Post Game Notes: Duke v. Notre Dame

May 31, 2010

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2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Monday, May 31, 2010 – M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, Md.
Duke (16-4) vs. Notre Dame (10-7)

Duke is the first team to become the National Champion without previously owning an NCAA title since Princeton University won its first men’s lacrosse championship in 1992 (defeated Syracuse 10-9 2OT).
Each of the last two Division I championship games were decided in overtime, marking the first time it has occurred in NCAA Division I history (2010 – Duke won 6-5 OT; 2009 – Syracuse defeated Cornell, 10-9 OT).
This was the seventh meeting between the Blue Devils and the Fighting Irish, including the second time this season. Duke owns a 5-2 record in the overall series. Prior to today, Notre Dame won the last two meetings, including this season’s 11-7 win on Feb. 20.
The Fighting Irish made their first appearance in the NCAA Championship title game, while the Blue Devils reached the final game for the third time in program history.
The five combined goals scored in the first half ties the lowest output for two teams in the first half of the NCAA Championship title game. It happened twice before (1980 – John Hopkins 4, Virginia 1; 1982 – North Carolina 4, John Hopkins 1). The one goal in the second quarter is the second fewest goals scored in an NCAA final (1980 – Johns Hopkins and Virginia both went scoreless in the second quarter).
The eight combined goals scored after three quarters is the fewest goals scored through three stanzas in an NCAA Championship title game.
Today’s contest is the lowest scoring game in NCAA championship game history in all divisions (97 games, 40 at Division I). The previous record was 12 goals when North Carolina took a 7-5 win over Johns Hopkins in the 1982 NCAA Division I Championship title game.
Attendance for today’s game was 37,126, the eighth highest attendance for an NCAA Championship final for men’s lacrosse. The combined attendance for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships for Division I, II and III was 116,289, making it the seventh most attended men’s lacrosse championships.
Duke has now won the 12th overall NCAA title in its fifth sport (men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s golf and women’s tennis). It is also the 455th all-time victory for the Blue Devils’ men’s lacrosse program. It marks the 285th career victory and 66th at Duke for head coach John Danowski.
Duke was 11-0 this season when leading at halftime. Duke is now 2-0 in overtime games in NCAA Championship history. The Blue Devils beat Johns Hopkins, 12-11, in the quarterfinals of the 2007 NCAA Championship.
Six goals were the fewest goals scored by Duke since Mar. 17, 2009, when the Blue Devils lost to Cornell, 10-6. It is the fewest goals scored by Duke in a winning effort since defeating Georgetown, 6-4, on Mar. 24, 2007.
Heading into today’s championship game, Duke averaged 16.33 goals per game in the first three games of the tournament, while Notre Dame held its opponents to 5.67 goals per game.
Zach Howell scored his 50th goal of the season at 13:25 in the first quarter. It is the ninth time that a Duke player has scored 50 goals in a single season. It is also the second time that two Duke players have both scored 50 goals in a single season (2010 – Howell and Max Quinzani [68]; 2008 – Quinzani [61] and Zack Greer [65]).
Howell scored 10 goals in this year’s NCAA Championship, which ties him for fourth most by a Duke player in NCAA Championship history. He ranks sixth all-time in career goals scored by a Duke player in NCAA tournament play with 16.
Today was the first time this season that Quinzani did not score a single goal for the Blue Devils. He was held to one goal in Duke’s 19-8 win over Presbyterian on Apr. 9. For his career, it is the seventh time in 78 games that he did not score a goal. The last time he went without scoring a goal was in the 2009 ACC Tournament, when Duke defeated Virginia, 16-5, in the semifinals.
With his assist at 1:24 in the second quarter, Quinzani extended his scoring streak (goal or assist) to a nation’s best 66 games.
Duke senior attack Ned Crotty’s assist at 13:25 in the first quarter was his 63rd of the season, which is tied for the 10th most in a single season in NCAA history.
The last time Crotty and Quinzani were each held without a goal was on Mar. 20, 2007 against Cornell, when Duke lost, 7-6.
Sophomore long-stick midfielder CJ Costabile scored his first game-winning shot for the Blue Devils by finding the back of the net just five seconds into the overtime stanza. It was the fastest goal scored in overtime in NCAA Championship game history in all three divisions of men’s lacrosse. It was Costabile’s 11th goal in his college career.
Notre Dame junior midfielder Zach Brenneman recorded a hat trick in both games against Duke this season. He had three goals in the Fighting Irish’s 11-7 at Duke on Feb. 20, and registered three more goals in today’s game. It also marked the third time that Brenneman has posted a hat trick at M&T Bank Stadium. Today’s hat trick gave him a team-high six this season.
Notre Dame senior midfielder Grant Krebs had his team-best nine-game goal-scoring streak snapped after being held without a goal in today’s game.
Notre Dame senior attackman Neal Hicks, the Fighting Irish’s second leading scorer, was held without a point for just the second time this year. The other instance was on Mar. 20 in Notre Dame’s 7-6 overtime win over Ohio State.
Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Scott Rodgers was named the 2010 Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. It is the fifth time that the Most Outstanding Player was awarded to a member of the team that lost in the championship game. The last time was in 1996 when Virginia’s Michael Watson received the honor following the Cavaliers’ 13-12 overtime loss to Princeton.
Rodgers made 53 saves in the four games of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. He averaged 13.25 saves per game for the Fighting Irish in the championship.