April 8, 2010
#19 NOTRE DAME (5-4, 0-2) at #9 GEORGETOWN (6-3, 2-1)
Sunday, April 11 – 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Multi-Sport Field – Washington, D.C
TV: ESPNU
Gametracker on und.com
SETTING THE STAGE … Notre Dame will conclude its two-game BIG EAST road trip on Sunday, April 11 at No. 9 Georgetown. Game time is slated for noon (ET) at the Multi-Sport Field. The contest will be aired live on ESPNU. The Fighting Irish are 5-4 overall and 0-2 in BIG EAST play, while the Hoyas are 6-3 and 2-1 in the league. Sunday will mark the 10th meeting all-time, and the first since 1999, between Notre Dame and Georgetown. The Hoyas lead the series 6-3.
ABOUT THE IRISH … Notre Dame will look to bounce back from consecutive BIG EAST setbacks when the Irish face Georgetown on Sunday … the Fighting Irish are coming off a 9-8 loss at Villanova on April 3 … junior midfielder Zach Brenneman paced Notre Dame with two goals and two assists in the loss at Villanova … Brenneman has six multiple-goal games this season … he leads the Fighting Irish with 17 goals this season … his 24 points ties him for the team lead with senior attackman Neal Hicks, who has a team-best 10 assists … Hicks tallied one goal and had a game-high three assists against Villanova … the three assists were the most by any Notre Dame player in a game this season … the Fighting Irish are averaging 9.44 goals per game, while surrendering 8.11 per contest … Notre Dame has had 11 different players score a goal this season … senior goalie Scott Rodgers, a third-team All-American last season, is 5-3 on the season … Rodgers boasts a 7.84 goals-against average and a .582 save percentage … he has a 20-4 career record … Rodgers left the Rutgers game (March 27) in the first half with an injury and freshman John Kemp played the entire second half and made eight saves, while allowing five goals … Kemp made his first career start against Villanova and made 10 saves.
ND-GEORGETOWN SERIES NOTES … Sunday will be the 10th meeting all-time between the Fighting Irish and Hoyas … the two schools have not played since the 1999 campaign when the Hoyas claimed a 14-10 decision during the first round of the NCAA Championship in Towson, Md. … Georgetown has won the last four meetings and the Hoyas lead the series 6-3 … Notre Dame is 2-3 all-time at Georgetown … the last time the two schools met in Washington, D.C. the Hoyas captured a 13-7 win during the 1998 season.
ABOUT GEORGETOWN … The Hoyas will bring a 6-3 record into Sunday’s game against the Fighting Irish … Georgetown is 2-1 in BIG EAST play … the Hoyas are coming off an 11-6 non-conference win against Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday … Georgetown’s BIG EAST wins have come against St. John’s (9-6) and Providence (14-4), while the loss was to Syracuse (15-12) … the Hoyas also have topped Harvard (13-12), Delaware (13-11) and Navy (13-12 in OT) … Georgetown’s other setbacks have come against Maryland (15-13) and Duke (15-10) … Georgetown is 4-2 at home this season … the Hoyas are averaging 12.00 goals per game, while surrendering 10.67 per contest … freshman attackman Travis Comeau has a team-best 17 goals … senior attackman Craig Dowd leads the Hoyas in assists (21) and points (29) … senior Jack Davis has started six games in goal and carries a 4-2 record … Davis has an 11.16 goals-against average and a .496 save percentage … sophomore C.T. Fisher has three starts in goal and boasts a 2-1 record with a 9.91 goals-against average and a .493 save percentage … Georgetown posted a 7-7 record last season … the Hoyas returned eight starters and 36 letterwinners from the 2009 squad … head coach Dave Urick is in his 19th season at Georgetown.
LOCKING DOWN … The Fighting Irish boast the nation’s top man-down defense (.857) … Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally in overall team defense by surrendering just 8.11 goals per game … since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Fighting Irish defense has only allowed 10 or more goals six times in the 57 games played during that span.
RODGERS IN THE RANKINGS … Notre Dame senior goalie Scott Rodgers ranks eighth nationally with a 7.84 goals-against average and he is ninth in the nation with a .582 save percentage.
SCORELESS QUARTERS … When the Notre Dame defense held Rutgers scoreless in the first quarter on March 27, it marked the fifth time this season that the Irish held an opponent without a goal for an entire quarter … in the season opener, Notre Dame did not allow a fourth-quarter goal against Duke … the Fighting Irish held Loyola scoreless during the second quarter of the game on March 6 … the Irish shut out Drexel in the third period on March 9 … Notre Dame held Ohio State scoreless in the fourth quarter in the meeting on March 20.
FINISHING STRONG … Notre Dame has out-scored its opponents 27-15 in the fourth quarter of play this season.
HAT TRICKS … Six Notre Dame players have registered hat tricks this season … junior midfielder Zach Brenneman has a team-best four hat tricks this season … Neal Hicks (Sr./A), Grant Krebs (Sr./M) and David Earl (Jr./M) all have two … Max Pfeifer (So./M) and Sean Rogers (So./A) both have one hat trick this season … Pfeifer’s hat trick was a four-goal effort against Drexel.
SPREADING THE WEALTH … The Fighting Irish have had 11 players score a goal this season … Notre Dame boasts four players with double-digit goal totals … Zach Brenneman (Jr./M) has a team-high 17 goals, while Neal Hicks (Sr./A) and David Earl (Jr./M) both have 14 … Grant Krebs (Sr./M) has netted 12 goals.
STREAKING … Junior midfielder David Earl has scored a goal in a team-best seven straight contests.
FACING OFF … Senior midfielder Trever Sipperly went 13-17 (.765) in faceoffs against Drexel (March 9) to match a personal-best winning percentage for a single game … Sipperly followed that up with 14 wins out of 20 attempts (.700) against Fairfield … he ranks 13th nationally with a .586 winning percentage (106-75) this season … last season, Sipperly ranked 13th nationally with a .559 percentage (85-67).
A COACHING MILESTONE … Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan earned his 200th victory at Notre Dame with the win over Denver on March 16 … Corrigan, who is in his 22nd season at Notre Dame, has a 201-100 (.668) record at the helm of the Fighting Irish program.
A RARE OCCURANCE … Notre Dame’s 10-8 setback to Rutgers on March 27 marked the first time the Irish dropped a regular-season game at home since a 9-6 loss to Denver during the 2005 season … that covered a span of 28 games.
WORKING OVERTIME … The 7-6 win over Ohio State on March 20 was Notre Dame’s second overtime game of the season … the Irish dropped a 7-6 overtime decision at Drexel on March 9 … the last season that Notre Dame played two overtime contests in the same season was in 2005 … the win over Ohio State was Notre Dame’s first overtime victory since an 8-7 win over Colgate in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
COMING BACK … Notre Dame trailed Ohio State 6-4 entering the fourth quarter on March 20 … Fighting Irish goals from Zach Brenneman (8:49) and David Earl (3:20) along with a shut out from the Irish defense in the fourth quarter forced the game into overtime where Earl scored the game winner with 1:41 left in the first extra session.
A GOOD CAUSE … The Notre Dame-Fairfield contest on March 13 was part of the inaugural `Beating Cancer With a Stick Lacrosse Classic’ … the event, which was presented by Lacrosse 4 All, will help raise money for The Children’s Cancer Hospital at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center … it was the first NCAA Division I lacrosse game in Houston since 1970, when Johns Hopkins played Navy … four high school programs, Kinkaid, Houston Episcopal, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) and Palo Verde (Nev.), also participated in the event.
A RETURN TO TEXAS … The Fairfield game on March 13 signified the second straight season that Notre Dame has played a game in the state of Texas … last year, the Fighting Irish topped Vermont, 13-7, in Dallas … that contest was part of the Patriot Cup.
BEATING THE BEST … Notre Dame has defeated two top-10 teams this season … the Irish knocked off No. 2 Duke, 11-7, in the season opener … Notre Dame took down No. 10 Loyola, 11-9, on March 6 … the last time the Fighting Irish beat two top-10 teams in the same season was during the 2008 campaign … that season, Notre Dame topped No. 9 Ohio State, 17-12, during the regular season and then downed the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, 9-2, during the GWLL tournament … Notre Dame also beat No. 10 Colgate, 8-7 in overtime, that season in the first round of the NCAA Championship.
DEFENDING THE CAGE … Notre Dame currently ranks ninth nationally with an 8.11 goals-against average … Notre Dame boasted the nation’s top defense in 2009 by producing a school-record 6.19 goals-against average, which shattered the program standard of 6.66 from the 2007 season … in his first season as a starter, Scott Rodgers led all NCAA Division I goalies with a 6.14 goals-against average and a .663 save percentage en route to earning third-team All-America honors in 2009 … his 15 victories also established a Fighting Irish record … the Irish had the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense in 2008 by allowing 7.04 goals per game … in 2007, Notre Dame ranked fourth nationally with the 6.66 mark.
ARLOTTA STADIUM … Arlotta Stadium is the new home for the Notre Dame men’s and women’s lacrosse programs … construction of the facility began in August of 2008 and it held its first event on October 16, 2009 as the Notre Dame men’s team played the Iroquois National Team in an exhibition contest … the official stadium dedication was held on October 17, 2009 … Notre Dame defeated Denver, 14-7, on March 16 in its first regular-season game in the facility … the stadium features over 2,000 seats, lights, an artificial-turf field, locker rooms, player lounges, restrooms and concession areas … the state-of-the-art facility is named after Notre Dame graduate John Arlotta, president and chief executive officer of Denver-based Coram Inc. … he and his wife Bobbie pledged the lead gift toward the stadium, which was built to the east of the Joyce Center as part of the University’s new athletics quadrangle … the Arlotta children – Mindy, Andy and Jon – pledged an additional gift from The Arlotta Family Foundation toward the project … in addition to their generous donation, alumni and friends of the lacrosse programs donated over two million dollars.
BIG STAGE … Notre Dame has played in some big venues over the past few seasons … on March 6, the Irish defeated Loyola, 11-9, in front of 19,742 fans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. during the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic … last season, Notre Dame topped Ohio State, 14-8, in front of an NCAA regular-season record crowd of 30,192 fans at Ohio Stadium … the game was played prior to Ohio State’s spring football game … the Fighting Irish bested Denver, 10-8, at Invesco Field at Mile High one season ago … in 2008, Notre Dame faced Denver at Toyota Park, which is home to the Chicago Machine (MLL) and Chicago Fire (MLS).
QUALITY COMPETITION … The Fighting Irish have seven teams on their 2010 slate that appear in the latest USILA coaches poll … Notre Dame opened the campaign with an 11-7 victory over current No. 6 Duke … the Blue Devils were ranked second at the time of the contest … Notre Dame took down current No. 9 Loyola, 11-9, on March 6 … the Irish fell at current No. 8 Drexel, 7-6 in overtime, on March 9 … the Irish also suffered a 10-8 setback to current No. 14 Fairfield on March 13 in Houston, Texas … the Fighting Irish were defeated by No. 13 Villanova, 9-8, on April 3 … Notre Dame will square off against No. 11 Georgetown on Sunday and No. 3 Syracuse on May 1.
A FANTASTIC 400 … The Penn State contest on Feb. 28 marked the 400th game in the history of varsity men’s lacrosse at Notre Dame … the Fighting Irish carry an all-time record of 265-142 (.651).
GETTING OFFENSIVE … The Notre Dame offense has been one of the best in the nation over the past few seasons … last season, the Irish tied for 10th nationally by averaging 11.00 goals per-game … in 2008, the Irish averaged 12.04 goals per game and that placed them fifth among all NCAA Division I teams … Notre Dame ranked fourth in 2007 with an 11.65 goals per-game average … the Irish are averaging 9.44 goals per game this season.
GRAND OPENING … Notre Dame’s 11-7 season-opening win over No. 2 Duke on Feb. 20 marked the program’s first victory over a team ranked in the top-two of the national polls … Notre Dame is 23-7 all-time in season-openers, including a 17-5 record in the Kevin Corrigan era … the Irish have won a program-record eight straight season-openers … the Fighting Irish have opened their slate against a ranked opponent for 17 consecutive seasons.
DELIGHTFUL DEBUT … Notre Dame freshman midfielder Steve Murphy netted two goals in his collegiate debut against Duke on Feb. 20 … the last time a Fighting Irish freshman scored at least two goals in their Notre Dame debut was when Ryan Hoff and Peter Christman deposited two goals each in an 8-4 win over Penn State in 2006.
THREE NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST … Notre Dame seniors Sam Barnes (D), Grant Krebs (M) and Scott Rodgers (GK) have been named to the 64-man watch list for the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy … The Tewaaraton Award was formally established in August of 2000 and is the pre-eminent lacrosse award, which is given annually to the NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse player of the year … the award will be presented on June 3rd, 2010 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS … Five Notre Dame players 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.
BIG EAST DEBUT … The 2010 campaign marks the first season of BIG EAST men’s lacrosse … the seven conference schools that will participate in the newly-formed league are Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse and Villanova … the teams will play a six-game single round-robin regular-season schedule … men’s lacrosse is the BIG EAST’s 11th men’s sport while the Conference conducts 13 women’s sports … Notre Dame already is a member of the BIG EAST in 23 other sports … Notre Dame was a member of the Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) from 1994-2009 … the Fighting Irish captured 12 GWLL regular-season titles in addition to winning the only two GWLL Tournaments (2008 & 2009).
IRISH TABBED TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG EAST … Notre Dame was picked to finish second in the inaugural season of the BIG EAST men’s lacrosse league … the conference’s head coaches casted the votes and were not permitted to vote for their own teams … Syracuse was tabbed to win the league with six first-place votes, while Notre Dame received one first-place nod … rounding out the order of finish was Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, St. John’s and Providence.
IRISH EARN PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE HONORS … Four Notre Dame student-athletes were named to the 2010 All-BIG EAST Preseason Team … senior Scott Rodgers was the lone goalie selected to the 15-man squad … fellow seniors Sam Barnes (D), Neal Hicks (A) and Grant Krebs (M) also were chosen for the all-conference team.
RODGERS NAMED A LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST … Notre Dame goalie Scott Rodgers has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the men’s lacrosse division … to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition … an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities … Rodgers, a third-team All-American last season, carries a 3.077 cumulative grade-point average as a sociology major in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters … nationwide balloting is underway to determine the winner … fan balloting is available at www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging … fans can text LAX to 74567 to vote for the finalists … Lowe’s will announce the winner of the award in late May.
IRISH NAME CAPTAINS … Seniors Mike Creighton (D), Neal Hicks (A) and Kelly McKenna (M) are first-time captains for the Fighting Irish, while Scott Rodgers (G), a fifth-year senior, is serving as a team captain for the second straight season.
A QUICK LOOK BACK … In 2009, Notre Dame posted the first undefeated regular season in program history … the Fighting Irish went 13-0 overall in the regular season, including a 5-0 mark in Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) play … Notre Dame notched two more wins to take its second straight GWLL Tournament title … the Irish concluded the season with a 15-1 record after falling to Maryland, 7-3, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament … Notre Dame garnered the No. 7 seed for the NCAAs … the win total and winning percentage (.938) established program records … the Fighting Irish defense led the nation in 2009 with a 6.19 goals-against average, while the offense was tied for 10th by scoring 11.0 goals per game … five Notre Dame players garnered All-America honors in 2009 … Scott Rodgers (G), Ryan Hoff (A) and Regis McDermott (D) were third-team selections, while Sam Barnes (D) and Grant Krebs (M) were honorable-mention picks … Rodgers, Barnes and Krebs are back for the Irish in 2010 … Rodgers was named the 2009 GWLL Player of the Year, while Kevin Corrigan was named the league’s coach of the year for the fifth time … Rodgers led the nation in goals-against average (6.14) and save percentage (.663) … attackman Neal Hicks led the Irish with 43 points on 25 goals and 18 assists … Hoff scored a team-best 32 goals.
WINNING WAYS … In 2009, Notre Dame’s 15-1 mark established program records for wins and winning percentage in a single season … the Fighting Irish compiled the first undefeated regular season in program history and it marked the fourth straight season that the Irish have reached double figures in wins … Notre Dame’s 15-game win streak was a program best.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS … Notre Dame has earned four straight appearances to the NCAA Championship … over the past two seasons, the Irish have garnered one of the tournament’s eight national seeds and have hosted a first-round contest … last season, the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish fell to Maryland, 7-3, in the tournament’s first round … Notre Dame has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1990 … Notre Dame is competing in its 30th season of varsity lacrosse … the Fighting Irish have an all-time record of 265-142 (.651) … Kevin Corrigan is in his 22nd season as the head coach of the Fighting Irish … he has a record of 201-100 (.668) during his Notre Dame tenure.
KEEPING UP WITH ND MEN’S LACROSSE … Log onto und.com for the latest information on the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse program … und.com, the official athletics web site for the University of Notre Dame, features press releases, game stories, feature stories, video interviews, stats, rosters and more … fans also can sign up for Irish ALERT, a text messaging service designed to give fans game updates for all 26 varsity sports at Notre Dame … Irish men’s lacrosse fans can sign up to receive scores following each quarter … in addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting assistant sports information director Sean Carroll at Carroll.64@nd.edu or (574) 631-2664 … all requests for story ideas, interview access, match credentials and further information on Irish men’s lacrosse should similarly be directed to Carroll … credential and interview requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance.