After a huge win over the Syracuse Orange, the top-ranked Irish men's lacrosse team traveled to Durham to face the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. The Irish were able to rally late after the Blue Devils made a fourth quarter comeback. This secured the team’s seventh win overall and second in ACC play, in which they remain perfect. This was also the second week in which the top-rated Irish beat the No. 3 team in the country. Star power was all over the field in Durham with Tewaaraton Award winner Brennan O’Neill matched up against the Kavanagh brothers. These stars did not disappoint in this marquee matchup.
The game started with an early back-and-forth from both teams. Offensively, the Irish heavily relied on graduate student attacker Pat Kavanagh early. He netted two unassisted goals before graduate student midfielder Devon McLane joined him on the scoresheet with a man-up goal following a cross-check and some fighting after the whistle. At the end of the quarter, the score was 3-2 Irish. However, in the second quarter, the Blue Devils scored two unanswered and took the lead with a Dyson Williams man-up goal. The Irish then went on a run, scoring five unanswered. This run was capped by a junior attacker Chris Kavanagh goal with just over 90 seconds left in the half. The Irish led 8-4 going into the half.
The third quarter was a lot like the first in that the two teams were trading blows. O’Neill finally found the back of the net in the third quarter, but the Irish went into the final quarter with a three goal lead, winning 10-7. Despite the quality defense from the Irish, a Duke run was inevitable. O’Neill’s second goal sparked a rally during which the Blue Devils scored three straight to tie the game at 11. The Irish stopped the bleeding with a huge man-down penalty kill after a questionable unnecessary roughness call on graduate student attacker Jake Taylor. The following possession, senior midfielder Eric Dobson gave the Irish the lead once again with an amazing face dodge. The Irish then ran away with the game after two quick Taylor goals and a Chris Kavanagh empty netter. The final score was 15-12 Irish.
The Irish’s combination of star power and sharing the rock led them to a huge victory in Durham. The usual suspects performed well, like the Kavanagh brothers — who combined for eight goals — and graduate student goalie Liam Entenmann, who had another fantastic performance with 14 saves. However, there were also some unfamiliar names who found the back of the net. Sophomore midfielder Max Busenkell and graduate student attacker Fulton Bayman both notched a goal for the Irish in Durham. It's contributions from all over the roster that make the Irish such a force on the field. Even when the Blue Devils locked up Notre Dame’s star players, players like Busenkell and Bayman stepped up and made Duke pay.
The Notre Dame-Duke lacrosse rivalry is intense. Duke and Notre Dame have both beaten each other in national championships, the latest being last year when the Irish knocked off the Blue Devils to win their first NCAA title. The Irish won this round, but this is likely to be a matchup that lacrosse fans will see again in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
