2011 Notre Dame Lacrosse Season Kickoff

With the 2011 lacrosse season nearly upon us the Notre Dame men's lacrosse program looks to build on its momentum from last year's championship run. If you recall, Notre Dame had an unforgettable run through the post-season, handling perennial powers like Princeton, Maryland, and Cornell en route to their second final four appearance in school history and their first title game appearance. The Irish ultimately fell 6-5 in OT to Duke.

No one thought the Irish would be in a position to even make the tournament last year, as they finished the regular season with a modest 7-6 record. They persevered and fought their way to heights never before seen in program history.

Talent was clearly not lacking on last year's team. Further proof was given last Friday when a school-record five Irish players were drafted in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft.

In fact, the Long Island Lizards made midfielder Zach Brenneman the highest drafted player in school history with the fifth overall pick. Midfielder David Earl (13th overall) and defensemen Kevin Ridgway (18th overall) were both selected by the Hamilton Nationals. Sam Barnes (29th overall) followed Brenneman to Long Island and longstick midfielder Andrew Irving (33rd overall) headed west to the Denver Outlaws.

All five aforementioned Irish players will finish their senior seasons this year though and have garnered preseason All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse.  Barnes was the only of the bunch not to be named a 2011 captain.

Of the representation from the NCAA teams only Syracuse with seven draftees had more players selected in the this year's draft.

Seven might be a lucky number this season for the Irish as they are ranked seventh in both Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine preseason rankings. Additionally, the Irish play seven ranked opponents on their schedule, including a title game rematch against the Blue Devils in Jacksonville, FL on Sunday, February 20, 2011.

Before the season officially gets underway, though, the Irish will square off against the US National Team in an exhibition match a month before the Duke matchup. The game will be telecast live on ESPNU on Sunday, January 30 at 1:30p EST.

Irish Lax Team Falls 1 Short in OT Loss to Duke

AP Photo/Rob Carr

A strong defensive effort in what amounted to the fewest total goals scored in championship game history left Irish fans heartbroken in a 6-5 OT loss to Duke Monday afternoon in Baltimore.

Seen above, Irish senior netminder Scott Rodgers walks across the field dejected after giving up the game-winning goal 0:05 into OT. Not all was lost for Rodgers, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Lacrosse Championship.

Congratulations to Rodgers, his teammates and coaches, and of course the Duke Blue Devils on tremendous seasons. By maneuvering so deep into the national tournament the Irish established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in collegiate lacrosse. May they carry the momentum forward to a national title in the near future.

Go Irish!

Irish Lax Reaches NCAA Title Game for First Time

AP Photo/ Rob Carr

Led by a stifling defense and remarkable goaltending from senior Scott Rodgers the Notre Dame men's lacrosse team is headed to the NCAA championship game for the first time in school history.

Seventh seeded Cornell was the latest in a slew of upset wins by an unseeded Irish team that was thankful to even qualify for the NCAA tournament. Princeton (sixth seeded) and Maryland (third seeded) were the first powerhouses to succumb to the underdog Irish.

Cornell got on the board first early in the first quarter but that was about all that went well for the Big Red as Rodgers netted eight saves in the remainder of the quarter, allowing his teammates to capture a 3-1 lead.

Over the course of the next three periods the Big Red never came closer than a two goal deficit, ultimately losing 12-7 thanks in large part to Rodgers' 16 saves.

As a reward for their semifinal win the Irish, the first unseeded team since Massachusetts in 2006 to reach the final, will face fifth seeded Duke in Monday's national championship game, which can be seen on ESPN at 3:30p EST. See how both teams got here by following this link.

In the 29 years Notre Dame has assembled varsity men's lacrosse teams the Irish had only once before reached the NCAA Final Four. The 2001 Irish team lost to eventual runner-up Syracuse in the national semifinal. This year's bunch, however, would not be denied.

Kevin Corrigan, Notre Dame's head coach, said he hopes the win will spark more interest outside of the eastern seaboard where the sport has traditionally thrived.

I feel like we've been knocking on this door. I’m excited that we’re in the championship game and I’m really hoping that if we can win a championship game, I can stop getting questions about lacrosse outside traditional areas.

Junior midfielder Zach Brenneman, who tallied three goals in Saturday's match, shared similar sentiments about spreading the sport's following out west.

Now we’re really putting us on the map. I think it’s great for the sport. It’s a growing sport and it’ll help maybe move the sport out West, which is what I think everyone wants.

After limping into and barely qualifying for the NCAA tournament with a 7-6 regular season record the Irish have made the most of their opportunity in post-season play. One last challenge awaits the Irish tomorrow in the offensive juggernaut Duke Blue Devils.

One can only hope for a repeat of the first game of the season, an 11-7 victory in Durham, NC for the Irish. If it means an Irish title, I'd settle for something a little less comfortable and a single goal differential. Regardless, tomorrow's game will result in a first time national champion as the Blue Devils have failed in their two previous attempts in the title game.

The only number one I'd like to see tomorrow is an Irish title and, accordingly, a lighting of the #1 above Grace Hall at Notre Dame.

Go Irish! Beat Blue Devils!

Irish Lax Reaches Final Four For Second Time In School History

After narrowly making the NCAA tournament on an at large bid the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Men's lacrosse team is headed back to the Final Four for only the second time in school history.

Two consecutive weekends with shocking wins propelled the Irish back to the Final Four, where their only prior visit resulted in a 12-5 loss to runner-up Syracuse.

Host Princeton could not contain Notre Dame and junior midfielder David Earl, who netted 5 of the 8 Irish goals in the 8-5 victory on May 16, 2010.

Less than a week later the Irish suited up against Maryland - a team whom the Irish had never beat (0-4) until the May 22, 2010 matchup in Princeton, NJ.

A hot start put the Irish up 5-1 near the middle of the 2nd period. Maryland closed the gap at 5-3 by intermission. Sophomore attackman Sean Rogers capped off a hat trick with 2:00 remaining in the 3rd period to put the Irish up 7-3. The Terrapins notched two more goals but came up short in a 7-5 loss. Video highlights can be found here. A picture gallery from Sports Illustrated can be found here.

From the start it was certainly helpful for the Irish to get out to an early lead. In fact, the Irish are 7-1 this year when leading in games at intermission. Moreover, Notre Dame senior midfielder Trever Sipperly dominated faceoffs (10 out of 15) to set the tone for ball control and continued pressure on the Terrapins' defense.

Last season the Terrapins handed the undefeated (regular season) Irish a first round exit in the tournament. Revenge was sweet this year especially given the at-large bid. Many critics wondered how a 7-6 Irish team deserved a bid over teams like Drexel (10-4), Georgetown (8-5) and Yale (10-3). Nonetheless, the resilient Irish have proved merit of their bid.

Head Coach Kevin Corrigan recognizes how far his team has come throughout the course of the season. After the defeat of the Terrapins he expressed his pride:

To lose six games after going undefeated last year we were very fortunate to even get to play in the (NCAA) tournament. I'm so proud of our guys because we prepared ourselves to be in the tournament. We prepared ourselves for being in the tournament and whether we got in or not wasn't up to us. Working the last month and getting prepared was up to us. I couldn't be more proud of the way the guys did that.

ESPNU broadcast last weekend's game, but calling the production a 'broadcast' might be a stretch. The production was riddled with "technical difficulties" and graphics that PowerPoint and Atari would put to shame. Imagine what TV was like in the 1970's, add in a splash of public access channel and, for kicks, a dash of high school athletics on personal cam corders.

Next week NCAA lacrosse steps up to the big leagues (we can only hope) as they move to ESPN2. Crash Davis, the shrewd catcher from Bull Durham, said it best when he apathetically stated to an opposing hitter: "Charlie, here comes the deuce and when you speak of me speak well."

Find out if the Luck of the Irish will continue as Cornell and Notre Dame will square off at 4pm EST on May 29 on ESPN2.

For a more in depth recap of the Irish defeat over Maryland check out this link from Lacrosse Magazine.