April 27, 2002
Cambridge, Mass. – The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team suffered its third overtime setback in 2002 and fifth one-goal decision as the Irish dropped a 7-6 decision on the road at Harvard. The Crimson’s Matt Primm netted the game-winning goal 57 seconds into overtime as Coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad lost by one goal for the second straight week.
Notre Dame fell to 4-8 on the season with its third straight loss, while Harvard snapped its seven-game losing streak to improve 5-7. The eight losses for the Irish are the most by an Irish team in the 22-year history of the program.
Harvard sent the game into overtime when Jeff Gottschall scored his second goal of the game with 15.6 seconds remaining. That game 28 seconds after freshman Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J.) had given the Irish the lead with 43.6 seconds left in regulation.
The first half produced very little scoring as the two teams were deadlocked at 2-2 after 30 minutes. Notre Dame junior Eric Simon (Flemington, N.J.) got the Irish started on the scoreboard first with his first collegiate goal 2:11 into the contest.
Simon’s goal proved to be the only score of the first-quarter stanza until senior John Flandina’s (West Islip, N.Y.) lone goal of the afternoon put the Irish up 2-0 with 10:16 remaining in the second period.
Gottschall netted the first Crimson goal off Pimm’s assist at the 9:31 mark and then Pimm’s goal tied the game at 2-2 with 7:39 remaining.
Harvard struck first in the second half when Jim Christian gave the Crimson their first lead of the day at the 12:12 mark off of a feed from Mike McBride. Senior Devin Ryan (Kensington, Md.) tied the game at 3-3 with 5.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter off an assist from Matt Malakoff (Bay Shore, N.Y.).
Giordano’s unassisted goal, and his second tally on the day to start the fourth quarter, put the Irish 4-3. Harvard answered with two unanswered goals from McBride and Derek Nowak just 10 seconds apart at the 13:00 and 13:10 marks of the contest.
Ryan’s second goal of the contest knotted the game at 5-5 as the two teams were tied for the fifth time with 6:16.
Junior goalkeeper Nick Antol (Baldwin, Md.) recorded 18 saves in the contest, while Crimson goalie Jake McKenna made 12 stops.
Notre Dame concludes the regular season at home next Saturday, May 4 when the Irish play host to Great Western Lacrosse League rival Ohio State at 1:00 p.m.