Feb. 28, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 2 University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team used the program’s largest offensive output in nearly 10 years to topple Dartmouth, 20-5, on Saturday afternoon inside the Loftus Sports Center.
Junior attackman Matt Kavanagh registered two goals and a career-high five assists for the Irish, while Mikey Wynne, Sergio Perkovic and Cole Riccardi all produced hat tricks. Sophomore Shane Doss started between the pipes and made six saves, while allowing just three goals, in 42 minutes of action.
The Fighting Irish (3-0) and Big Green were deadlocked 2-2 midway through the first quarter when Notre Dame exploded with a 14-0 run that did not end until there were less than nine minutes left to play in the third period. Goals from Riccardi and Nick Ossello 40 seconds apart started the surge. Kavanagh, Riccardi and Trevor Brosco all scored in the final three minutes of the opening period to give Notre Dame a 7-2 lead.
Second-quarter tallies from Kavanagh, Perkovic, Brosco, Riccardi and Ossello put the Fighting Irish up 12-2 at the intermission.
“I was really pleased with the way our guys played,” Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan said. “We got up early and I feel like most of the time when you do that you get sloppy and try to look for shortcuts because you think everything is going to be easy. Our guys didn’t do that. We just played good sound lacrosse and that’s been kind of a drumbeat for us over the last couple of weeks and it was nice to see that’s how we responded today.”
A Conor Doyle deposit early in the second half kept the uprising going, while two goals from Wynne sandwiched the first career tally for freshman Pierre Byrne.
Dartmouth (0-2) stopped its drought with a Wiley Osborne goal at the 8:39 mark of the third quarter. The Irish answered with goals from Bobby Gray, Jim Marlatt, Perkovic and Byrne to claim a 20-3 advantage early in the fourth period. The Big Green’s Jake Weil and Don Stephan had the final two scores of the afternoon.
The Fighting Irish jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with deposits from Perkovic and Wynne, but Dartmouth responded with a man-up goal from Adam Fishman and a tally from Stephan.
Notre Dame outshot Dartmouth 50-18. Conor Kelly played the final 18 minutes in goal for the Irish and he made one save and allowed two goals. Blair Friedensohn picked up the loss as he surrendered 19 goals, while making 12 stops, in 47:40 of action.
In addition to netting two goals, Ossello was 8-of-12 in faceoffs as the Irish went 19-of-27 on the day. P.J. Finley was 7-of-9 and John Travisano, Jr. was 4-of-6.
The 20 goals were the most for the Fighting Irish since a 22-6 win over Butler on March 19, 2005.
The Fighting Irish return to the field next Saturday at No. 1 Denver. Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (MT) at Barton Stadium.
February 28, 2015
Loftus Sports Center – Notre Dame, Ind.
Dartmouth (0-2) – 2 0 1 2 – 5
#2 Notre Dame (3-0) – 7 5 6 2 – 20
— Sean Carroll, Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
–ND–