Down Goes Duke, As Irish Spring Upset
by Powell Latimer | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
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All-American goalkeeper Scott Rodgers made 15 saves, including five in the fourth quarter. No. 9 Notre Dame blanked No. 2 Duke in the frame to hold on for an 11-7 upset. © Jay LaPrete |
DURHAM, N.C. -- Stone architecture
distinguishes Duke's campus, but it was the No. 9-ranked Notre Dame
men's lacrosse team which stonewalled No. 2 Duke at Koskinen
Stadium on Saturday, 11-7.
The Blue Devil offense and its trademark fast-break attack stalled
in the face of the Irish defenders, who limited Duke to just 15
shots in the first half and only 33 for the game. Notre Dame led
from start to finish and shut out the Blue Devils in the fourth
quarter.
"For us to hold a team that good just three goals in their settled
play, that's pretty good," Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan said. "I
think a lot of credit goes to our defense."
The defensive stand started with the play of Notre Dame goalie
Scott Rodgers. Rodgers, a first team All-American, saved 15 shots
and frustrated Duke's attack for much of the game.
Notre Dame's patient attack dominated possession in the first
quarter and the Irish went up 4-2, led by Colin Igoe and Steve
Murphy. The pair finished the game with two goals each.
Duke fell as far behind as 6-2, but with four minutes remaining in
the second quarter, the Blue Devils started to find holes in Notre
Dame's defense. The Blue Devils scored three unanswered goals on
rebound scrums near the net, to come within 6-5.
The Irish countered by outscoring Duke 3-1 in the first 14:43 of
the third quarter. But with time winding down and the Irish in
possession, Notre Dame lost the ball. Duke collected, and streaked
down the field. The end result was a Quinzani goal with just 17
seconds remaining in the quarter.
"It was really distressing to us," Corrigan said. "That was the
one thing we were trying not to do in our last possession was give
them the ball.
But Duke could not capitalize on the momentum, nor on the more
manageable two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter. The Irish locked
down defensively and allowed only eight shots in the fourth
quarter. Duke did not score.
"We felt like we had to score more goals," Corrigan said. "The
fact was that we just didn't give them any good looks in that
fourth quarter after that momentum goal."
In the second half, the Irish offense turned to Neal Hicks (two
goals) and Zach Brenneman (three goals, one assist) to keep a
multiple-goal cushion and keep Duke from sustaining momentum.
Key to the fourth-quarter defensive effort was long-stick middie
Andrew Irving. The diminutive Irving (generously listed at
5-foot-9) served as point man for Notre Dame's defensive lockdown.
He collected four ground balls and several times turned defense
into offense with threatening counter attacks to clear the ball.
"He's one of those guys everybody looks at in high school and says
'If he was bigger he'd be a hell of a player,'" Corrigan said. "And
sat ome point we looked at him and said, 'Well, he just is.' He is
a hell of a player."
News & Notes
Duke's freshman goalie Dan Wigrizer equalled Rodgers by recording
15 saves, but gave up 11 goals. Duke's defense in the early running
struggled to stay in front of Notre Dame's attackers, and the
Fighting Irish took advantage... Turnovers killed the Blue Devils
and almost proved devastating for the Fighting Irish as well. Duke
repeatedly airmailed routine passes on the perimeter of its set
pieces, and often times passes from behind the net were too high.
Duke had 13 turnovers in the first half alone... The Irish scored
just once on six man-up chances. Duke had just one extra-man
opportunity and failed to score... In the first quarter, Notre Dame
dominated the draw, winning six of seven faceoffs.
