NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 7 Irish advanced to the NCAA Championships quarterfinal vs. No. 2 Duke after defeating Johns Hopkins, 16-9, at Arlotta Stadium on Sunday evening. Notre Dame’s 16 goals set a program record for most goals in a game in the NCAA Championships.
The Irish have now advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Morrison Mirer scored a career-high four goals on the night, while Bryan Costabile and Ryder Garnsey each netted hat tricks.
The Irish defense held the Blue Jays’ attack to just nine goals, while Matt Schmidt made nine stops in goal on the evening. Charlie Leonard also played a major role in the victory, going 17-for-29 at the X while registering a goal and an assist.
How It Happened
The Irish played a nearly flawless first half of lacrosse against the Blue Jays, taking a 10-2 lead into the halftime break. After the visitors scored the opening goal of the game, the Irish responded with seven unanswered scores to take a commanding 7-1 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Blue Jays managed to stop the run with their second of the evening but Notre Dame scored the last three goals of the half to take a lopsided 10-2 lead after the opening 30 minutes of action.
Mirer recorded a first-half hat trick and Costabile added two scores of his own. Leonard won 10-of-14 face-offs and Schmidt made four goals while allowing just two between the pipes.
Johns Hopkins got off to a hot start to begin the second half, scoring the first four goals to cut the Irish in half at 10-6 with over eight minutes left in the period. Notre Dame regained control by posting three of the last four goals of the quarter to take a 13-7 lead into the fourth frame.
In the fourth, the Irish added three key goals, including one each from Brian Willetts, Quinn McCahon and Costabile. McCahon found the back of the net on an extra-man opportunity to give the Irish the 15-8 lead before Costabile’s 40th of the season earned the Irish the 16-9 victory.
Notre Dame Player of the Game
Mirer could not have asked for a better time to have a breakout performance, doubling his career high for goals in a game with a four score outburst in the opening round of the tournament. The sophomore netted a hat trick before the halftime whistle and added a score in the second half to complete his remarkable night. The midfielder now has eight goals on the season.
Notre Dame Stat of the Game
For just the third time this season the Johns Hopkins’ attack finished with less than 10 goals, as the Irish defense put the clamps on the Blue Jays on Sunday. Notre Dame has now held opponents to single-digit scoring six times during the 2019 campaign.
Goal of the game
Those Garnsey goals… SHEESH. ?
No doubt — that’s an #SCTop10 goal right there.
? ESPNU#GoIrish
— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) May 13, 2019
Notre Dame Notes
- Notre Dame punched its ticket to its ninth NCAA quarterfinal in the last 10 seasons.
- The Irish are now 9-2 when playing at home in the NCAA Championships in program history.
- Notre Dame now has an all-time record of 20-23 in the NCAA Championships.
- Sunday’s win over Johns Hopkins is the second in program history, both coming in the NCAA Championships.
- Notre Dame’s 16 goals set a program record for most goals in a game in the NCAA Championships.
- The seven-goal margin of victory is tied for third for the largest margin of victory in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
- The Irish hosted Johns Hopkins for the first time in program history on Sunday.
- For the first time this season, four Notre Dame players finished with four points, as Costabile (3G, 1A), Garnsey (3G, 1A), McCahon (1G, 3A) and Mirer (4G) each achieved the feat.
- Gleason donned the No. 40 jersey on Sunday to honor the late Mike Sennett, who was a former captain at Notre Dame.
Up Next
The Irish face No. 2 Duke in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals in Hempstead, New York, at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.