NOTRE DAME, Ind. — No. 17 Notre Dame (2-1) defeated No. 2 Maryland (5-1) 14-13 in overtime for a huge bounce-back victory Sunday afternoon inside the Loftus Sports Center.
MEN'S LACROSSE: Rankings | Stats | UVA rallies from four down to top Cuse in OT
Junior Brian Willetts sent a diving shot past the Maryland goalkeeper in overtime to give the Irish the dramatic, thrilling win. Willets (3 goals, 2 assists) and senior Brendan Gleason (4 goals, 1 assist) both finished with five points to lead Notre Dame. Sophomore Connor Morin (3 goals, 1 assist) also added his first career hat trick in the victory.
Here is the Willetts' goal to seal the Irish victory over Maryland!#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/cTYA2qykJp
— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) March 3, 2019
Senior Matt Schmidt recorded 11 key saves along the way to help keep the Irish in the game.
Maryland got off to a fast start, forcing a turnover and scoring in the first 12 seconds of the game. However, the Irish kept their composure and responded with a goal from Connor Morin to tie it up at 1-1 in the third minute of play.
After allowing three goals to the Terrapins and falling behind 4-1, the Irish went on a 4-0 scoring run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to take the lead 5-4. Willetts led the charge with a pair of goals while Gleason and Morrison Mirer also added tallies, giving Mirer the first goal of his career.
What a 🚀 for his first career goal by John Hallenbeck!
— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) March 3, 2019
📺:https://t.co/S3H6mVeNGO
📊:https://t.co/fm4lGi3te9#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/dXG3PDG9Vr
After another Maryland score, Bryan Costabile and John Hallenbeck ended the half with back-to-back goals to give the Irish a 7-5 lead heading into the intermission.
The Terrapins came out strong in the second half, scoring twice in the first three minutes of the third quarter to even the score at 7-7. The Irish offense then went on an explosive run with Morin, Wheaton Jackoboice, and Gleason scoring three straight goals in 49 seconds. Morin added his fourth goal of the game with 7:16 left in the third to complete the 4-0 run and give Notre Dame an 11-7 lead.
Maryland responded with a 4-0 run of their own between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to tie the game back up at 11-11 with 10:45 left to play. Gleason then scored his third and fourth goals of the game to put the Irish back up by two at 13-11.
Here's the 🎩-trick goal by Morin!
— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) March 3, 2019
Irish lead Maryland 11-8 with 1:00 left in the 3rd!
📺:https://t.co/S3H6mVeNGO
📊:https://t.co/fm4lGi3te9#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/VjQBSRYReQ
Maryland scored again with 2:22 left in the fourth, and then added another goal with 16 seconds left to even it up at 13-13 and send the game into overtime.
After a Maryland penalty at the end of the fourth quarter, the Irish started with the ball in overtime, and one possession is all they would need. Just into the second minute of overtime, Willets got the ball behind the net, wrapped around the crease, and scored a diving shot to seal the game in sudden victory for the Irish.
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Notre Dame Player Of The Game
Willets scored three goals and had two assists, giving him five points on the afternoon. His goal with 2:46 left in overtime gave Notre Dame the win.
Notre Dame Stat Of The Game
The Irish had three different players record hat tricks on Sunday, as the team received monster efforts from Willetts, Gleason and Morin. All three players set or tied season highs for both goals and points in the victory.
👀
— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) March 1, 2019
Bryan Costabile and Brendan Gleason have been named to the @Tewaaraton Watch List! https://t.co/5P4ZSAYw37
With the win, the Irish level the all-time series with the Terrapins at 6-6 and have won five of the last six matchups.
The victory gives Baumer Family Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Kevin Corrigan win number 296 at Notre Dame. The Irish have now won 17 straight games when playing inside Loftus Sports Center. The last loss Notre Dame suffered inside the facility came to North Carolina in the 2004 season.
Notre Dame improves to 36-27 against teams ranked in the top 10 in the USILA Coaches Poll since the start of the 2008 season. The Irish are now 15-12 against teams ranked in the top five in the USILA Coaches Poll since the beginning of the 2012 season.
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Sophomores Morrison Mirer and John Hallenbeck each scored the first goals of their careers against the Terrapins.
Up Next
The Irish will hit the road for a weeklong spring break trip, beginning with a matchup against No. 8 Denver in Costa Mesa, California, as the feature event of the Pacific Coast Shootout. The game is set to start at 10 p.m. ET on March 9.
