Seed Snub and Yeatman Fuel Irish Fire
by Daniel Malloy | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
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Notre Dame defenseman Regis McDermott says the pressure is on former roommate and teammate Will Yeatman, who returns to South Bend on Sunday when Maryland visits the seventh-seeded Irish for an NCAA tournament first-round game. © Matt Cashore |
Before the NCAA tournament field was announced, Notre Dame men's lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan had warned his charges that they might not be getting the seed they hoped.
So the only undefeated team in Division I, at 15-0, wasn't surprised when it was seeded No. 7, one spot behind North Carolina, which lost five games this season -- including to Notre Dame early in the year.
"That's tough," senior defenseman Regis McDermott said of being seeded behind the Tar Heels. "We did go undefeated. No matter what, we haven't lost a game all year. It is what it is, and it's nothing we can control anymore. And I don't think there's any team out there that's head and shoulders above anyone."
Corrigan said that beyond earning a home game, it's useless to lobby or worry about seeding because, in May, "You're going to play a good team no matter what."
In this case, the team is Maryland, straight from the ACC -- which sent all four of its teams, while Notre Dame is the only representative from the GWLL.
The Terrapins boast a prolific (and enormous) front line that includes a player with a heap of extra motivation for Sunday's matchup: Will Yeatman.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound attacker will line up against his former teammates for the first time since his departure from South Bend. An honorable mention All-American as a Notre Dame freshman in 2007, Yeatman, who also plays football, ran into trouble off the field. In January 2008 he was arrested for a DUI and was suspended for the lacrosse season. In September 2008, he was arrested for underage drinking at a party. Even though formal charges never were filed, Yeatman was suspended for the football season, and he requested a release from his scholarship in December.
"When he first left, everyone was a little pissed off," said McDermott, who was Yeatman's roommate. "[But] if anything, it helped our team. It brought us together and made us realize we're a good team with or without Will."
Yeatman, who is not talking to the media this week, released a statement Tuesday:
"Some of my best friends in life are on the Notre Dame lacrosse team, and I have tremendous respect for the coaches and staff at Notre Dame. So to treat all parties with the proper respect, I will not be conducting interviews this week."
Notre Dame actually worked to keep this day from arriving. Yeatman reportedly was not allowed to transfer to anyone whom the Irish were scheduled to play in either sport. That appeared to derail a potential transfer to UNC, and it resulted in the move to College Park.
Still, Corrigan downplayed the drama Yeatman's presence might bring.
"It's not a big issue to anybody here," he said. "It hasn't been a topic of discussion."
McDermott said he hasn't been in touch with his old roommate since the matchup was announced, and once they get on the field, there probably won't be any trash-talking.
"It will be interesting seeing him in a different color," he said. "During any game, I don't talk to the attackman. I don't think I'll talk to him during the game, that's just how I am."
McDermott (51 ground balls, 9 caused turnovers) and goalie Scott Rodgers (a national-best .663 save percentage) lead a defense that allowed just 6.13 goals per game in the regular season, the best mark in the country.
Though the Irish didn't play the toughest schedule -- the only NCAA tournament teams they faced were UNC and Villanova -- their stingy defense will be a formidable task for the Terrapins.
And Yeatman especially, as he returns to his old turf.
"It will definitely be weird," McDermott said. "I think it will be more weird for him... The pressure's on him."
