March 10, 2012
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Senior attackman Sean Rogers completed his hat trick with the game winner in overtime as the No. 7 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team topped No. 19 Hofstra 6-5 on Saturday afternoon at James M. Shuart Stadium.
Notre Dame (3-1) trailed 4-3 late in regulation when sophomore midfielder Jim Marlatt evened the contest with 1:02 remaining. Marlatt tallied two goals and two assists on the day. Rogers gave the Irish a 5-4 lead with just 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter. His three goals matched a career-high total. Rogers also had an assist.
Hofstra (2-3) forced overtime when Torin Varn scored with four seconds left in regulation. The Pride had the first possession in overtime, but an Ian Braddish shot was saved by junior goalie John Kemp, who had eight saves for the Irish.
“It was great to get a win like this today,” said Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan. “We didn’t play well offensively, but we made three plays late in the game when we had to. Sean Rogers made big plays for us. He had chances all day and made them when they counted.”
The Fighting Irish opened the game’s scoring with 5:11 left in the first quarter on a Marlatt goal off a feed from Rogers. Braddish tied things up with 3:28 remaining in the opening quarter. The game was knotted 1-1 after the first stanza.
Scores from Rogers and sophomore attackman Westy Hopkins gave Notre Dame a two-goal advantage (3-1) with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half. The Notre Dame defense held Hofstra scoreless for the entire second quarter as the Irish took a 3-1 lead into halftime. That marked the fifth time this season that the Fighting Irish defense held an opponent without a goal for an entire quarter.
The scoreless streak reached 24:19, but three straight goals from Hofstra’s Lance Yapor gave the Pride a 4-3 lead by the 5:17 mark of the fourth quarter. Yapor’s first goal occurred with 9:09 left in the third quarter and he then tied the game less than four minutes later. Notre Dame did not score in the third quarter.
Junior midfielder Ryan Foley assisted on Marlatt’s game-tying goal late in regulation, while freshman attackman Conor Doyle picked up the assist on Rogers goal that gave the Irish the lead with 12 seconds left. Marlatt assisted on Rogers’ game winner.
This marked the second straight game winner for Rogers. He scored the deciding goal with 4:42 left in regulation in last Saturday’s 6-5 victory at Drexel.
Notre Dame is now 1-1 in overtime games this season. The Irish fell to Penn State, 4-3, in overtime on Feb. 26. Notre Dame’s last three games all have been decided by one goal.
The Fighting Irish outshot Hofstra 31-28. The Pride held a slim 8-7 edge in faceoffs. Hofstra was 0-for-2 in extra-man opportunities, while Notre Dame was 0-for-1. Hofstra goalie Andrew Gvozden made seven saves.
Hofstra entered Saturday’s game averaging 8.3 goals per game. Notre Dame’s defense has only allowed 17 goals this season (4.25 per game). All four of Notre Dame’s opponents this season have been ranked at the time of the game.
“We still have a lot of games left, but it’s good to put wins like this in the bank especially with the kind of schedule that we have,” added Corrigan. “Coming up we play very good Denver, Ohio State and Rutgers teams in an eight-day span.”
The Fighting Irish are back in action next Sunday with a home showdown versus No. 11 Denver. Faceoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (ET) at Arlotta Stadium. The game will be aired on ESPNU.
March 10, 2012
James M. Shuart Stadium – Hempstead, N.Y.
#7 Notre Dame (3-1) 1 2 0 2 1 – 6
#19 Hofstra (2-3) 1 0 2 2 0 – 5
Notre Dame Scoring (goals-assists):
Sean Rogers 3-1, Jim Marlatt 2-2, Westy Hopkins 1-0, Ryan Foley 0-1, Conor Doyle 0-1; Goaltender: John Kemp (W, 61:19, 8 saves, 5 GA)
Hofstra Scoring (goals-assists):
Lance Yapor 3-0, Ian Braddish 1-0, Torin Varn 1-0, Adrian Sorichetti 0-2; Goaltender: Andrew Gvozden (L, 61:19, 7 saves, 6 GA)
— ND —