Notre Dame sent a message to the rest of the country in the First Round of the NCAA tournament, defeating No. 4 seed Ohio State 15-6 and avenging their regular-season loss to the Buckeyes. That set up a Quarterfinal matchup with another Big Ten opponent, No. 5 seed Penn State. The Nittany Lions edged Colgate in round one to set up their first date with the Irish since 2014 and their first meeting in the postseason. After a slow scoring start for both teams, what appeared to be a sleepy Sunday quickly turned into a scorcher.
Penn State jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind goals from Hunter Aquino and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Matt Traynor. Their defense looked comfortable early, containing senior attacker Chris Kavanagh for most of the first 15 minutes. Senior midfielder Jalen Seymour helped Notre Dame get on the board, setting up junior attacker Will Maheras for their first before scoring himself to even the score. With just under two minutes remaining, Kavanagh would make his mark, giving the Irish a one-goal lead after a cagy first quarter battle. Both goalies were sharp, with Penn State’s Jack Fracyon saving six and Notre Dame’s Thomas Ricciardelli saving seven. The junior netminder, who had filled Liam Entenmann’s shoes all season, was once again proving himself on the big stage.
After the Nittany Lions evened the score in the opening minutes, it was all Notre Dame in the second quarter. The Irish put together a dominant 5-0 run, shutting off the water of a Penn State attack that got stagnant after a strong start. Graduate attacker Jake Taylor converted a gorgeous dish from freshman attacker Luke Miller. Sophomore defensive phenom Shawn Lyght picked off a Penn State pass on the ensuing possession, going coast-to-coast and assisting Kavanagh’s second goal. Senior midfielder Will Angrick scored soon after, building a commanding 6-3 lead. Graduate midfielder Devon McLane’s first of the day extended the lead before Taylor’s second capped off the run, taking the Irish into the break up 8-3.
Penn State would not go away easily, however. After shooting 3-22 in the first half, they opened up 3-4 in the third. Traynor was the catalyst once again, scoring a pair of quick goals. Miller and Penn State’s Kyle Lehman traded the next two goals, bringing the score to 9-6. When it looked like the Nittany Lions were building momentum, down three with the ball in hand, the Irish quickly turned the tide. A Penn State offsides set up a transition goal for Kavanagh, who was hit late after the shot attempt. With the man advantage, McLane tallied his second before securing his hat trick a minute later. The 3-0 run, which spanned only 1:12, gave Notre Dame a comfortable 12-6 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the third.
But while it appeared like the Irish would run away and punch their ticket to Memorial Day weekend once again, the Nittany Lions managed an improbable scoring explosion that flipped the contest on its head. Goals from Liam Matthews, Ethan Long and Traynor cut the deficit to three heading into the final 15. The dynamic duo of Traynor and Lehman would take over from there. In a brilliant fourth-quarter display, Traynor tallied his fifth and sixth goals of the game while Lehman scored two more of his own. Scoring droughts have plagued Notre Dame throughout the regular season, but none were more poorly timed than this one. The Irish failed to score in the final 20:56 minutes. During that time, Penn State rattled off eight unanswered goals en route to a 14-12 victory.
Notre Dame finishes the 2025 season 9-5 overall, ultimately falling short in their attempt at a historic three-peat. Kavanagh ends his Irish career, closing the final chapter of a storied Kavanagh family history with Notre Dame lacrosse.
