Seniors lead Irish to win over Air Force
By JOE LICANDRO
Sports Writer
Thanks to three goals apiece from seniors Todd Ulrich and Jon Harvey, combined with another strong performance from senior goalie Kirk Howell, the men's lacrosse team easily defeated its Great Western Lacrosse League rivals Air Force Falcons 13 to 2.
With their third straight blowout victory, the seventh-ranked Irish improved to 8-1 on the season with only four games left to play in the regular season.
"For the third straight game, we jumped out to a quick lead," said head coach Kevin Corrigan. "That makes it much easier to control the game and play for a full 60 minutes."
The Irish jumped out to a critical quick start as junior Devin Ryan got the scoring started on a strong drive through the heart of the Air Force defense for a one-on-one chance against Air Force goalie Bill Arnold.
After Ryan capitalized on his opportunity, Steve Bishko, Ulrich and Harvey rounded out the scoring in the first quarter, giving the Irish a 4-0 lead.
Todd Ulrich would add two of the Irish's four total second quarter goals, allowing the Irish to take a substantial 8-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Ulrich has been on a scoring tear over the last two games, netting seven goals in the games, raising his season total to 10.
"I have had some good looks at the net over the last two games," said Ulrich. "Playing at home makes it a lot easier."
The Irish continued their dominance in the second half, adding five more goals. After some spectacular saves, Irish goalie Kirk Howell would leave the game midway through the third quarter posting a shutout.
"I only had to stop five shots the whole game," said Howell, "Our defense played well again so they made my job a lot easier out there."
Coach Corrigan began pulling his starters in the second half, allowing the younger sophomores and freshmen to gain some valuable experience.
Sophomore backup goalie Nick Antol would pick up where Howell left off, making some incredible saves and allowing Air Force only two goals. Freshmen John Mulfur and Steve Clagget provided the scoring with each netting their first career goals.
"I was really happy with the play of our sophomores and freshmen," said Corrigan. "They work hard in practice just like the juniors and seniors. These last three games, the younger guys have been gaining some experience. I enjoy watching them keep getting better."
With the victory over Air Force, the Irish improved to 3-0 in Great Western Lacrosse League Divisional Play. This was the second of a four game home stand for the Irish.
The Irish next host Army on Saturday at 1p.m., where they look to continue their strong team defense and relentless offensive pressure in hoping to continue to climb up the national rankings before the start of the NCAA tournament.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, April 10, 2001
