Dec. 1, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Five members of the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team have garnered preseason All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse. Scott Rodgers (Sr., G) was named to the first team, while Grant Krebs (Sr., M) and Sam Barnes (Sr., D) were second-team selections. Trever Sipperly (Sr., M/FO) and Andrew Irving (Jr., LSM) were honorable mention picks.
The Fighting Irish were tabbed to finish second in the BIG EAST according to a vote by the league’s seven head coaches. The 2010 campaign will mark the first season for BIG EAST men’s lacrosse. Syracuse was picked to win the conference. Barnes and Rodgers both were named to the coaches’ 13-man all-BIG EAST preseason squad. The All-America and all-conference teams appear in the 2010 Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook.
Rodgers (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur), a fifth-year senior, earned third-team All-America accolades last season from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) as he led all NCAA Division I goalies in goals-against average (6.14) and save percentage (.663). Rodgers established single-season program records for goals-against average and victories (15). The Long Island native was tabbed as the Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) Player of the Year in addition to being selected as a Tewaaraton Trophy nominee.
Barnes (Branford, Conn./Branford) received honorable mention All-America honors last season during his junior campaign. He was a valuable member to the nation’s top-ranked defense as he routinely locked down the opponent’s top scorer as a starter in all 16 contests. His 28 ground balls were a single-season career-high total and helped him garner a first-team All-GWLL nod. Barnes notched his first career point with an assist in a 9-7 win over Villanova.
Krebs (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) started every game last season and joined his classmate Barnes as an honorable mention All-America pick. Krebs was Notre Dame’s leading midfield scorer in 2009 with 29 goals, which ranked second overall on the team. He was third on the squad with 38 total points en route to earning first-team All-GWLL honors. Those figures were career-best totals, while his nine assists tied his career-high mark. Krebs will carry team-best streaks for points (32) and goals (28) into this season.
Irving (McLean, Va./The Hotchkiss School (Conn.)) appeared in all 16 games one year ago and collected a team-best and career-high 51 ground balls. He also posted a career-best three points on one goal and two assists. Irving aided an Irish defense that led the nation in goals-against average with a 6.19 mark, which shattered the program standard (6.66 from the 2007 season).
Sipperly (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich) played in all 16 games in 2009 and won 56 percent (85-67) of his faceoff attempts. He picked up a career-high 27 ground balls and tallied the first point of his career with an assist in helping the Irish to a 16-7 win over Ohio State in the title game of the GWLL Tournament.
In 2009, Notre Dame finished with a 15-1 mark, which established program records for wins and winning percentage (.938) for a single season. The Irish posted the first undefeated regular season in team history and captured their second consecutive GWLL tournament title in addition to making their fourth straight NCAA Championship appearance.
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