SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 5/4 Fighting Irish opened the 2022 season with a lopsided win in the Loftus Sports Center, putting on a clinic in all facets of the game in a 24-2 victory over Detroit Mercy.
The Kavanagh brothers stole the show on the offensive side of the field, combining for 14 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Pat Kavanagh, the 2021 Tewaaraton Finalist, picked up right where he left off last year, scoring four goals and adding four assists to lead the way with eight points. Chris Kavanagh made his collegiate debut and scored four goals and added two assists in the win.
In total 14 players found the back of the net for the Irish and 16 registered at least one point.
The Irish defense put the clamps on the Titans’ attack, allowing just two goals on the evening. The two goals mark the fewest the Irish have allowed in a game since shutting out Ohio State in a 9-0 win during the 2015 season. Notre Dame’s goalkeeping trio of Liam Entenmann, Chris Nelson and Grant Petracca combined for 18 saves, giving the team a save percentage of 90 percent.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish wasted no time getting going on the offensive end, scoring seven goals in the opening 15 minutes to build an early 7-0 advantage.
Notre Dame quickly expanded the lead to 13 goals, outscoring the visitors 8-2 in the second quarter to take a 15-2 lead into the halftime break. The Kavanagh brothers had four goals apiece with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter while Wheaton Jackoboice also found the back of the net twice to help build the lead.
Notre Dame managed to extend its lead in the third period, outscoring Detroit Mercy 4-0 to move the score to 19-2 through 45 minutes of action. The Irish then tacked on five more goals in the final frame while holding the Titans scoreless to make the final score 24-2.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Pat Kavanagh has made it a tradition to post a monster game in season openers, leading the Irish with eight points off four goals and four assists. He now has 24 combined points over his three season openers in his career, totaling seven (3G, 4A) against Cleveland State as a freshman in 2020 and nine (2G, 7A) in his sophomore season against Robert Morris in 2021. Kavanagh now has four games in his career with eight or more points.
STAT OF THE GAME
The 24 goals scored are the most the Irish have ever recorded in a season opener and the two goals allowed are the fewest the program has ever given up in a season opener.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- The Irish improve to 5-0 against Detroit Mercy in the all-time series.
- With the win, the Irish are now 35-7 in season openers, including a 29-5 record under Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan.
- Notre Dame improves to 38-4 in home openers in program history and 31-3 under Corrigan.
- The 24 goals are the most the Irish have scored in a game against a DI opponent in program history.
- The 22 goal margin represents the largest win over a DI opponent in program history.
- Chris Kavanagh’s six point effort is the most recorded by an Irish freshmen in their debut since Pat posted seven during the 2019 season.
- Jason Reynolds and Chris Kavanagh made their first career starts for the Irish.
- Chris Kavanagh, Jeffery Ricciardelli, Emmett Barger, Mark McGinley, Casey Doyle and Davis Allen each scored their first career goals at the collegiate level while Mike Hawkins scored his first as a member of the Irish.
Up Next
The Irish host a top-5 showdown against No. 3 Georgetown at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 26. Admission is free and the game will air on ACCNX.
— 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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