The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team made a statement on Saturday, closing out their ACC schedule with a 12-6 win over North Carolina behind an 11-2 second half, which included a 5-0 fourth quarter. Senior forward Chris Kavanagh’s four-goal performance was the catalyst, with the captain’s goals sparking an Irish attack that was dormant for the first 30 minutes. Junior longstick midfielder Will Donovan was all over the field, forcing three turnovers and scooping a career-high six groundballs.
Behind him, the sophomore defensive duo of Shawn Lyght and Nate Schwitzenberg locked down the Tar Heel attack, and junior goalie Thomas Ricciardelli put in another stellar, 11-save performance in the cage. Notre Dame’s leaders led the way on both ends, and the talented underclassmen followed suit in the pivotal victory. Now sitting atop the ACC standings, the Irish are locked into a top-2 seed for the ACC Tournament and would take the top spot with a Syracuse loss on Saturday.
Looking toward Penn
When head coach Kevin Corrigan scheduled Penn for the regular season finale, it appeared to fit right into Notre Dame’s elite non-conference schedule at the start of the year. After finishing 2024 with a 9-6 overall record and being the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament, the Quakers looked set to be among the nation's best with their core of returning players. However, the season has been anything but for head coach Mike Murphy’s group, as they have sputtered to a 4-9 mark with only one win in Ivy League play. They come into Saturday on a six-game losing skid, including a 10-goal walloping at the hands of No. 1 Cornell back on March 29.
Ranking 49th in the country in scoring last season, the questions for this Penn team were about where the offense would come from. They have not had answers this season, even taking a step back in 2025. The Quaker attack averages only 8.62 goals per game, which ranks 65th in the nation. They are not without talent on that end, however. Griffin Scane and Davis Provost have taken steps forward, posting 26 and 23 points, respectively. Senior Ben Smith is tied for the team lead with 26 points as well. Allowing 10.38 goals per game despite a challenging regular season slate, the Quaker defense has been solid this season. They lean on veteran returning netminder Emmet Caroll in the cage with senior defenseman Brendan Lavelle leading the longstick unit in front of him. They have not been as sound as last season, however, giving up double-digit goals on seven separate occasions, including five of their last six contests.
Notre Dame and Penn have only faced off five times, with their last matchup coming in 2011. The Irish are 3-2 in the all-time series and will look to make it three straight wins over the Quakers on Saturday. Face-off at Arlotta Stadium is set for 2 p.m., with ESPNU providing the broadcast.
