Oct. 7, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A five-point match from Joseph Lapira (Lake Charles, La./Saint Louis Catholic) led the way as the No. 8/10 Notre Dame men’s soccer team captured a 4-1 win over Georgetown on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. Lapira notched two goals and one assist as the Irish upped their unbeaten streak to six games. Lapira, who has 17 goals this season, has tallied two goals in each of the last five games, all Irish wins. Also tallying goals for Notre Dame was Justin McGeeney (Ames, Iowa/Ames) and Greg Dalby (Poway, Calif./Poway). The Irish improve to 9-3-2 (6-2-0) with the win, while the Hoyas are now 4-9-0 (2-6-0).
The Irish jumped on top in the 13th minute as sophomore midfielder Cory Rellas (Plano, Texas/Plano West) chipped the ball to McGeeney, a senior forward, and he sent it in from 12 yards out for his fifth goal of the season. Rellas has now collected an assist in three straight games.
“It was great to see McGeeney get a goal. I was very happy for him to get back into business,” said Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark. “I thought he played a very good game. Michael Thomas and Greg Dalby also played well. They both worked their tails off in the middle of the field. And, of course, Lapira scored another two, which you just come to expect now. It was a very good win today.”
Georgetown responded in the 30th minute with a goal from Ricky Schramm on an assist from Daniel Grasso. Grasso played the ball to Schramm and he made a move to get by Irish goalkeeper Chris Cahill (Louisville, Ky./DeSales) and then slid the ball into the low right side. The goal snapped Cahill’s personal-best scoreless streak, which reached 342:27. Cahill, a senior, made four saves on the afternoon to up his season record to 8-2-1.
Notre Dame regained the lead for good less than five minutes later. Freshman midfielder Justin Morrow (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) sent a cross to Lapira and he placed it in the net from 10 yards out. The Irish would lead 2-1 at the half.
In the 60th minute, Irish defender Jack Traynor (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North) sent a long ball into the Hoya end and goalkeeper Joe Devine came out to play it, yet his clear hit off of Lapira and the junior forward gathered the ball and deposited it for his second goal of the match, which gave Notre Dame a 3-1 advantage. Devine made two saves on the day.
The final tally of the match came in the 79th minute as Lapira sent a corner kick into the 18-yard box and Dalby, a senior midfielder, put a head on it and placed it into the left side of the netting. It was Dalby’s second goal of the season and Lapira’s second assist of the campaign.
Lapira’s 17 goals are the third-highest single-season total in Notre Dame history. Kevin Lovejoy’s totals of 29 goals in 1978 and 22 in 1979 rank first and second on the all-time list. Lapira’s 36 points are the most for an Irish player in a single season since Bill Lanza collected 40 in 1993.
Entering the week, Lapira’s 13 goals were tied for the national lead among NCAA Division I men’s players. He netted two in a 2-0 win at Michigan on Wednesday. The junior forward, who is the reigning Soccer Times National Player of the Week, has seven multiple-goal games this season.
The five straight wins for Notre Dame is the most since the 2004 season, when the Irish won six in a row.
The Fighting Irish will continue their three-game homestand with a non-conference match against Michigan State on Wednesday (Oct. 11) at 7:00 p.m.
To stay up to date on the 2006 Notre Dame men’s soccer season, please log on to und.com or call the official Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000.
Georgetown (4-9-0, 2-6-0 BE) 1 0 – 1
#8/10 Notre Dame (9-3-2, 6-2-0 BE) 2 2 – 4
ND: Justin McGeeney (Cory Rellas) 12:56,GU: Ricky Schramm (Daniel Grasso) 29:37, ND: Joseph Lapira (Justin Morrow) 34:26,ND: Joseph Lapira (unassisted) 59:21, ND: Greg Dalby (Joseph Lapira) 78:11.
Shots: GU 4-6 – 10, ND 9-6 – 15
Corner Kicks: GU 3-1 – 4, ND 3-2 – 5
Saves: GU 2 (Joe Devine 2), ND 4 (Chris Cahill 4)
Fouls: GU 12, ND 10
Offsides: GU 1, ND 0