Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Offense Sputters In Defeat To Duke

April 7, 2018

Box Score

By: Robby Hamman
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 10 Notre Dame (5-4, 1-2 ACC) was never able to find a rhythm in the attack against No. 5 Duke (10-2, 2-1 ACC), falling by a score of 8-2 at a sold-out Arlotta Stadium on Saturday.

How It Happened

The Irish got off to a good start against the Blue Devils, scoring on the opening possession just after the first minute of play. Senior Pierre Byrne found sophomore Brian Willetts who wrapped around the goal and fired a shot right over the head of the Duke goalie to go on top 1-0. However, the Blue Devils scored the final three tallies of the frame to take a 3-1 lead after the opening 15 minutes.

Duke added a goal in the first five minutes of the second stanza to push its lead to 4-1. The Irish answered back, as Byrne shook off two Duke defenders and finished high from the left side of the crease to make the score 4-2. The Irish defense clamped down on the Blue Devil attack for the remainder of the half, as Notre Dame trailed 4-2 at the break.

The Irish attack was unable to find the back of the net over the remaining 30 minutes of play, as Duke added four goals to make the final scoreline 8-2.

Notre Dame Player Of The Game

Senior John Travisano continued his fine run of play from the X, winning 8-of-13 face-offs. Travisano is now 94-of-160 on the season for face-offs.

Notre Dame Stat Of The Game

The Irish defense allowed just eight goals to the high-powered Duke attack. The eight goals are the fewest the Blue Devils have scored in a game this season.

Notre Dame Notes

  • The Irish have held six of nine opponents to under 10 goals on the season.
  • Hugh Crance scooped up a team-high four ground balls against the Blue Devils.
  • Freshman Mikey Drake made the first start of his Notre Dame career.

Up Next

The Irish take a quick trip north to the state of Wisconsin for a midweek matchup at Marquette. The opening face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 11. The game will air live on FS1.

— 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.

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