Dec. 7, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Four members of the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team have garnered preseason All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse. Junior goalie John Kemp was named to the preseason All-America third team, while seniors Kevin Randall (D) and Sean Rogers (A) along with sophomore Liam O’Connor (M/FO) were honorable mention selections.
Notre Dame is ninth in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook top-20 preseason rankings. Defending national champion Virginia tops the poll, while Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Denver round out the top five, respectively. The Irish also are ninth in the publication’s coaches’ poll.
Seven of the teams on Notre Dame’s 2012 schedule appear in the Inside Lacrosse preseason rankings. Duke (#2), Denver (#5), Syracuse (#7) and Villanova (#10) join the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish in the top 10. Hofstra (#11), Drexel (#17) and Penn State (#20) also are Irish opponents listed in the rankings.
Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) earned honorable mention All-America honors last season from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). He posted an 11-3 record between the pipes 2011, which was his first season as a full-time starter. Kemp ranked second nationally in goals-against average (6.60) and fourth in save percentage (.602). He also received a second-team all-BIG EAST citation in 2011.
Randall (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) has been a key cog in a stout Notre Dame defense over the past three seasons. Last season, Randall was a starter in all 14 games and he helped the Fighting Irish defense rank second nationally by allowing just 6.57 goals per game. He has played in 39 career games, including 33 starts, and has picked up 35 ground balls.
Rogers (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Holy Trinity) tallied career-high totals in goals (18), assists (7) and points (25) last season. The goal and point totals were tied for the team lead, while he ranked third in assists. Rogers also picked up a career-best 14 ground balls. He has played in 32 career games, including 29 starts, and has recorded 32 goals and 12 assists for 44 points.
O’Connor (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) ranked 18th nationally last season with a .553 faceoff winning percentage. He was 88-for-159 in faceoffs and scooped up a team-high 41 ground balls.
Last season, Notre Dame posted an 11-3 record, which included a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play. The Irish topped Penn, 13-6, in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championship before falling to Duke, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.
Notre Dame will open its 2012 campaign Feb. 18 with a home showdown against No. 2 Duke. The Fighting Irish also will face the U.S. National Team for the second straight season as part of the Champion Challenge on Jan. 28 in Orlando, Fla.
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