March 16, 2002
Notre Dame, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team lost its second heartbreaker in as many games losing today to No. 3 Loyola 7-6 in double overtime at Moose Krause Stadium. Notre Dame falls to 1-4 on the season, while Loyola improves to 4-0 on the year.
Notre Dame tied the score on an Owen Asplundh goal with 2:34 after a scramble in front of the net. After neither team scored in the first overtime, Loyola’s Michael Sullivan decided the game with a shot that got just past Irish junior goalie Nick Antol, giving the Greyhounds the emotional 7-6 victory.
Loyola opened up an early 2-0 lead after goals from Sullivan, his first of three on the day, including the game-winner, and sophomore Stephen Brundage. Notre Dame closed the gap to 2-1 on sophomore Dan Berger’s team-high10th goal of the season. Sullivan, Loyola’s top scorer, answered only 15 seconds later with his second goal of the contest giving Loyola a 3-1 lead.
The Irish once again closed the gap to one goal with a Kyle Frigon goal at 7:01 of the second quarter. The two teams would go back and forth, but neither could convert as Loyola led 3-2 at the half.
Notre Dame soon tied the score at 3-3 at 9:16 of the third quarter on senior Devin Ryan’s first of three goals in the game. Loyola regained the lead at 5:04 on junior Chris Summers fifth goal of the season. Loyola soon stretched the lead to two goals on a Jim Fink goal with 2:32 to go in the third.
Ryan, who scored his sixth, seventh and eighth goals of the season, soon answered with his second goal of the game for the Irish at 1:24 in the third quarter. He then tied the game at 5-5 with 9:57 to go in regulation. Loyola regained the lead with 6:52 remaining on a John Halip goal, before Asplundh tied the contest, sending the game into overtime.
In the first overtime, both teams went on the attack, but neither team could muster a shot on goal. After Notre Dame won the faceoff to open the second overtime, Loyola regained possession and scored on a scramble in front of the net passing a sprawling Antol.
Antol made 10 saves, while allowing only seven goals to the highly-potent Greyhounds in 68 minutes of action. Loyola junior goalie Mark Bloomquist allowed six goals, while making eight saves. For the game, Loyola outshot the Irish 28-25 and scooped up 49 ground balls in comparison to 37 for the Irish.
Notre Dame is next in action Saturday, March 23, when it plays nationally-ranked Hofstra at Moose Krause Stadium. The Irish will try and avenge their only loss of the 2001 regular-season. Notre Dame eventually advanced to the NCAA semifinals last season.