April 4, 2004
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Senior G Stewart Crosland (Bethesda, Md./Landon School) made 12 saves and allowed just one goal in leading a strong defensive effort, as the 13th-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team (3-4) snapped Dartmouth’s (5-2) five-game winning streak in a 10-3 decision Sunday afternoon at Moose Krause Stadium. The Irish, who had eight players score goals and six register multiple points, held a 10-1 lead when Crosland left with 4:18 remaining in the game.
Notre Dame’s defensive effort — keyed by seniors D Brennan Creaney (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield H.S.) and D Mickey Blum (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City H.S.), junior LSM Chris Richez (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport H.S.), sophomore D D.J. Driscoll (Downington, Pa./Malvern Preparatory School), and freshman D Joey Rallo (Cockeysville, Md./Boys’ Latin H.S.) — held the Big Green nearly 10 goals below its season average of 12.67. Dartmouth came into the week ranked seventh in the nation in scoring offense, having not netted fewer than nine goals in any of its first six games. The last time the Irish held a team to three goals or fewer was April 10, 2003, in a 9-2 home victory against Butler.
Notre Dame also allowed Dartmouth to successfully clear the ball just 17 times in 32 tries (.531), while shutting down the Big Green EMO, ranked 15th in the nation, on all three of its chances.
After stopping 50.8% of shots through the first six games of the season, Crosland set a career best with a .923 save percentage in the game. It also matched the fewest goals he has allowed as a starter, having stopped nine of 10 shots a year ago against Butler.
For the third game in a row, Notre Dame got off to a quick start, outscoring the Big Green 4-0 in the first quarter and holding a 15-4 advantage in shots. Crosland stopped the only Dartmouth offer that was on goal in the opening frame, which came from Nick Bonacci at the 2:01 mark. Dartmouth got on the board 33 seconds into the second quarter, when sophomore M/A Brad Heritage scored from the close left wing. Crosland then came up with saves on all 11 ensuing shots he faced, including one on a breakaway attempt and various others on good scoring chances.
Crosland also matched his career high by corralling five ground balls to share the team lead. On the season, he has a 10.68 goals-against average and .546 save percentage. Crosland has started each of the last 21 games in goal for Notre Dame and has seen opponents tally five goals or fewer on seven occasions in that span.
Both senior A Dan Berger (Phoenix, Md./Boys’ Latin H.S.) and sophomore M Brian Hubschmann (Short Hills, N.J./Delbarton H.S.) scored twice for the Irish, while sophomore All-American A Pat Walsh (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh H.S.) notched a game-high four points (one goal, three assists), while also having two goals waived off as crease violations.
It was the 19th multiple-goal game of Berger’s career. He also had an assist to up his season point total to 16 (13 goals, three assists). Hubschmann leads the Irish with 14 goals in 2004 (to go along with seven assists). He has had multiple points in every game but one this season after accomplishing that feat just once a year ago.
Walsh, the GWLL’s leading scorer who ranked fourth nationally heading into the week, continued his streak of accounting for at least one goal and at least three points in every game this season. He has tallied multiple points in 19 of 21 career games and leads Notre Dame with 30 (13 goals, 17 assists) in 2004. Walsh also fired a career-high 14 shots and for the second game in a row garnered a point on a behind-the-back move. After throwing a behind-the-back pass to assist on a Berger goal Wednesday against Ohio State, he found the net with 5:28 left in the third quarter on a behind-the-back shot on Sunday.
Three Notre Dame players — senior A Matt Howell (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington H.S.), sophomore M Matt Ryan (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley H.S.), and freshman M John Greaney (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon H.S.) — had a goal and an assist each.
Howell has scored a goal in every game this season and in 15 of the 16 in which he has played over the last two campaigns (while accounting for six assists in his only goalless contest). He also has multiple points in every game this season.
Greaney saw regular time on the field after having previously played only in a brief stint in the season opener. He registered his first two collegiate points, first assisting on junior A Matt Malakoff’s (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore H.S.) first goal of the season late in the first quarter and then finding the back of the net himself with an unassisted tally from the top of the circle to put the Irish up 10-1. Malakoff also matched his career high with three ground balls.
Richez notched his first goal of the season and first score since making the switch to the longstick this season. He took advantage of a Dartmouth turnover on a clear attempt by picking up the ground ball, passing to Walsh, taking the return pass right in from of the goal, and firing it past Dartmouth junior G Andrew Goldstein, who gave up 10 Irish goals after heading into the week 14th in the nation with a 7.45 goals-against average. He finished with 12 saves.
Notre Dame held a 14-1 shot advantage at one point in the first quarter and ended up taking 15 more attempts than the Big Green (49-34), despite a 16-12 Dartmouth margin in the final quarter.
The Big Green dominated in ground balls in the middle two quarters, but Notre Dame’s 22-10 fourth-period advantage allowed the Irish to corral more on the day, 49-47. Goldstein led all players with seven ground balls, while junior D Pat Keeley had six and senior A Tom Daniels grabbed five. Matching Crosland for the Irish team lead was Creaney, while Howell and senior M Steve Clagett (Chesapeake Beach, Md./DeMatha Catholic H.S.) had four each.
Dartmouth won 10 of 17 faceoffs, on the strength of a nine-for-13 performance from senior M Geoff Colla. Junior M Steve Bishko (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip H.S.) won half of his eight draws taken for the Irish.
Notre Dame’s man-up unit, ranked first in the Great Western Lacrosse League and fifth nationally heading into the week, was unsuccessful on its two EMOs. Dartmouth, which ranks fourth in Division I, now has surrendered goals on just five of 31 (.161) man-down situations.
Junior G Sean Quigley (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.) made his collegiate debut, replacing Crosland for the final 4:18. Shortly after his entry, Dartmouth got a goal when junior M Ben Grinnell kicked in the rebound after Quigley saved a shot by Daniels. Sophomore M/A Alec Hufnagel scored his seventh goal of the season with 27 seconds remaining to end the scoring. Quigley had two saves and a ground ball.
For the third game in a row, Notre Dame scored at least three goals before the opponent lit the scoreboard. Ryan took a pass from Walsh to open the scoring 3:04 into the game. Howell then hit Berger for a goal with 5:36 left in the opening frame before Richez and Malakoff put the Irish up 4-0. After the Big Green goal, Notre Dame would score the next six, holding Dartmouth without a tally for the next 40 minutes and 37 seconds. On Wednesday, the Irish denied Ohio State a goal for 28:47 over the second and third quarters.
Notre Dame had a season-high 31 players see action.
The Irish have won all three all-time meetings with the Big Green.
Notre Dame’s next five games all will be against GWLL opponents. The Irish head to Colorado next weekend to take on Air Force on Good Friday, April 9, at 4 p.m. (MDT) and #16 Denver on Easter Sunday, April 11, at 1 p.m. Only two conference games have been played thus far: Ohio State’s last-second 9-8 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday and a 15-12 victory for Fairfield against Butler on Sunday.