May 6, 2017
By Robby Hamman
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team wrapped up the regular season at Army, falling to the Black Knights in overtime by a final score of 10-9. Sophomore Brendan Gleason scored a career-high four goals for the Irish and junior Mikey Wynne added a hat trick. The other two Notre Dame goals were scored by John Sexton and Bobby Gray.
How It Happened
The Irish got off to a hot start on the attack, scoring four goals in the first quarter to jump out to a 4-1 advantage over Army. Wynne did much of the damage, scoring three unassisted goals in front of the cage to notch his quickest hat trick of the season. Gleason added one in the opening 15 minutes of the contest to help open up the early lead.
The hosts controlled the second stanza, scoring the first five goals of the quarter to take a 6-4 lead with less than two minutes left in the half. Sexton scored his first goal of the game from the long stick midfield positon to draw the Irish within one at 6-5 but Army added a strike just 16 seconds before the break to take a 7-5 lead into the intermission.
Notre Dame came out of the break focused, wasting little time in evening up the score at 7-7. Gleason and Gray each scored in the opening five minutes. Army went back on top with 7:49 left in the third quarter, as Avery Littlejohn gave it an 8-7 lead. Gleason then answered by completing his hat trick with under five minutes remaining in the period to tie the contest at 8-8 heading into the fourth frame.
Gleason started the fourth the way he finished the third, scoring again for Notre Dame, his fourth of the day. The Irish lead lasted for just over four minutes and then the Black Knights leveled the game at 9-9 off a shot from Cole Johnson. Neither team managed to score in the game’s final seven minutes of regulation, forcing it to head into overtime.
Army won the opening face off in the extra period and found the back of the net on its first shot to secure the 10-9 victory.
Notre Dame Player Of The Game
Gleason scored a career-high four goals for the Irish on seven shots against the Black Knights. The sophomore has now scored seven goals in the last two games and has a career-best 20 on the season. Gleason has two hat tricks in his Irish career, each coming in the last two games.
Notre Dame Stat Of The Game
Wynne became just the eighth player in Notre Dame history to reach the 100-goal milestone in his career, scoring three goals in the game. The junior now has 101 goals in his Irish career. The hat trick marks the attackman’s fifth of 2017 and 20th of his career.
Notre Dame Notes
- Saturday’s game marks the second overtime finish for Notre Dame on the season.
- Wynne leads the Irish in goals in 2017 with 28 on the season.
- Wynne has 20 hat tricks in his career, the most of any active Irish player.
- Gleason now has a career-high 20 goals on the season and 22 in his Irish career.
- Gray scored his sixth goal of the season and 12th of his career.
- Sexton’s fourth goal of the season marks a career high for the junior. Sexton has seven goals in his career.
- Sexton also led the team in ground balls (five) and caused turnovers (two).
- Doss finished with 13 saves and has recorded 10-plus saves nine times this season. The 13 saves were one short of matching his season high.
- Brendan Collins and Anthony Marini each earned their first starts of the season.
Up Next
Notre Dame will find out where and who it plays in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Sunday evening during the selection show on ESPNU at 9 p.m. ET.
— 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.