Men's Lacrosse
Duke
Syracuse
Virginia
North Carolina
Penn
May 24, 2014
BALTIMORE – The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team is just 60 minutes from its first national championship after downing Maryland, 11-6 in the NCAA semifinals on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Matt Kavanagh had a seven-point day for the Irish, scoring five times and adding a pair of assists. Conor Kelly made 14 saves in the Irish net while the defense in front of him contributed to Maryland turning the ball over a Terrapin season-high 19 times. The 11 goals matched the most scored against Maryland this year.
Conor Doyle had a goal and three assists for Notre Dame (12-5), which makes its second appearance in the finals on Monday against top-seeded Duke. Attackman John Scioscia and midfielder Nick Ossello netted two goals apiece for the Fighting Irish, who outscored the Terrapins 4-1 in the third quarter to build a 10-5 lead.
Defenseman Stephen O’Hara put the clamps on Maryland leading scorer and first team All-American midfielder Mike Chanenchuk, who was held to two goals and an assist after totaling nine points in last Saturday’s quarterfinals.
The Irish will face top-seeded Duke on Monday for the title. The opening faceoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on ESPN2. The Blue Devils defeated Denver, 15-12, in Saturday’s first semifinal to advance to the final.
A more detailed recap will come later this evening.