March 19, 2005
#9 Notre Dame (2-1) vs. Butler (2-2)
Saturday, March 19, 1 p.m.
Notre Dame, Indiana • Loftus Sports Center
#9 IRISH OPEN HOME SCHEDULE AND GWLL PLAY vs. BUTLER: The ninth-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team (2-1) will finally play its first home game of the season, playing host to Butler (2-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m. (EST) in the Loftus Sports Center. The game also will mark the first game between Great Western Lacrosse League foes during the 2005 season and a matchup of the only two Division I men’s lacrosse teams in the state of Indiana.
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 141-80 (.638) 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 72-23 (.758) 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 41-5 (.891) in conference play — including 22-2 (.917) 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. Headlining that group 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). He finished seventh in the nation in scoring in 2004 (3.92 points per game) and narrowly missed being the first Notre Dame sophomore ever to hit the 100-career-point-plateau, a milestone he achieved with a six-point (3 G, 3 A) performance in the `05 season opener against Penn State. He leads the Irish with 14 points (5 G, 9 A) 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 notched three goals and an assist in the opener vs. Penn State. 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 is just the second player in Notre Dame history to net hat tricks in each of the first three games of a season this year. 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.
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 has 44 goals, 21 assists, and 51 ground balls in his career, which has seen him be 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. 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 10 points (4 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 six points (4 G, 2 A). 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.) — normally in man-up situations — and defensive shortstick middies junior LSM Brandon Schultheis (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.) 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 Notre Dame’s top faceoff man, winning 63.3% (38-60) thus far.
Defense will be a key factor in Notre Dame’s fortunes this year, as it is 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. 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.) is the top reserve at close defense. Senior co-captain LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.) is back for the 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 made 13 saves and was named the game’s MVP. Fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) had started 30 consecutive games in goal prior to that.
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 141-80 (.638) mark, while holding a 151-95 (.614) 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 TIED FOR 9TH IN USILA GEICO/STX COACHES POLL: A 9-7 victory over then-#10 North Carolina last Saturday in The First 4 invitational in Carson, Calif., sent Notre Dame up five spots to a tie for ninth place in the latest Geico/STX Coaches Poll, presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), released on Monday. The Irish are tied with 3-0 Massachusetts with 103 points. They moved ahead of Cornell (tied for 6th last week), Princeton (8th), Towson (9th), North Carolina (10th), and Rutgers (12th), but saw Army leap into eigth (from 15th). 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. The Irish also moved up five spots to ninth in the latest Inside Lacrosse media poll, also released on Monday. Of Notre Dame’s 11 opponents, six of them — #12 Cornell, #15 North Carolina, #19 Penn State, #20 Villanova, Denver (listed 24th), and Ohio State (listed 25th) — are in either in the the USILA poll or receiving votes.
IRISH-BULLDOGS SERIES NOTES: Notre Dame and Butler will meet for the 13th consecutive season, with the Irish having won 11 of the 12 previous meetings. Notre Dame is unbeaten in six home games in the series, with the closest affair an 8-7 victory for the 13th-ranked Irish over #19 Butler in 1999. The teams have been rivals in the Great Western Lacrosse League since the Bulldogs joined the conference in its second year in 1995. The Irish have won nine of the 10 GWLL matchups between the schools. The teams first played in the first year Butler’s program competed on the varsity level, 1993, with Notre Dame prevailing 22-11 at home. After five consecutive Irish triumphs, Butler earned its lone victory in the series in 1998, a 6-5 triumph for the 15th-ranked `Dogs over #19 ND in Indianapolis. That season saw Butler win the GWLL championship and earn its first andd only trip to the NCAA Championship. Since then, Notre Dame has won six in a row, with the last four decided by an average of 7.5 goals, following one-goal wins in 1999 (8-7 at home) and 2000 (12-11 away). This will be the 11th time in 13 meetings that the Irish head into the game as the higher-ranked squad. A year ago, 14th-ranked Notre Dame prevailed 15-5 in Indianapolis. The last game at Notre Dame saw the 20th-ranked Irish win 9-2 at Moose Krause Stadium.
LAST YEAR’S ND-BUTLER GAME: Notre Dame jumped out to a 7-1 lead and went on to a 15-5 victory over Butler on April 15, 2004, at Butler Lacrosse Field. The Irish, who outshot the Bulldogs 53-28, won their fourth consecutive game. Three Notre Dame players — senior A Matt Howell and sophomores M Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Delbarton H.S.) and M Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) — finished with four points each, while freshman Lucius Polk (Washington, D.C./St. Albans H.S.) had a pair of goals and an assist for his first career points. Notre Dame held a 40-35 advantage in ground balls, with senior M Steve Clagett and senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) leading the way with four each. The Irish won 14 of 24 faceoffs, with three players winning at least four apiece. Senior M Nick Petcoff was the most effective, winning five of eight, while junior M Frank Matarazzo (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic H.S.) took four of seven and junior M Craig Bishko (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) won half of his eight. Sophomore M Steve Panos (Arnold, Md./Broadneck H.S.) was successful in the only one he took.
CROSLAND, DRISCOLL ALREADY NAMED GWLL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Through three weeks of the 2005 season, Notre Dame has boasted the Great Western Lacrosse League’s top player twice 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.
ANOTHER HAT TRICK FOR MORRISON?: Irish senior co-captain A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) has been consistent this season, scoring three goals in each of the first three contests of the 2005 campaign: at #21 Penn State, at #10 Cornell, and vs. #10 North Carolina. He is just the second Irish player ever to open the season with three consecutive hat tricks, following Tom Glatzel, who accomplished the feat in the 2001 season en route to being a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy. He scored four times in the opener at #18 Penn State, then had three against Pennsylvania, and added five more at #18 Rutgers. In the fourth game of the `01 season, Glatzel scored just two goals in Notre Dame’s win at #7 Virginia.
KEMP BRILLIANT IN FIRST COLLEGIATE START: Freshman goaltender Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Preparatory School) made his first collegiate start last weekend against #10 North Carolina and led the Irish to a 9-7 victory. He made 13 saves (.650) in becoming the first Notre Dame rookie to start in goal since Alex Cade, who eventually was named honorable mention All-America, did so in the second game of the 1995 season and remained the top goalie that year, going 9-4. Kemp is the first freshman ever to beat a ranked team in his first collegiate start.
IRISH MAN-UP UNIT FACES STIFF CHALLENGE: After leading the Great Western Lacrosse League and ranking 14th in Division I in man-up offense (.358) in 2004, the Irish are once again the most dangerous team in the conference in extra-man opportunities this season. Through three games, Notre Dame has scored on seven of 13 chances (.538), by far the best mark in the GWLL. On Saturday, that Irish unit — which has seen five different players score goals, including two each from senior M Brian Giordano (Princton, N.J./Hun School) and junior A Matt Karweck (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) — will face the top man-down defensive unit in the conference. In its first three games of 2005, Butler had allowed scores just twice in 12 man-down situations (.833 penalty-killing rate). Last year, Notre Dame scored on two of seven EMOs against Butler.
ND-VILLANOVA GAME POSTPONED: The game between #14 Notre Dame and #20 Villanova, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at Villanova Stadium, was postponed due to inclement weather in the Philadelphia area, which was experiencing snow and winds of greater than 25 miles per hour. The contest was rescheduled for Monday, March 28 at a time to be determined.
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 tied for second on the team in scoring, with 10 points. 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 63.3% (38-60) of the faceoffs he has taken, helping Notre Dame — which has not won more than half of the faceoffs in a season since 2001 and won just .440 in `04 — to a .588 (40-68) team success rate. The Irish have won more than half of the faceoffs in all three games this season, after doing that just twice in all of 2004. Clagett also shares the team lead in ground balls this season, with 16 (5.33 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.
LIVA, PODGAJNY SCORE FIRST CAREER GOALS: Two Notre Dame midfielders — sophomore Bill Liva (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Malvern Prep School) and freshman Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.) — have scored their first collegiate goals this season. Liva, who did not even take a shot playing in every game in a defensive role in 2004, found the net on his second collegiate shot, off a pass from senior M Colin Fatti (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles H.S.) with 8:08 remaining in the first half at #21 Penn State to put the Irish ahead 7-4. Podgajny, who has stepped immediately into a starting role, took a pass from senior A Jim Morrison (Fulton, Md./Mount St. Joseph H.S.) and scored with 3:55 left in the opening period at #10 Cornell to put Notre Dame ahead 4-2. The rookie then scored three times against North Carolina.
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.
DEFENSE BLANKS PENN STATE IN FINAL 25:17: Notre Dame led just 8-6 when Penn State junior A Nate Whitaker netted his third goal of the game 4:43 into the second half on Feb. 27. But that would mark the end of the success of the Nittany Lions offense, as the Irish held PSU scoreless for the final 25:17, keeping the Lions to only 12 shots (just five on goal). That defensive effort – keyed by fifth-year senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School), senior LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.), junior D D.J. Driscoll (Downingtown, Pa./Malvern Preparatory School), sophomore D Joey Rallo (Cockeysville, Md./Boys’ Latin H.S.), and freshman D Ross Zimmerman (Utica, Mich./Brother Rice H.S.) – was nothing new for Notre Dame, which in 2004 held opponents scoreless for 25 minutes or more on four occasions. This streak allowed Notre Dame to end the game with six unanswered goals en route to a 14-6 triumph.
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.
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.
STREAKS: The following streaks are active heading into The First 4:
– 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 15 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 six 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 three games this season, becoming just the second player in Irish history ever to begin a season that way; no Notre Dame player has ever had four consecutive games with 3+ goals to begin a campaign
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 was a finalist 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.
GOOD D: Dating back to last year, Notre Dame’s defense has held its opponents to fewer than 10 goals in eight of the last 10 games, allowing just 7.10 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).
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 67 assists in 29 career games, an average of 2.31 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 41-5 (.891) all-time record in league play, including 22-2 (.917) 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 the below chart for a summary of his positions:
Category Stat Rank Next Up All-Time Leader
Save Percentage .622 4th 3rd-Pat Poletti (1982-84), .623 Tim Michels (1981), .677
Goals-Against Average 8.16 4th 3rd-Alex Cade (1995-98), 8.11 Nick Antol (2001-03), 7.98
Victories 18 5th 4th-Matt McQuillan (1985-88), 22 Kirk Howell (1998-2001) & Alex Cade (1995-98), Saves 387 6th 5th-Chris Parent (1990-93), 416 Rob Simpson (1982-85), 623
Minutes Played (goaltender) 1728:35 3rd 2nd-Kirk Howell (1998-2001), 2578:28 Alex Cade (1995-98), 2804:50
Games Started (goaltender) 31 5th T-3rd-Rob Simpson (1982-85) & Alex Cade (1995-98), 50 Chris Parent (1990-93), 38
Ground Balls (goaltender) 74 5th 4th-Chris Parent (1990-93), 77 Alex Cade (1995-98), 208
WALSH CLIMBING IRISH CAREER CHARTS: Even though he is just three games 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 Leader
Points 113 14th 13th-Willie Sutton (1991-95), 115 Randy Colley (1991-95), 273
Points Per Game 3.90 2nd 1st-Randy Colley (1991-95), 4.96 Randy Colley (1991-95), 4.96 [3rd-Bob Trocchi (1983-85), 3.76]
Goals 46 T-24th 23rd-Ed Lamb (1990-93), 48 Randy Colley (1991-95), 173 (w/Burke Hayes)
Goals Per Game 1.59 11th 10th-Dan Berger (2001-04), 1.64 Randy Colley (1991-95), 3.14 [12th-Steve Pearsall (1981-84), 1.57]
Assists 67 4th 3rd-Mike Sullivan (1989-92), 88 David Ulrich (1998-2001), 110
Assists Per Game 2.31 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 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.