Feb. 6, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Seniors Jim Marlatt, Conor Doyle and Jack Near have been named team captains for the 2015 University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse season. Marlatt, a fifth-year senior, is a two-time team captain, while Doyle and Near are in their first year in the leadership position.
Marlatt (Clarksville, Md.) is a two-time All-America honoree who has played in all 50 games on Notre Dame’s first midfield line over the last three seasons. He has compiled 52 goals (10 man-up) and 33 assists in addition to collecting 72 ground balls during his career. Last season, he notched 13 goals, nine assists and 18 ground balls.
Doyle (Towson, Md.) has played in 49 games, including 47 starts, and registered 100 points on 64 goals and 36 assists during his Fighting Irish career. As a junior in 2014, he produced career-high marks for goals (31) and assists (19) along with scooping up a career-best 29 ground balls. He had nine multiple-goal games, including two four-goal efforts and one three-goal performance.
Near (Bronxville, N.Y.) copped honorable mention All-America accolades last season after recording nine goals, six assists and 30 ground balls. The short-stick defensive midfielder assisted on the game-winning tally against Maryland in the semifinals of the ACC Championship before scoring what proved to be the deciding goal in the 15-14 victory over Syracuse in the conference tournament title game. Near has posted 12 goals, seven assists and 69 ground balls in 48 career games at Notre Dame.
Head coach Kevin Corrigan on the captains:
“The three captains are doing a good job of involving other people in our leadership and I think that’s going to be really important for us this year. We need leadership from all over the team. Our captains all get it and they all know and accept what their responsibilities are and where they can be impactful. They are all determined to be good at that.”
Conor Doyle on being a captain:
“We have been very successful in the three seasons that I have been at Notre Dame. I think the last thing that is left for our team to accomplish is winning the national championship. The guys on the team are committed to that goal. It is an honor to be recognized by my teammates, but I think we have many leaders on this year’s team. I’m looking forward to the season and believe it will be memorable.”
Jim Marlatt on being a captain:
“Being a two-time team captain is quite an honor, and I am proud that I have earned the respect and trust of my teammates and coaches. Being a captain on last year’s team was an invaluable experience that has prepared me to become a stronger leader this year. However, I do not view myself as a `returning captain’ because each year is a separate and unique team that requires different characteristics and styles from the leadership positions.
“I am excited to work with Jack and Conor, as well as many of the other leaders on the team, to get the most out of ourselves and the team on a daily basis. For the seniors and fifth-year seniors this is our last chance, so there is no holding back.”
Jack Near on being a captain:
“It is a great honor to be elected by my teammates as a captain for this year’s team. To be recognized as a leader, especially on this team where there are so many quality guys in our locker room, is a very humbling experience and a challenge that I look forward to.
“Leadership requires a good balance of when to be the voice that is heard, and when it is appropriate to let someone else step into the limelight so to speak. I believe that this year’s team, more so than years past, has the right combination of guys who are willing to step up and take more responsibility and thus, more of a leadership role themselves. From this standpoint, being a captain and leading is something that should come relatively `easy’ because of that culture that is in our locker room, which I believe is the best in the country. I know it seems almost counterintuitive, the captains delegating and at times taking a back seat, but I believe that this is the best way for our team as a whole, as well as individually, to become the best we can be. As a captain, it will be important to ensure that the messages that are being sent and the environment that we work in stay consistent with the core philosophies of our team.”
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Notre Dame is ranked No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse, United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and Lacrosse Magazine preseason polls. The Fighting Irish will open the 2015 campaign Feb. 14 when they play host to Georgetown (noon ET).
Last season, the Irish finished with a 12-6 record after appearing in the NCAA Championship for the ninth straight year. Notre Dame advanced to Championship Weekend for the third time in the last five seasons and for the fourth time overall in program history. Notre Dame fell to Duke, 11-9, in the national title game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team pursues excellence on and off the field through the three pillars in which the program is built: Character, Culture & Community. These three foundational values guide the promise of the program, which is to provide its student-athletes with the most compelling and enriching experience in all of college athletics. Through academics, competition, service and travel, the program aims to immerse its players in situations that enhance their student-athlete experience to help them become the people, students and teammates they aspire to be.
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