MEN'S LACROSSE: Notre Dame ranked second for highest ranking ever
By MIKE CONNOLLY
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame men's lacrosse is ranked second in the latest USILA/STX Division 1 rankings thanks to a 3-0 record against three top eastern schools over Spring Break. With wins against No. 8 Loyola, No. 9 Virginia and No. 24 Rutgers, the Irish earned their highest ranking ever.
"That's pretty awesome. We have definitely never been that high before," goalie Kirk Howell said. "The question is if we can keep our heads during all this hype. It's going to be tough but hopefully we can just concentrate and ignore what's going on around us."
The three wins over break pushed Notre Dame's record to 5-0 on the season, with all five teams defeated ranked in the top 25.
After two wins against Penn State and Penn to open the season, the Irish traveled to Piscataway, NJ to face Rutgers on March 9. Attack Tom Glatzel tied his career-high with five goals while the Notre Dame defense held the Scarlet Knights to less than 10 goals in the 9-4 Irish win.
The Irish led 6-0 at halftime on four Glatzel goals and two by Steve Bishko.
After the relatively easy win against Rutgers, Notre Dame traveled south to face national power and then-No. 7 Virginia. Notre Dame trailed in the third quarter for the third time this season but battled back to pick up an 11-8 win. The Irish also trailed the Quakers and the Nittany Lions in the third.
"We have an experienced group," head coach Kevin Corrigan said about his team's ability to come from behind. "They aren't panicking or losing their poise. They understand it's a 60 minute game."
John Flandina scored the fourth of his career-high four goals with 8:45 remaining in the third period to give Notre Dame a 6-5 lead. Flandina's goal started a three-goal explosion for the Irish as David Ulrich and Steve Bishko followed Flandina with goals of their own.
The win was the first for the Irish against Corrigan's alma mater but Corrigan said the victory against the Cavaliers was no more satisfying than any other win.
"I've been gone for 13 years. You grow attached to the kids you are coaching now," he said. "That's my only thought. It wasn't something where I got emotional about it because I am completely involved with these guys and this team. That's my whole focus. It's satisfying because it's was a very good team we beat on the road and it was satisfying because it was a great win for this team and that's enough."
The Irish closed the three-game trip through the east against Loyola. In a game that Corrigan called the toughest of the trip, the Irish jumped out to a 7-3 halftime lead and never looked back.
"The Loyola game was toughest because it was the end of the trip and our third game in 10 days," Corrigan said. "It was against a very good team Ñ a team that doesn't lose in March Ñ they have been very good at home and very good in the early season."
The win against the Greyhounds was the second straight for the Irish. Last spring, Notre Dame upset Loyola in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Greyhounds may have had revenge on their mind but Notre Dame's early lead put an end to those thoughts, according to Corrigan.
"They came in with an idea that they wanted to pay us back a little bit but at the same time, once you get past a certain point in the game, you settle down and get past all that," he said. "That was there early but we still jumped out to an early lead on them so I don't think that was a big factor."
What was a big factor in both the wins against Virginia and Loyola was the play of Howell. The third-yard starter made 18 saves against Loyola and 14 against Virginia.
"He did keep us in the game," Corrigan said. "I don't want to take anything away from our guys, we made enough plays to win but we made a lot more mistakes than you are normally going to get away with. Kirk was there to erase a lot of those mistakes."
Notre Dame faces its first challenge to its top ranking Saturday against Hofstra in New York.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, March 20, 2001
