Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Irish Place Four On Midseason All-American List

March 30, 2017

By Robby Hamman

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Inside Lacrosse unveiled its 2017 Midseason All-American list on Thursday and the Notre Dame lacrosse program had four athletes recognized on either the first or second team, more than any other team in the country.

Sophomore attackman Ryder Garnsey, junior long-stick midfielder John Sexton and senior defenseman Garrett Epple each received first-team recognition while sophomore short-stick defensive midfielder Drew Schantz garnered second-team status. Notre Dame’s three first-team selections were the most of any program in the nation.

Garnsey has excelled in the playmaker role for the Irish this season, as the sophomore paces the team with 28 points through six games this season. Garnsey is tied for the team lead in goals with 14 and has a team-best 14 assists. The attackman has registered four or more points in five of six games in 2017. No goal he scored this season was bigger than the overtime winner against Virginia to deliver the Irish the 11-10 victory.

Sexton has been superb in playing the long-stick midfield position, as the junior was recently recognized as the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week after his impressive performance in the 12-7 win over No. 4 Ohio State on March 25. Sexton leads the Irish in ground balls with 21 and is second on the team in caused turnovers with 10. The junior also has scored a goal and added an assist on the season.

Epple has already earned two ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping the Irish defense put the clamps on the Michigan and Maryland attacks. The senior’s performance against Maryland was one of the best by an Irish defender this season. Epple matched his career high in caused turnovers with four and collected a season-high six ground balls. Epple shut down Maryland’s prolific attackman Matt Rambo, holding him scoreless in the game. On the season the senior has a team-high 12 caused turnovers, 16 ground balls and an assist, which led to the game-winning overtime goal at Virginia.

Earning second-team status, Schantz has been impressive in his expanded role during his sophomore campaign. The short-stick defensive midfielder has performed admirably on both the offensive and defensive ends. Schantz has scored three goals and added four assists to total seven points on the year. The sophomore has also collected double-digit ground balls with 10 and has added three caused turnovers to help Notre Dame achieve the No. 1 ranking in the majority of national polls.

The top-ranked Irish host No. 3 Syracuse in a pivotal ACC matchup at noon ET on Saturday, April 1, at Arlotta Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

— 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.

Follow the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team on social media and the Internet …

Click here to follow ND Lacrosse on Twitter

Click here to follow ND Lacrosse Coaching Tips on Twitter

Click here to learn more about the ND Lacrosse Experience on Twitter

Click here to like ND Lacrosse on Facebook

Click here to subscribe to NDLaxTV YouTube Channel

Click here to read the latest news on ND Lacrosse

Click here to learn more about ND Lacrosse Camps

Click here to learn about ND Lacrosse community service on Twitter

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.