Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse
Encyclopedia
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish
men's lacrosse team represents the University of Notre Dame
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I men's college lacrosse
. Notre Dame currently competes as a member of the Big East Conference
and plays its home games at Arlotta Stadium or occasionally indoor Loftus Sports Center in Notre Dame, Indiana
.
was a midfielder on Notre Dame's club lacrosse team during his undergraduate years (1972-'76) before the team acquired varsity status. From 1981 to 1993, Notre Dame competed in the Midwest Lacrosse Association. From 1994 to 2009, it was then a member of the Great Western Lacrosse League
. In 2010, it became a member of the newly-established Big East men's lacrosse conference. From 1981 to 1988, the program was led by head coach Rich O'Leary who established a career record of 64-42 (.604), after which Kevin Corrigan took over as head coach beginning in 1989. Within ten years as a varsity program, the Fighting Irish made its first appearance in the NCAA championship tournament
in 1990
and since then has regularly appeared there. In 2001
, the fifth-seeded Irish reached the semifinal round (Final Four
) for the first time after defeating Bucknell
12-7 and fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins 13-9 in earlier rounds, and finished the season with a 14-2 record and a #4 ranking in the nation.
More recently, Notre Dame has made the NCAA tournament in 2006
, 2007
, 2008
, 2009
, 2010
, and 2011. In 2009, the Irish went undefeated in the regular season, reached #2 in national polls, and finished with an overall record of 15-1, with five players receiving All-America
honors. In the fall of 2009, Notre Dame opened a new lacrosse-specific outdoor stadium, Arlotta Stadium, with 2,000 seats, an artificial turf field, locker rooms, restrooms, and concession areas. In 2010, the Irish began play in the new Big East men's lacrosse conference and went 7-6 in the regular season before advancing to the NCAA tournament
as an unseeded selection, where it upset higher seeds Princeton
, Maryland, and Cornell
before being defeated by fifth-seeded Duke
, 6-5 in overtime of the championship game. In 2011, Notre Dame went 10-2 in the regular season, reaching #1 in national polls, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Duke, 7-5.
In the history of the program, Notre Dame has produced numerous All-Americans
: Mike Iorio (1993, 1994, 1995); Randy Colley (1994, 1995); Todd Rassas (1996, 1997, 1998); Alex Cade (1996); Jimmy Keenan (1996, 1997, 1998); Chris Dusseau (1999); Tom Glatzel (2000, 2001); David Ulrich (2000, 2001); Kirk Howell (2001); Steve Bishko (2001); Mike Adams (2001); AJ Wright (2002); Pat Walsh (2003, 2004, 2005); DJ Driscoll (2005, 2006); Joey Kemp (2006, 2007, 2008); Brian Hubschmann (2007); Sean Dougherty (2007, 2008); Michael Podgajny (2007, 2008); Will Yeatman (2007); Ryan Hoff (2008, 2009); Regis McDermott (2009); Sam Barnes (2009); Grant Krebs (2009, 2010); Scott Rodgers (2009, 2010); Zach Brenneman (2010, 2011); David Earl (2010, 2011); Kevin Ridgway (2010, 2011); Sam Barnes (2011), Andrew Irving (2011), and John Kemp (2011).
In addition, several Notre Dame players have been Tewaaraton Trophy
nominees: Tom Glatzel (2001), David Ulrich (2001), Pat Walsh (2004, 2005), Joey Kemp (2008), Scott Rodgers (2009, 2010), Grant Krebs (2010), David Earl (2011), and Kevin Ridgway (2011).
Under current coach Kevin Corrigan, the Irish have an overall record of 206-103 (.667) through the 2010 season. The program has a 100% graduation rate since it was started in 1981. Corrigan has been selected as the GWLL
Coach of the Year fives times, including in 2009, which was the conference's final season before the establishment of the Big East men's lacrosse conference.
At the beginning of its games, the Irish team is traditionally led onto the playing field by a teammate playing the bagpipes
, a tradition that began in the late 1990s by Sean Meehan and has since been passed down to other players including Chad DeBolt, Daniel Hickey, Regis McDermott, and Colt Power.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
men's lacrosse team represents the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I men's college lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
. Notre Dame currently competes as a member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
and plays its home games at Arlotta Stadium or occasionally indoor Loftus Sports Center in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
.
History
Notre Dame men's lacrosse was a club sport until it became a varsity program in the 1981 season. Current Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack SwarbrickJack Swarbrick
John Bryan "Jack" Swarbrick, Jr. is the athletic director at the University of Notre Dame. His appointment was announced in July 2008, replacing Kevin White, who resigned in June 2008 to take the same position at Duke University.-Biography:...
was a midfielder on Notre Dame's club lacrosse team during his undergraduate years (1972-'76) before the team acquired varsity status. From 1981 to 1993, Notre Dame competed in the Midwest Lacrosse Association. From 1994 to 2009, it was then a member of the Great Western Lacrosse League
Great Western Lacrosse League
The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009...
. In 2010, it became a member of the newly-established Big East men's lacrosse conference. From 1981 to 1988, the program was led by head coach Rich O'Leary who established a career record of 64-42 (.604), after which Kevin Corrigan took over as head coach beginning in 1989. Within ten years as a varsity program, the Fighting Irish made its first appearance in the NCAA championship tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
in 1990
1990 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1990 tournament championship game was played at Rutgers University in front of 19,070 fans. The Syracuse Orangemen defeated the Loyola Greyhounds, 21–9. Syracuse's participation in the tournament was later vacated by the NCAA Committee on infractions. Syracuse was found to have violated rules...
and since then has regularly appeared there. In 2001
2001 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2001 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game was played at Rutgers Stadium in front of 24,135 fans. A Princeton goal with 41 seconds remaining in the first overtime period lifted second-seeded Tigers to a 10-9 victory against top-seeded Syracuse . With the victory, Princeton earned its sixth...
, the fifth-seeded Irish reached the semifinal round (Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
) for the first time after defeating Bucknell
Bucknell Bison
The Bucknell Bison are the athletic teams of Bucknell University. The program is a member of the Patriot League for Division I sports, Division I-AA in football.Bucknell won the first Orange Bowl...
12-7 and fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins 13-9 in earlier rounds, and finished the season with a 14-2 record and a #4 ranking in the nation.
More recently, Notre Dame has made the NCAA tournament in 2006
2006 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was the 36th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. Sixteen NCAA Division I college men's lacrosse teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament.The semifinals and...
, 2007
2007 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was held from May 12 through May 28, 2007. This was the 37th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament...
, 2008
2008 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was held from May 10 through May 26, 2008. This was the 38th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament...
, 2009
2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was held from May 9 through May 25, 2009. This was the 39th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament...
, 2010
2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
-First round:The biggest surprise of the first round was Army's double-overtime upset of No. 2 seed Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Some analysts ranked it among the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament...
, and 2011. In 2009, the Irish went undefeated in the regular season, reached #2 in national polls, and finished with an overall record of 15-1, with five players receiving All-America
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
honors. In the fall of 2009, Notre Dame opened a new lacrosse-specific outdoor stadium, Arlotta Stadium, with 2,000 seats, an artificial turf field, locker rooms, restrooms, and concession areas. In 2010, the Irish began play in the new Big East men's lacrosse conference and went 7-6 in the regular season before advancing to the NCAA tournament
2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
-First round:The biggest surprise of the first round was Army's double-overtime upset of No. 2 seed Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Some analysts ranked it among the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament...
as an unseeded selection, where it upset higher seeds Princeton
Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
The Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team represents Princeton University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, Maryland, and Cornell
Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse
The Cornell Big Red Men's Lacrosse team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Cornell competes as a member of the Ivy League, of which they have won 23 conference championships. The Big Red have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22...
before being defeated by fifth-seeded Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse
The Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team represents Duke University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, 6-5 in overtime of the championship game. In 2011, Notre Dame went 10-2 in the regular season, reaching #1 in national polls, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Duke, 7-5.
In the history of the program, Notre Dame has produced numerous All-Americans
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
: Mike Iorio (1993, 1994, 1995); Randy Colley (1994, 1995); Todd Rassas (1996, 1997, 1998); Alex Cade (1996); Jimmy Keenan (1996, 1997, 1998); Chris Dusseau (1999); Tom Glatzel (2000, 2001); David Ulrich (2000, 2001); Kirk Howell (2001); Steve Bishko (2001); Mike Adams (2001); AJ Wright (2002); Pat Walsh (2003, 2004, 2005); DJ Driscoll (2005, 2006); Joey Kemp (2006, 2007, 2008); Brian Hubschmann (2007); Sean Dougherty (2007, 2008); Michael Podgajny (2007, 2008); Will Yeatman (2007); Ryan Hoff (2008, 2009); Regis McDermott (2009); Sam Barnes (2009); Grant Krebs (2009, 2010); Scott Rodgers (2009, 2010); Zach Brenneman (2010, 2011); David Earl (2010, 2011); Kevin Ridgway (2010, 2011); Sam Barnes (2011), Andrew Irving (2011), and John Kemp (2011).
In addition, several Notre Dame players have been Tewaaraton Trophy
Tewaaraton Trophy
The Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C...
nominees: Tom Glatzel (2001), David Ulrich (2001), Pat Walsh (2004, 2005), Joey Kemp (2008), Scott Rodgers (2009, 2010), Grant Krebs (2010), David Earl (2011), and Kevin Ridgway (2011).
Under current coach Kevin Corrigan, the Irish have an overall record of 206-103 (.667) through the 2010 season. The program has a 100% graduation rate since it was started in 1981. Corrigan has been selected as the GWLL
Great Western Lacrosse League
The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009...
Coach of the Year fives times, including in 2009, which was the conference's final season before the establishment of the Big East men's lacrosse conference.
At the beginning of its games, the Irish team is traditionally led onto the playing field by a teammate playing the bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, a tradition that began in the late 1990s by Sean Meehan and has since been passed down to other players including Chad DeBolt, Daniel Hickey, Regis McDermott, and Colt Power.