina, which has been successful in 12 of 21 man-up situations (.571). The Irish also rank second in the nation in average scoring margin, as they are outscoring opponents by an average of 6.25 goals per game this season. Virginia is first with a +8.00 mark. Senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) is tied for sixth in goals per game with an average of 3.00. He came into 2005 having scored just one career goal in five games. Notre Dame has two among the leaders in save percentage. Fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) is tops in the GWLL and second in Division I with a .674 mark. Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) is in a 19th-place tie in save percentage at .600 and ranks seventh in goals-against average (6.35). Another freshman, M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.), also is among the national leaders in two categories. He ranks seventh in faceoff winning percentage (.658), as well as 12th in ground balls per game (5.75). Clagett has won 48 of 73 faceoffs and also leads the Irish with 23 ground balls. Junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Prep School) came in at 16th in ground balls, having scooped up 21 this season for an average of 5.25 per contest. Thanks in large part to Clagett, Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally in team faceoff winning percentage. Overall, the Irish have prevailed on 60 of 98 faceoffs for a winning percentage of .612. Notre Dame’s defense has held its opponents to only 7.50 goals per game, which is 15th in the nation. As a team, the Irish also rank tied for 11th in winning percentage at .750 (3-1 record).

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 12 goals on the season, which leads the teams. His average of 3.00 per game is tied for sixth among all Division I players. Eight of his 12 goals have come in the first quarters of games.

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.

KEMP FIRST IRISH FRESHMAN GOALIE TO START 2-0 SINCE 1990: Freshman G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School) assumed the starting goaltender duties on March 12 against North Carolina and made 13 saves en route to a 9-7 upset of the 10th-ranked Tar Heels. He then allowed just three goals in playing the first half (staking the Irish to a 13-3 advantage) en route to a victory in his second start, on March 19 vs. Butler. Kemp is the first freshman goalie to register victories in each of his first two starts since Chris Parent did so in 1990. The last Irish rookie to win his first three decisions was Tom Duane in 1989, when he began his career 4-0.

BIG CROWD FOR BIG OFFENSIVE DAY vs. BUTLER: A crowd of 1,089 — the largest on record for an Irish home game — 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.

IRISH OPEN GWLL SEASON IN STYLE … AGAIN: By beating Butler 22-6 on March 19, Notre Dame opened Great Western Lacrosse League play with a victory for the 11th time in 12 years since the conference was formed in 1994. The Irish, who have won nine conference championships, hold an all-time 43-5 (.897) record in GWLL action, including a 24-2 (.922) mark at home. The Irish, who finished second to Ohio State in 2004, were picked by Inside Lacrosse as the favorites to win the league title this season.

DEBUTS, ETC.: The season opener at #21 Penn State on Feb. 27 saw various firsts for Irish players. M Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) and D Ross Zimmerman (Utica, Mich./Brother Rice H.S.) both earned starting assignments in their first collegiate contests, while six other Notre Dame freshmen — M Taylor Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.), D Sean Dougherty (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep School), M Anson Fraser (Summit, N.J./Summit H.S.), G Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep School), A/M Sloan Smith (Concord, N.H./Phillips Exeter Academy), and A Alex Wharton (Baltimore, Md./Gilman School) — also made their collegiate debuts. In addition, sophomore M Ryan Cunn (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) — who missed all of last season with a knee injury — made his collegiate debut, as did sophomore LSM Brannon Halvorsen (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lakeridge H.S.). Junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) played at attack for the first time as a collegian, after moving from the midfield less than two weeks prior to the season. Senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) also returned to action after missing the entire 2004 campaign. Against Butler on March 19, all 39 healthy players saw action, with freshmen D Dave Caperna (Fallston, Md./Gilman School) and A Dan Scolaro (Lake Forest, Ill./Loyola Academy) and sophomore D John Duffy (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep School) making their collegiate debuts.

IRISH CAN’T COMPLETE COMEBACK AGAINST CORNELL: Notre Dame, which held a 6-3 second-quarter lead but then gave up seven straight goals to trail #10 Cornell by four with 11 minutes remaining, nearly came all the way back to beat the Big Red, scoring four of the game’s final five tallies in an 11-10 road loss on March 5. The Irish comeback began with back-to-back goals by junior M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) to make the score 10-8 with 8:40 left. Cornell won the faceoff and ran nearly three minutes off the clock before getting a goal from sophomore A David Mitchell to make the margin three again. Notre Dame then converted on a man-up opportunity, as senior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) scored off an assist from junior All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) with 2:43 left. The Cornell lead was shaved to only one, when senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) scored what would prove to be the final goal of the game, again off a Walsh pass, with 44 seconds remaining. Notre Dame senior M Frank Matarazzo (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic H.S.) won the ensuing faceoff, and Morrison had a shot to tie the score, but his effort sailed wide, and the Big Red picked up the ground ball and ran out the clock.

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, with 11 points (5 G, 6 A). 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. He 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 65.8% (48-73) of the faceoffs he has taken 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 — ninth nationally with a .612 (60-98) team success rate. The Irish have won more than half of the faceoffs in all four games this season, after doing that just twice in all of 2004. Clagett also leads the team in ground balls (23) and ranks 12th in Division I (5.75 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.

GOOD D: Dating back to last year, Notre Dame’s defense has held its opponents to fewer than 10 goals in nine of the last 11 games, allowing just 7.00 goals per game over that span, while posting an 8-3 record. The lone exceptions were on April 11, 2004, when the Irish won 14-12 at #17 Denver and last weekend at #10 Cornell, an 11-10 defeat. Notre Dame’s other losses during that stretch both came by 9-8 scores, against #17 Ohio State and at #3 Maryland (double overtime) in 2004.

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 lost five consecutive games when not outscoring the opponent in the first quarter (last win: 13-4 vs. Air Force, 4/12/03, after trailing 2-1)

– ND has lost 20 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)

– ND has lost six consecutive overtime games (last win: 10-9 vs. #12 Hobart, 3/29/97)

– Junior A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) has at least one point in 16 consecutive games (last pointless: 5/3/03 vs. #4 Maryland)

– Senior M Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J./Hun School) has had at least one goal in seven consecutive games in which he has played (last goalless: vs. Dartmouth, 4/4/04)

– Senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) has had a hat trick in all four games this season, becoming the first player in Irish history ever to begin a season that way

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 last weekend 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. Additionally, Notre Dame’s final two home games, April 7 vs. Denver and April 10 vs. Air Force, will be 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 70 assists in 30 career games, an average of 2.33 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.

GWLL DOMINANCE: For the 12th year in a row, the Irish will compete in the Great Western Lacrosse League, along with Air Force, Butler, Denver, Fairfield, and Ohio State. Notre Dame has won nine GWLL titles and holds a 42-5 (.893) all-time record in league play, including 23-2 (.920) at home. Last year, the Irish lost 9-8 to the Buckeyes and finished 4-1 in conference action, second in the standings behind OSU.

CROSLAND AMONG THE TOP GOALTENDERS IN IRISH HISTORY: Fifth-year senior Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) places high on a number of Irish career statistical lists. See pdf for a summary of his positions:

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 pdf for a summary of his positions:

IRISH IN OVERTIME: Should the game be tied at the end of regulation, Notre Dame will try to snap a six-game losing streak in overtime affairs after having won six in a row prior to that. The Irish last took part in an overtime game in the 2004 season finale, falling 9-8 in double overtime at #3 Maryland on May 1. Prior to that, Notre Dame lost three overtime contests in `02, one in `01, and one in `99. The last Irish overtime win was a 10-9 result at home against #12 Hobart on March 29, 1997. Notre Dame has an 8-8 all-time record in overtime games in the 25-year varsity history of the program. The Irish have played just two double-overtime games, with the first a 7-6 defeat at home against Loyola on March 16, 2002. 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 have 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 School Peter Christman A Simsbury, CT Westminster H.S. Dan Gibson A/M Germantown, TN Memphis University School Ryan 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.

MEN’S LAX GOLD GAME TO BE APRIL 7 vs. GWLL RIVAL DENVER: On Thursday, April 7, at 4 p.m., the two teams picked by Inside Lacrosse to be the best in the Great Western Lacrosse League this year will face off at Moose Krause Stadium. It will be the men’s lacrosse “Gold Game” this season. That distinction was created by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council to encourage the entire Notre Dame community to attend designated contests, each determined to be the most significant home event of the season for the respective team. The contest also will be televised by Comcast Sports Local.

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.