March 19, 2007
Bellarmine at #19 Notre Dame
Tuesday, March 20 • 4:00 p.m. (ET)
Moose Krause Stadium or Loftus Sports Center
Notre Dame, Ind.
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The No. 19 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team will open Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) play on Tuesday by hosting Bellarmine at either Moose Krause Stadium or inside the Loftus Sports Center. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. (ET). The Fighting Irish carry a 3-3 record into the contest, while the Knights are 1-4. Bellarmine is in its first season as a member of the GWLL. Notre Dame is coming off a 7-6 setback at Dartmouth on Saturday.
ND-BELLARMINE SERIES NOTES: This will be the second meeting all-time between the Fighting Irish and Knights … Notre Dame prevailed last season, 8-2, in Louisville, Ky.
ABOUT THE IRISH: Notre Dame (3-3) is coming off a 7-6 defeat at Dartmouth on Saturday … the Irish are ranked 19th in this week’s Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll and 18th in last week’s USILA coaches poll … freshman attackman Will Yeatman leads the Irish in points with 20 and assists with 11 … his nine goals rank him fourth on the team … senior attackman Brian Hubschmann leads the team with 15 goals … sophomore Ryan Hoff is second with 13 scores … he tied a school record with seven tallies against Drexel on March 13 … junior goaltender Joey Kemp has all six decisions for the Irish and carries an 8.39 goals-against average and a .561 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 159-91 (.636) at Notre Dame.
ABOUT BELLARMINE: The Knights are in their first season as a member of the Great Western Lacrosse League … Bellarmine carries a 1-4 record into Tuesday’s contest, which will be its first-ever GWLL contest … the Knights are coming off a 9-8 loss at Brown on March 13 … their game against Robert Morris, which was scheduled for Saturday, was cancelled due to inclement conditions … Bellarmine opened the season with an 11-6 loss at Maryland before topping St. John’s 12-11 … the Knights also have dropped decisions to Manhattan (8-7, OT) and North Carolina (10-6) … Ray Finnegan leads the team in points (15), goals (8) and assists (7) … the Knights return five starters and 24 letterwinners from a squad that posted a 7-8 record last season … Jack McGetrick is in his third season at Bellarmine … he carries a 21-14 mark at the school.
THE LAST TIME: Notre Dame defeated Bellarmine 8-2 last season in Louisville, Ky. … that marked the first-ever meeting between the two schools … Brian Hubschmann, Lucius Polk and Matt Karweck all netted two goals for the Irish in the win … goaltender Joey Kemp made 10 saves … the two goals surrendered were the fewest allowed during the 2006 season by the Irish.
RECAPPING DARTMOUTH: A Nick Bonacci goal with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter snapped a 6-6 tie and would prove to be the difference as Dartmouth edged out a 7-6 victory over No. 16 Notre Dame on Saturday, March 17 at Scully-Fahey Field. Senior Brian Hubschmann led the Irish on the day with his third hat trick of the season. Notre Dame (3-3) jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first quarter. Hubschmann put the Irish on the board off an Alex Wharton pass less than two minutes into the contest. Following a Dartmouth tally, senior John Greaney connected on his first goal of the season with the assist going to freshman Will Yeatman. Hubschmann found the back of the net again with just seven seconds left in the quarter. Dartmouth (1-3) responded with a 4-0 run to begin the second period. Ari Sussman registered back-to-back goals before Bonacci gave the Big Green their first lead of the game at 4-3 with 4:21 left in the half. Bonacci would then collect the assist on Sussman’s third tally to give Dartmouth a two-goal advantage. Yeatman cut the deficit in half and made it a 5-4 game at the intermission. Wilson Handler gave the Big Green a 6-4 lead early in the second half as he scored off a pass from Bonacci. The Fighting Irish surged back behind goals from Hubschmann and Michael Podgajny. Hubschmann netted his third goal off a feed from Wharton with 11:23 left on the clock in the third period. Podgajny knotted the game 6-6 as he took a pass from Hubschmann and scored with 26 seconds left in the quarter. Bonnacci’s goal, on an assist from Brian Koch, would be the only score of the final period as Dartmouth escaped with the 7-6 victory. He finished with four points on the day as did Hubschmann. Notre Dame held a 25-22 advantage in shots. Goaltender Joey Kemp made five stops for the Irish, while his counterpart Michael Novosel had eight saves. Junior Taylor Clagett was 11-16 in faceoffs for Notre Dame. Saturday’s contest was moved from a 12 noon start to a 3:00 p.m. start due to inclement weather.
GWLL HISTORY: Notre Dame is 46-9 all-time in GWLL play with nine league titles in 12 seasons … the Irish went 3-2 in conference play last season to finish second … Denver won the 2006 league title with a perfect 5-0 mark.
IRISH IN GWLL OPENERS: The Fighting Irish have a 12-1 mark in GWLL openers … Notre Dame downed Butler 9-8 in last season’s conference opener … Notre Dame’s only loss in a GWLL lid-lifter was a 9-8 decision against Ohio State during the 2004 campaign.
HUBSCHMANN STAYING HOT: Brian Hubschmann has scored a goal in 11 straight games dating back to last season … he was last held without a goal in an 8-5 loss at Denver last season (4-14-06) … Hubschmann has a combined seven goals over the past two games … he has three hat tricks on the season, including a four-goal effort against Drexel on March 13 … the fifth-year senior has 22 multiple-goal games during his Fighting Irish career.
SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR HOFF: Sophomore attackman Ryan Hoff tied a Notre Dame record with seven goals in a 16-5 win over Drexel on 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 March 13 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 on 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.
RETURNING HOME: When Notre Dame hosts Bellarmine on Tuesday, it will mark just the second home game of the season for the Irish … the Fighting Irish opened the season at home with a 9-7 win over Loyola College on Feb. 17 … Notre Dame is coming off a five-game road trip.
ON THE ROAD: Notre Dame concluded its five-game road trip with a 2-3 mark … 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 … the trip wrapped up with a 7-6 loss at Dartmouth on March 17 … this marked 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.
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.
INSTANT IMPACT: Freshman Will Yeatman leads the Irish in points with 20 and assists with 11 … his nine goals rank him fourth on the team … the attackman has scored at least two points in every game this season … 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 19th in this week’s Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll … the Irish were ranked 18th in last week’s 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 four 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 10th … 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 … the Irish will face No. 18 Brown on March 31.
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 8.39 goals-against average and a .561 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 63 of 120 (.525) … his career winning percentage is .594 (320-539).
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.