MILWAUKEE — The Fighting Irish men’s lacrosse team opened the 2026 season with a 16-11 win over Marquette on the road to begin the year 1-0. Notre Dame has now won 24 straight season openers.
Josh Yago led the Irish attack in his first game with the program, scoring four second-half goals, marking a game high. Luke Miller also had a notable day, totaling a career-high four points off two goals and two assists.
Both Matt Jeffery and Teddy Lally finished with three points off two goals and an assist while Will Maheras and Jalen Seymour each found the back of the net twice from the midfield position.
Second-year starter Jeffery Ricciardelli finished with 12 saves while allowing 11 goals for a .522 save percentage in the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame wasted no time getting started, scoring twice within the opening minute of play. Jeffery scored on the first possession of the game followed by Diaz-Matos winning a faceoff and then burying his shot for an early 2-0 lead.
Jalen Seymour stung the top corner a few minutes later to make it 3-0. Marquette then found its footing in the game and scored twice over the last 10 minutes of the first half to make it a 3-2 game at the end of the first frame.
The Golden Eagles tied the game up at 3-3 with a goal within four minutes of the second quarter. The Irish responded with scores from Behrman and Lally to go on top 5-3 before Marquette pulled within one off a goal with 6 minutes to play.
Notre Dame then scored three goals in less than two minutes, two coming from Miller and one from Maheras, to take its largest lead of the first half at 8-4. However, Marquette refused to go away, scoring the final two goals of the half to make it an 8-6 game after the first 30 minutes of action.
The hosts carried their momentum into the third quarter, scoring the first two goals to level the score at 8-8. The Irish stopped the run with Yago’s first career goal in the blue and gold followed by a rip on the run by Maheras for his second of the day to make it 10-8 in favor of the Irish.
After the Golden Eagles pulled back within one on their ninth goal of the game, the Irish finished the third stanza in a flurry, striking twice within the final minute off goals from Yago and Lally to give them a 12-9 lead with 15 minutes left in regulation.
Notre Dame tacked a goal onto its lead early in the fourth quarter, as Yago completed his hat trick off the extra-man opportunity to make it 13-9.
Marquette cut the Irish lead back down to three at 13-10 before Notre Dame scored the next three goals to take control of the game at 16-10. Jeffery and Seymour both found the back of the net for the second time plus Yago’s fourth spurred the run.
The hosts scored once in the final two minutes of play but the Irish went on to win the opener by a final score of 16-11.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Irish have now scored at least 15 goals in each of their last eight season openers, dating back to the 2019 season.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- The Irish improved to 14-0 against Marquette in the all-time series.
- Notre Dame has won each of the last seven matchups against the Golden Eagles by at least five goals.
- With the win, the Irish are now 39-7 in season openers, including a 33-5 record under Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan.
- Eight different players registered at least one goal in the victory.
- The Notre Dame defense caused 10 turnovers, three coming from Will Donovan and two from Nate Schwitzenberg.
- Jeffery recorded a career-high three points off two goals and an assist.
- Tyler Spano went 10-of-17 from the dot in his Fighting Irish debut.
- Yago, Diaz-Matos and Lally each recorded their first career goals with Notre Dame.
- Yago (A) and Miller (A) each made the first starts of their ND career in the season opener.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will open the home portion of the 2026 schedule in a midweek matinee against Bellarmine at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The game is expected to be played at Arlotta Stadium and will air on ACCNX.
— ND —