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Irish Defense Locks Down Top-Ranked Maryland in 5-4 Victory

March 4, 2017

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By Robby Hamman

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – On a day that pitted two of the nation’s top teams against each other, the fourth-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team (3-0) prevailed in what proved to be a defensive battle, knocking off No. 1 Maryland (4-1) 5-4 at Arlotta Stadium.

The Irish have now won two straight games when playing top-ranked teams in the country, as they knocked off Syracuse at Arlotta in 2015.

How It Happened

The defensive nature of the game was evident from the start as the game remained scoreless after the first quarter. The Irish managed six shots on goal in the first 15 minutes, against just three for the Terrapins.

Maryland struck first, however, at the 10:03 mark of the second quarter. The Irish answered just over four minutes later as sophomore Brendan Gleason fired a shot past Maryland’s Dan Morris for his fourth goal of the season.

Exactly one minute later, Mikey Wynne scored in transition off a perfect feed from Ryder Garnsey for his eighth goal of the season and a 2-1 lead Notre Dame would take into halftime.

The Terps and Irish traded goals throughout the third quarter, with Maryland finding the back of the net first to even the score at 2-2 with 11:13 left in the quarter on an extra-man opportunity.

Garnsey put the Irish back in front with an unassisted goal from virtually no angle at the 10:25 mark for his team-leading ninth goal of the year. The Irish held a 3-2 lead for the next eight minutes.

Maryland again drew even at 2:28 of the third, but it was again short-lived as Bryan Costabile put Notre Dame back on top 4-3, giving the Irish a lead they would not relinquish.

Gleason gave the Irish some breathing room early in the fourth, as the sophomore scored his second goal of the game to extend the Irish lead to two goals at 5-3. The Irish defense continued its dominant display, holding onto the two-goal advantage until the game’s final minute, when Maryland scored with 18 seconds remaining.

The Irish killed off the final seconds to secure the 5-4 victory and send the capacity crowd of 2,815 into a frenzy.

In goal, Shane Doss finished with six saves for Notre Dame, while Maryland’s Morris finished with 13 saves.

Notre Dame Players Of The Game

Gleason bookended Notre Dame’s scoring efforts and recorded the second two-goal game of his career. The sophomore now has five goals on the season and seven in his career. Gleason totaled four shots on frame and five for the game.

On the defensive end, preseason All-American Garrett Epple was masterful against one of the top offensive units in the country. The senior defender matched his career high in caused turnovers with four and scooped up a season-high six ground balls to lock up the Terrapin attack.

Stat Of The Game

Notre Dame held Maryland to just four goals, its lowest number of the season. The Terrapins previously low for the 2017 season was 12 against Yale. The four goals are the fewest the Irish have allowed since giving up just four to Maryland last season in a 9-4 victory in California.

Notre Dame Notes

  • Notre Dame has won two consecutive games against the No. 1 team in the country, as it defeated Syracuse at Arlotta Stadium by a final of 13-12 in two overtimes in 2015.
  • With the win the Irish evened the all-time series at 5-5 against Maryland.
  • Gleason scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season and notched his second two-goal game of the season, matching his career high.
  • Garnsey scored his ninth goal of the season, leading all Irish scorers in 2017.
  • Wynne notched his eighth goal of 2017.
  • Costabile scored his fourth goal of the season and has found the back of the net in all three games in 2017.
  • Senior defenseman Garrett Epple matched his career high with four caused turnovers and scooped six ground balls for the Irish, good for a season high.
  • The Irish won the turnover battle, giving up possession 17 times to Maryland’s 20 turnovers.
  • Notre Dame outshot Maryland 31-17, including 18-10 in shots on goal.
  • The Irish were great at the X, winning the faceoff battle 9-4.

Up Next

The schedule does not get any easier for the Irish, as the team travels west for another marquee matchup. Notre Dame squares off with No. 1 Denver at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12 in Denver. The game will be broadcast on Altitude TV.

— ND —

The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team pursues excellence on and off the field through the three pillars in which the program is built: Character, Culture & Community. These three foundational values guide the promise of the program, which is to provide its student-athletes with the most compelling and enriching experience in all of college athletics. Through academics, competition, service and travel, the program aims to immerse its players in situations that enhance their student-athlete experience to help them become the people, students and teammates they aspire to be.

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Robby Hamman joined Fighting Irish Media as athletics communications assistant director in September 2016, coordinating efforts for the volleyball and men’s lacrosse program. Hamman is a 2010 graduate of Bethel College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and business administration, and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Defiance College in 2013.