Oct. 9, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Junior Dustin Pridmore (Dallas, Texas) and freshman Erich Braun (Frankfurt , Germany) scored two goals each as Notre Dame won its fourth straight with a 4-0 shutout of Providence. It was the fifth shutout of the season and third straight for the Irish who improved to 7-4-1 overall and 3-1-1 in the BIG EAST.
The win avenges last season’s 2-1 loss Notre Dame suffered to Providence on the road. The Irish are now 4-1 all-time in the five meetings between the two schools.
The four-game winning streak is the longest in two years for the Irish who last won four straight during the 1997 campaign.
Notre Dame scored three times in the second half, including its last two goals, both by Braun in a 53-second span. Pridmore got the Irish on the scoreboard quickly when he took a Connor LaRose (Claremont, Calif.) cross from the left corner of the field and headed it from the right into the left corner of the net 3:32 into the contest. Freshman Alan Lyskawa (Novi, Mich.) also was credited with an assist on the score.
Despite dominating the Friars in the first half and outshooting them 9-3, that was the lone goal of the half for Notre Dame.
The Irish, however, struck quickly to start the second with a Pridmore’s second score of the night, and third of the season. He scored 27 seconds into the second half when he volleyed Lyskawa’s pass from the left corner of the field and shot it past Friar goalkeeper Danny Glynn. Lyskawa also assisted on the goal for his second assist on the evening.
Braun tallied his team-leading sixth and seventh goals of the season just 53 seconds apart from each other. The first came when he cut through the Providence defense from the left side of the field and went one-on-one with Glynn. Braun’s eight-yard shot got past the Friar goalkeeper to give the Irish a 3-0 advantage.
Braun struck quickly again when he and Reggie McKnight (Greenville, S.C.) combined for Notre Dame’s fourth score of the evening.
Providence had several scoring chances in the second half as the Friars got off 10 shots. With Notre Dame up 2-0 in the game, Providence was denied three straight times as all three shots were saved by the Irish defense. The Friars had their best scoring chance in the first half when Michael Eisenhut had a penalty shot attempt after being fouled by Matt McNew. Irish goalkeeper Gerick Short (Mobile, Ala.) came up with his only save of the game on that penalty kick.
The win concluded a four-game homestand for the Irish who earned shutout wins in three of those four contests. Notre Dame returns to action on Tuesday, October 12 when the Irish travel to Valparaiso for a 4:00 p.m. contest.
Providence (4-6-1, 3-4-0) 0 0 -- 0Notre Dame (7-4-1, 3-1-1) 1 3 -- 4
SCORING: Notre Dame: Dustin Pridmore (LaRose, Lyskawa), 3:32, Notre Dame: Dustin Pridmore (Lyskawa, Aris), 45:27, Notre Dame: Erich Braun, 74:08, Notre Dame: Erich Braun (McKnight), 74,55,
SHOTS: Notre Dame 20, Providence 13,
CORNER KICKS: Notre Dame 7, Providence 1,
FOULS: Notre Dame 15, Providence 15,
GOALIE SAVES: Notre Dame – Gerick Short (1) and Greg Tait (1), Providence – Danny Glynn (5)