March 15, 2007
#16 Notre Dame at Dartmouth
Saturday, March 17 • 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Scully-Fahey Field • Hanover, N.H.
Television: CSTV (Live)
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The 16th-ranked Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team will conclude its five-game road trip by facing Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. this Saturday, March 17 at Scully-Fahey Field. The game can be seen live on College Sports Television (CSTV) at 12 noon (ET). The Fighting Irish carry a 3-2 record into the contest, while the Big Green are 0-3. Notre Dame is coming off a 16-5 win at Drexel on Tuesday. The Irish are 2-2 so far on the road trek.
ND-DARTMOUTH SERIES NOTES: This will be the sixth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Dartmouth … the Fighting Irish hold a 4-1 edge in the series, including an 8-7 victory last season at home … the Big Green’s only victory during the series was a 10-9 decision during the 2005 campaign in Hanover, N.H. … the first meeting between the two schools occurred in 1996 at Dartmouth … the Irish prevailed in that meeting, 14-13, and captured a 15-5 win the next season at Notre Dame … the series resumed in 2004, with the Irish claiming a 10-3 victory at home.
ABOUT THE IRISH: Notre Dame (3-2) is coming off a 16-5 victory over Drexel on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pa. … the Irish are currently ranked 16th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll and 18th in the USILA coaches poll … freshman attackman Will Yeatman leads the Irish in points with 18 and assists with 10 … his eight goals rank him fourth on the team … sophomore Ryan Hoff has a team-best 13 goals … he tied a school record with seven tallies against Drexel … fifth-year senior attackman Brian Hubschmann had a four-goal effort against the Dragons and has 12 scores on the year … junior goaltender Joey Kemp has all five decisions for the Irish and carries an 8.67 goals-against average and a .578 save percentage … the Fighting Irish have six starters and 16 letterwinners back from last year’s team that posted a 10-5 record and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament … Kemp earned honorable mention All-America honors from the USILA last season … he ranked in the top-12 nationally in both save percentage and goals-against average … Kemp and Hubschmann are preseason honorable mention All-America selections according to Inside Lacrosse … Hubschmann led the team with 31 goals last season and tied for team-high honors in points with 50 … Kevin Corrigan is in his 19th season as the head coach of the Fighting Irish … Corrigan has an overall record of 159-90 (.639) at Notre Dame.
ABOUT DARTMOUTH: The Big Green carry an 0-3 record into Saturday’s meeting … Dartmouth’s last outing was an 11-8 loss to Fairfield on March 3 … the Big Green were scheduled to play Albany on March 7, yet the game was postponed due to inclement weather … Dartmouth opened the season with an 11-10 setback at Duke before falling to North Carolina 12-6 … Nick Bonacci leads the team with 12 points on seven goals and five assists … sharing the team lead in goals with Bonacci is Ari Sussman … goaltender Michael Novosel has all three decisions this season … he carries a 13.51 goals-against average and a .429 save percentage … the Big Green posted an 8-7 mark last season, including a 3-3 record in the Ivy League … Bonacci was an honorable mention USILA All-America selection in 2006 … Bill Wilson is in his fourth season as the helm of the Big Green program … he has an overall record of 24-19 at Dartmouth.
THE LAST TIME: Notre Dame defeated Dartmouth 8-7 last season at Moose Krause Stadium on the Notre Dame campus … the Irish were ranked 11th at the time of the contest … Brian Hubschmann and Ryan Hoff both netted two goals for Notre Dame in the victory … Joey Kemp made 14 saves for the Irish … Brad Heritage scored two goals for Dartmouth, while Nick Bonacci had one goal and two assists.
RECAPPING DREXEL: Sophomore attackman Ryan Hoff tied a school record with seven goals in leading No. 16 Notre Dame past No. 19 Drexel 16-5 on Tuesday, March 13 at Vidas Field. Senior Brian Hubschmann added four goals for the Fighting Irish, while freshman Will Yeatman and junior Michael Podgajny both had two scores. Yeatman also dished out four assists. The win improved the Irish to 3-2 on the season, while the loss dropped the Dragons to 4-2. Notre Dame broke the game open with a 13-goal run that spanned the second and third quarters. The Irish trailed 2-1 entering the second quarter before Hoff ignited the surge with his second tally of the day, on an assist from Taylor Clagett, at the 14:54 mark of the second period. Goals from Yeatman, Podgajny and Hubschmann gave the Irish a 5-2 lead at halftime. Hubschmann started the second-half scoring with his second goal of the day. Hoff deposited his third tally off a pass from Yeatman with 8:34 left in the third quarter. Less than a minute later, Yeatman scored his second goal before assisting Hubschmann on the completion of his hat trick. A four-goal outburst from Hoff gave Notre Dame a 13-2 lead with 11:40 left in the game. Irish sophomore Duncan Swezey increased the lead to 12 on a man-down tally before Drexel stopped the surge on goals from Bryan Brodzik and Mike Filippone. Hubschmann picked up his fourth goal of the game with 2:39 left on the clock to make it 15-4. Colin Ambler netted the Dragons’ fifth goal 19 seconds later. Podgajny wrapped up the scoring with his second score off a feed from Hubschmann with 30 seconds remaining. Goaltender Joey Kemp played the entire contest for the Fighting Irish and made 12 saves. Bruce Bickford had 11 stops for the Dragons in what was the first meeting ever between the two schools. Notre Dame held a 39-31 edge in shots and also went 6-10 in man-up opportunities.
SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR HOFF: Sophomore attackman Ryan Hoff tied a Notre Dame record with seven goals in a 16-5 win over Drexel on Tuesday (March 13) … he equaled the school record originally set by Randy Colley in 1993 against New Hampshire … Hoff’s seven tallies also established a program record for the most goals scored in a road game … the previous high was six by eight different Irish players and most recently by Pat Walsh against Hofstra in 2005.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT: The 16 goals scored against Drexel on Tuesday were the most for the Irish since tallying 19 versus Quinnipiac during the 2006 regular-season finale … the 16 goals also marked the most in a road game for Notre Dame since the 2005 season, when the Irish won a 16-5 decision at Ohio State.
SCORELESS STRETCH: Junior goaltender Joey Kemp held Drexel without a goal for 43:22 in the 16-5 Irish victory on Tuesday (March 13) … that marks his career-long scoreless stretch … it began at the 6:35 mark of the first quarter and ended with 10:03 left in the game … his previous best was 36:23, which occurred last season during the Bellarmine and Hofstra contests.
ON THE ROAD: Notre Dame is 2-2 after the first four games of its five-game road trip … the journey began with an 11-8 win over Penn State on Feb. 25 … the Irish then fell, 13-8, to Cornell in Hewlett, N.Y. on March 3 and North Carolina, 11-8, on March 10 before topping Drexel, 16-5, on March 13 … this marks Notre Dame’s longest road trip since the 2001 campaign … that season, the Irish went 4-1 during a five-game stretch away from home.
RETURNING HOME: The Fighting Irish have one student-athlete on its roster from the state of New Hampshire … junior attackman/midfielder Sloan Smith hails from Concord, N.H. and Phillips Exeter Academy.
HUBSCHMANN STAYING HOT: Brian Hubschmann has scored a goal in 10 straight games dating back to last season … he had his streak of eight consecutive games with at least two goals snapped against North Carolina on March 10 … Hubschmann was last held without a goal in an 8-5 loss at Denver last season (4-14-06) … in the Irish’s last game, he deposited a career high-tying four goals against Drexel … that marked the fourth time that he has notched four goals … the fifth-year senior has 21 multiple-goal games during his Fighting Irish career.
INSTANT IMPACT: Freshman attackman Will Yeatman leads the Irish in points with 18 and assists with 10 … his eight goals rank him fourth on the team … the attackman had a fine collegiate debut in a 9-7 win over Loyola as he put the Irish on the board with a goal just 28 seconds into the contest … he also added two assists in the winning effort … Yeatman collected three more points in an 11-8 triumph at Penn State on Feb. 25 … the rookie scored two goals and dished out an assist against the Nittany Lions … he tallied two goals and one assist in a 13-8 setback versus Cornell … against North Carolina, he collected two assists and one goal in the 11-8 loss … his biggest output to date came in a 16-5 win over Drexel as he scored two goals and notched a season-high four assists.
DOUBLE DUTY: Will Yeatman spent this past fall playing tight end for the Fighting Irish football team … the freshman played in 12 of Notre Dame’s 13 games on the gridiron … the San Diego native was a prep All-American in lacrosse at Rancho Bernardo High School.
MAN-UP: Notre Dame is 12-for-21 (.571) in man-up opportunities this season, including a 6-for-10 effort against Drexel on Tuesday … the Irish have only surrendered six man-down goals in 22 chances (.273).
NOTRE DAME IN THE POLLS:Notre Dame is ranked 16th in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll … the Irish are currently 18th in the most recent USILA coaches poll … Notre Dame’s highest ranking this season was eighth in the USILA poll during the week of Feb. 26th … the Fighting Irish peaked at No. 8 in last season’s USILA poll the week of April 3rd.
QUALITY COMPETITION: The Fighting Irish have three teams on their 2007 regular-season schedule that appear in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll … Notre Dame defeated then-No. 13 Loyola 9-7 in the season opener … the Greyhounds are currently ranked 12th … the Irish are coming off three straight road tilts against ranked foes … the Irish fell to current No. 1 Cornell 13-8 and then dropped an 11-8 decision to current No. 11 North Carolina on Saturday … Notre Dame downed Drexel, 16-5, on March 13 when the Dragons were ranked 19th in the USILA coaches poll.
HOME SWEET HOME: Notre Dame has won its past eight home contests … the streak stems back to a 14-13 overtime win over Air Force on April 10, 2005 … Notre Dame’s last loss at home was a 9-6 setback to Denver on April 7, 2005 … the Irish went a perfect 6-0 at home during the 2006 campaign … the Irish are 1-0 at home so far this season … two of the games during the streak have been played in the Loftus Sports Center, while the other six have taken place outside at Moose Krause Stadium … Notre Dame owns an overall home record of 110-35 (.759) during the 26-plus years of varsity lacrosse at the University.
HUBSCHMANN AND KEMP NAMED TO TEWAARATON TROPHY WATCH LIST: Brian Hubschmann (Sr., A) and Joey Kemp (Jr., G) have been named to the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy Preseason Watch List … the award is presented annually to the nation’s top player … the athletes on the list are considered early season indicators of who to watch as the 2007 lacrosse season begins … the list of 51 players will be voted upon by coaches and narrowed as the season progresses, ultimately reaching a final list of five who constitute the award’s finalists.
IRISH EARN PRESEASON HONORS: Senior attackman Brian Hubschmann and junior goaltender Joey Kemp were selected as preseason honorable mention All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse/Faceoff Yearbook … Hubschmann was the team’s co-leading scorer last season with 50 points on a team-high 31 goals and 19 assists … Kemp was a USILA honorable mention All-America selection in 2006 … he started all 15 games, posting a 7.54 goals-against average and a .596 save percentage … he ranked eighth nationally in save percentage and 12th in goals-against average … Kemp was joined on the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-GWLL Team by his classmates Taylor Clagett (M/FO) and Ross Zimmerman (D).
HUBSCHMANN, LIVA AND KEMP NAMED `07 IRISH CAPTAINS: Seniors Brian Hubschmann and Bill Liva along with junior Joey Kemp have been named captains for the 2007 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team … Hubschmann, an attackman, is in his fifth season with the Irish after missing all of his junior campaign with a knee injury … he led the team in goals last season with 31 and tied for the team lead in points with 50 … Liva has been a fixture in the Irish lineup during his first three seasons … he has played in 32 games, totaling 20 points on 12 goals and eight assists … Kemp has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the nation throughout his first two seasons, ranking in the top-10 nationally in save percentage both years … he also was an honorable mention All-American in 2006.
COACHING CHANGES: The freshmen are not the only new faces on the Irish this season … head coach Kevin Corrigan has brought in two new assistant coaches, Gerry Byrne and Brian Fisher, to replace Kevin Anderson and Dave Cornell … Anderson stepped away from coaching, while Cornell took the head coaching job at Connecticut College … Byrne will not be a new face to everyone at Notre Dame since he served as an assistant under Corrigan from 1989-91 … most recently he held the head coaching position at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. … Fisher comes to Notre Dame from Rutgers, where he had a stellar four-year career from 1998-2001 followed by a five-year coaching stint with the Scarlet Knights.
SAVING THE DAY: Notre Dame junior goaltender Joey Kemp has had a huge impact on the Irish during his first two campaigns … as a freshman, he started nine games, posting a 5-2 record and led the nation with a .652 save percentage en route to being tabbed the Great Western Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year … he followed that up with another stellar season in 2006 … he went 10-5 and ranked eighth nationally with a .596 save percentage and 12th with a 7.54 goals-against average … he earned USILA Honorable Mention All-America honors along with being a first-team all-GWLL selection … this season he carries an 8.67 goals-against average and a .578 save percentage.
FACING OFF: Junior midfielder and faceoff specialist Taylor Clagett has been a valuable asset for the Irish during his first two-plus seasons in an Irish uniform … he won 126 of 205 faceoff attempts last season … his .615 winning percentage would have ranked him sixth nationally, however he missed four games due to injury and could not qualify among NCAA statistical leaders in that category … so far this season he is 52 of 104 (.500) … his career winning percentage is .591 (309-523).
BACK TO THE DANCE: Notre Dame returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 for the first time since the 2001 season … the Fighting Irish posted a 10-5 record last season, including a 3-2 mark in the GWLL, which placed them second behind conference champion Denver.
IRISH DEFENSE: Notre Dame boasted the nation’s 11th-best scoring defense in 2006 by allowing just 7.67 goals per game … several key components to the Irish defense are back this season, including goaltender Joey Kemp and defensemen Joey Rallo, Ross Zimmerman and Regis McDermott along with defensive midfielders Brannon Halvorsen and Sean Dougherty … the Irish also ranked third in man-down defense by allowing just seven goals in 33 chances (.788).
FOLLOW ALL ND HOME GAMES ONLINE: All six of Notre Dame’s home games will feature livestats available through und.com, the official web site of all 26 varsity athletic programs at the University … simply go to the men’s lacrosse page and click on `Schedule’ at the top of the page, find the game that is being played that day and click on `Gametracker’ to follow the game for free.
SIGN UP FOR IRISH ALERT TEXT MESSAGE SERVICE: Go to und.com to sign up for Irish ALERT, a text messaging service designed to give fans up-to-the-minute game updates for all 26 varsity sports at Notre Dame.
KEEPING UP WITH ND MEN’S LACROSSE: For 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 … in addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting assistant sports information director Sean Carroll at Carroll.64@nd.edu … all requests for story ideas, interview access, match credentials, and further information on Irish men’s lacrosse should similarly be directed to Carroll … credential and interview requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance.