May 3, 2003
Notre Dame, Ind. – The No. 18 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team saw its four-game win streak snapped as the Irish dropped a 10-4 decision to No. 4 Maryland in the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two schools. The Terrapins used a stifling defense to shut down the Irish’s offensive attack as Notre Dame was held to its lowest goal scoring total in more than two years.
With the loss, Coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad end the regular season with a final 9-5 mark, while Maryland won its third straight to improve to 10-3. Heading into the game, Notre Dame had outscored its opponents 52-21 in its last four games and was averaging 13.0 goals per game.
The four goals were the fewest since March 18, 2000 when Notre Dame dropped a 12-2 decision at home to Loyola. Notre Dame had four different goal scorers in the contest. Junior Owen Mulford (Ocean City, Md.) was the only player to register a multiple-point game for the Irish as he finished with a goal and an assist.
Four Terrapin players – Justin Smith, Ryan Moran, Brian Hunt and Joe Walters – each scored two goals in the contest. Smith also finished with an assist.
Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first on Mulford’s unassisted goal one minute into the contest, but Maryland struck back with two scores in the final three minutes of the quarter on unassisted goals by Moran and Smith.
The Terrapins’ defense stymied the Irish in the second quarter and held them in check. Maryland too a 5-1 lead into halftime on goals by Hunt, Smith and Walters.
Notre Dame turned up defensive pressure and become more aggressive offensively in the quarter which enabled the Irish to cut the lead to 5-3 as the Irish held the Terrapins scoreless in the third 15-minute stanza. Notre Dame ended its scoring drought at the 11:05 mark of the third quarter with Matt Howell’s (Huntington, N.Y.) and then tallied its third goal of the game with 1:30 left when Mulford fed teammate Brian Giordano (Princeton, N.J.).
Maryland, however, scored the next five goals of the game to open up a 10-3 advantage with 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. Senior Travis Wells (Severna Park, Md.) scored Notre Dame’s final goal off an assist from freshman Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa.).
Notre Dame top scorers – freshman Patrick Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y.) and junior Dan Berger (Phoenix, Md.) – were held without either a goal an assist for the first time this season.
Junior goalkeeper Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md.), despite giving up 10 goals in the game, turned in one of his most impressive efforts of the season as he finished with 18 saves.
Maryland coach Dave Cottle registered his 200th career with in the contest.