Fitness is a huge part of success in the game of lacrosse. You must posses speed, strength and endurance in order be competitive. Arriving at the first day of practice out-of-shape, regardless of your talent, is the best way to get on your coaches bad side and fall way behind other less talented players and end up on the bench. You simply cannot play lacrosse if you are not in top condition, there is too much running, hustle and fitness involved in the game.

I always started training at least 2 months before the first practice because I didn’t want to spend the first weeks trying to get into playing shape and looking bad in front of the coaches. You want to show your commitment to the team and impress the coaches quickly because many decisions about who will play are made in the first weeks of practice. Your goal must be to make sure you are at least a starter, which will give you an opportunity to have a good season – and this all starts by arriving in shape.

I suggest a routine of distance running, basketball and some sort of muscle building routine.

Distance running:

There is a ton of running in lacrosse, and you better be prepared. Your goal is to be in shape when the season starts, not be a marathon runner. In two months, you should be able to increase your cardio fitness by running approx. 3 times per week. For the first 2 weeks, I would run 1.5 miles each time you go to the track, followed by some 100 yard sprints. This should start to get your legs in shape and give you enough time to recover to prevent injury. Make sure you have a good running shoe and do some light stretching.

Around the 3rd week, you will notice 1.5 miles feels very easy and you can start to run about 3 miles each time out. I would not go much beyond that distance; that should be enough to really get you in terrific shape for the start of the season. Distance running is great for lacrosse players.

Basketball:

While distance running is great for overall endurance, basketball is great for improving your first step speed, lateral movement and your ability to backpeddle. Basketball is a game of quick bursts, jumping and sprints; all of which will greatly increase your leg strength and again, your endurance. Some lacrosse players prefer HOOPS over running because it more closely simulates the workout of a lacrosse game and is more fun.

When I was preparing for the season, I would play hoops 2-3 times per week. Since I love basketball, this was never an issue. Get a few teammates together and play other good athletes. Cover the best man on the other team and work on your latteral movement. Offensively, push the tempo of the game but share the ball. Play with a purpose. Don’t just go out there and start shooting 3 pt shots and not getting back on defense. Get in the post, rebound, build your strength, defend and communicate. This is the best way to maximize your workout.

Basketball also gets you in mental shape. Each game has its own dynamic. Obviously, the goal is to help your team win the game. How can you contribute? How can you help your teammates get better? What can we do as a team to stop the other teams strength? These are exactly the same issues you will face as a leader on your lacrosse team.

Strength building:

The third area you want to work on is your physical strength. I always love weights but also added routine push-ups and sit-ups. Lacrosse is a very physical sport and if you get pushed around easily, you probably will not be very successful. You want to be strong enough to both take and give a hit; and run through stick checks.

I normally hit the weight room about 3 times per week prior to lacrosse season. I was not trying to get HUGE; I wanted to be strong, fast and flexible. I would do push-pull routines of chest/triceps, back/biceps and shoulders/hand strength work. Personally, I never did any legs in the weight room since I was running and playing basketball but squats are great for explosive strength so u should work them into your routine.

After the first few weeks, I would notice improvement in my strength and begin doing more reps. While I did use a decent amount of weight, I never wanted to feel like I was do so much I could hurt myself – an injury in the weight room can be a huge setback. I wanted to be lean and strong, fit and ready to explode at the first practice. That is the build of an athlete – look at hoop stars like Lebron James or any top lacrosse player! Lean and mean.

Weight lifting is a also great way to prevent injury.

A complete work out would also include YOGA to increase flexibility.

DIET: A diet high in protein, vegetables, fruits and low fat will remove any weight your carrying and provide you with the necessary nutrition to add muscle.

PICK A STICK! Start to break-in a few sticks so you are comfortable with your equipment. Find a stick that compliments your game. Make sure you have at least 2 sticks ready for the start of the seasons; in-case one breaks in the cold weather. LACROSSE HERO.

So arrive in shape and ready to go! Get your teammates to join you in your commitment and be a leader. It’s a great start to a great season!

WLAX: No. 19 Ohio State Welcomes No. 18 Penn State Sunday
Contest will be aired on Big Ten Network at 5 p.m.

No. 18 Penn State (7-5, 0-3 ALC) at No. 19 Ohio State (8-4, 1-2 ALC)
Date:       Sunday, April 18 – 1 p.m.
Where:   Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium (Grass/8,000)
TV:           Tape delay on Big Ten Network at 5 p.m. Sunday
Talent – Mike Wolf (play-by-play), Megan Mirick (expert analysis)

OPENING DRAW
Coming off a 20-5 thrashing of Cincinnati Wednesday, the No. 19 Ohio State women’s lacrosse team welcomes 18th-ranked Penn State to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday in a pivotal ALC matchup. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the contest on a tape delay basis, with the re-air scheduled for later in the day at 5 p.m.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
The Ohio State-Penn State game can be followed through live stats, linked from the home page or women’s lacrosse schedule page of OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Live scoring updates also can be received via Twitter by following @OhioState_WLAX. The game will be aired on tape delay on the Big Ten Network beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday with Mike Wolf and former Buckeye Megan Mirick (1999-2002) calling the action.

RECORDS WATCH
With two assists vs. Vanderbilt last weekend, senior Kelly Haggerty broke the all-time record for career points at Ohio State. The West Chester, Pa., native now has 134 goals and 91 assists for 225 points, passing Kristen Slahor’s 221 (82g, 139a) earned during the 2005-08 seasons. Haggerty is second all-time in career goals and assists, needing nine and 48, respectively, to eclipse the leader in each category.

DYNAMIC DUO
Kelly Haggerty and Alayna Markwordt are one of the most successful scoring duos in NCAA lacrosse. The pair has combined for 111 points, the third-most among Division I scoring tandems. Haggerty leads the Buckeyes with 29 goals and 30 assists, while Markwordt – the reigning ALC rookie of the year – is second with 33 goals and 19 assists.

ANNIE GET YOUR SAVE
Heading into the week, junior goalie Annie Carruthers led the ALC in saves per game (12.2) and save percentage (0.541) and is ranked second and fifth in the NCAA, respectively in the two categories. The Columbus Academy product made a career-high 22 saves against Northwestern March 24 and has had at least 10 in six games this season.

IN THE MIX
Several Ohio State players are in the mix within nationally as statistical leaders.
Buckeyes in the Top 25 (as of April 12)
Kelly Haggerty
Points   55/12th
PPG       5.0/6th
GPG       3.1/16th
Assists  29/7th
APG       2.64/2nd

Alayna Markwordt
Points   51/24th
PPG       4.6/11th

Annie Carruthers
Saves    132/9th
SPG        12/2nd
Save %  .541/5th

Maghan Beaudrault
CTs         1.91/23rd

RANK AND FILE
The Buckeyes re-entered the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll at No. 20 last week for the first time since the March 1 edition and have since moved up one spot to No. 19. After being limited to receiving votes beginning Marsh 8, Ohio State has gone 5-2 with its losses coming at the hands of top-ranked and undefeated Northwestern and No. 10 Vanderbilt.

GONE STREAKING
Two Buckeye attackers hold point-scoring streaks of at least 20 games. Kelly Haggerty has notched at least one goal or assist in each of the last 30 games – the 19th-longest active streak in the country – while Alayna Markwordt has posted points in 26-consecutive games.

BIG GAME, SMALL SCREEN
Buckeye lacrosse is making its debut on the Big Ten Network Sunday. Ohio State’s game with ALC rival Penn State April 18 will be shown on tape delay at 5 p.m. that day. Its next contest, vs. Notre Dame April 22, will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com and then shown on tape delay on the television network at 10 p.m. April 23. The games will air intermittently throughout the week; check local listings for times.

SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
The Nittany Lions (7-5, 0-3 ALC) posted a 1-1 record last week, defeating Lehigh, 14-13, on the road on Wednesday before falling to No. 1 Northwestern, 13-6, in State College, Pa., Sunday. Theresa Bucci, an Ohio native, had a productive week, scoring four, including the game winner, vs. the Mountain Hawks and then netted three more in the loss to the Wildcats. She currently leads the team in goals with 22 and ranks third with 26 points. Jen Steadman, the team leader in points with 30, was also active, totaling four goals and three assists in the two games. Penn State is 2-4 this season against opponents ranked in the Top 20.

SERIES HISTORY
The Nittany Lions have taken each of the last three meetings against the Buckeyes and hold a 12-4 record in the all-time series. Last season, Penn State beat Ohio State twice in University Park, earning a 13-9 win during the regular season and an 11-7 triumph in the ALC Championship.

LAST TIME OUT
Brittney Zerhusen finished with an Ohio State first-half record 10 points off five goals and five assists, leading the No. 19 women’s lacrosse team to a resounding win, 20-5, over Cincinnati Wednesday evening at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eleven players scored for the Buckeyes (8-4), including the redshirt junior Zerhusen who broke the record for points in a half that had previously stood at eight set during the 1996 season by Mara Simpson.
Zerhusen now leads the team in goals on the season with 35 and is third in total scoring behind senior Kelly Haggerty and sophomore Alayna Markwordt, who finished the day with three goals and an assist, respectively. All 30 available players saw action in the game, including freshmen Alison Cahill and Sarah Fellows and junior Nikki Jones, who each saw their first career minutes as Buckeyes.

UP NEXT
Following the Sunday game with Penn State, the Buckeyes welcome Notre Dame, of the Big East conference, at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 22. The No. 12-ranked Fighting Irish are 8-4 on the season and scheduled to play Cincinnati this weekend.

###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###

Alissa Clendenen?Assistant Director ?Ohio State Athletics Communications
Office 614-292-0134?Fax 614-292-8547?Cell 614-940-7693
Email clendenen.5@osu.edu?Twitter AlissaC?OhioStateBuckeyes.com

SU LACROSSE RETURNS TO BIG EAST PLAY SUNDAY AT RUTGERS

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 2 Syracuse (9-1, 2-0) returns to BIG EAST play on Sunday, April 18 with a 6 p.m. clash against Rutgers (5-5, 1-1) at Yurcak Field. It’s the first of four straight conference games for the Orange to close the regular season. Syracuse has won seven in a row, including an electrifying 8-7 triumph at Cornell Tuesday. Rutgers was also in action Tuesday, losing at Princeton, 10-8.

Sunday’s game will be televised live nationally on ESPNU. Fans can also hear the action live on the radio home of the Orange – TK 99 (99.5 FM). Live streaming audio of the radio broadcast is available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.

THOMPSON CRACKS SEASON TOP 10 IN FACEOFF WINNING PERCENTAGE
Junior Jeremy Thompson (Nedrow, N.Y.) is currently sixth on the Orange’s season record list for faceoff winning percentage (min. 100 attempts). He is 65-for-101 (.644) at the faceoff X this year and he’s won better than 50 percent of his attempts in every game this season. Chris Cercy set the school season record in 2000, winning slightly better than 71 percent of his draws. Cercy is the only player in Syracuse history to finish with a season mark higher than 70 percent.

GALLOWAY JOINS 40-WIN CLUB
Junior goalie John Galloway (Syracuse, N.Y.) became the 15th Division I goalie in NCAA history to win 40 games on April 13 at Cornell. Galloway is 40-5 since 2008. He’s currently tied with Mike Federico (Johns Hopkins), Matt Palumb (Syracuse), Joey Kemp (Notre Dame) and Brian Carcaterra (Johns Hopkins) for 11th on the Division I career wins list. Galloway’s 40 career victories are the most of any active Division I netminder. Princeton’s Scott Bacigalupo is the all-time leader with 51 wins for the Tigers from 1991-94.

SYRACUSE VERSUS THE BIG EAST
Syracuse is 61-12 all-time against the other six members of the BIG EAST, including a 27-5 record under head coach John Desko. Syracuse is 15-4 against Georgetown; 3-0 versus Notre Dame; 1-0 against Providence; 37-8 versus Rutgers; 2-0 versus St. John’s and 3-0 against Villanova. The Orange has won 12 in a row against current BIG EAST teams since losing to Georgetown (10-8) in 2006. Syracuse notched a 15-12 win over the Hoyas earlier this season in its inaugural BIG EAST Conference game. It also drubbed Villanova, 20-6.

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers began the year 5-2, but has hit a rough patch lately. The Scarlet Knights have dropped their last three decisions to fall to 5-5 overall. Rutgers hasn’t won in the month of April. The last victory for head coach Jim Stagnitta and his team was on March 27 when the Scarlet Knights defeated Notre Dame (10-8) in its BIG EAST Conference opener.

Senior midfielder Justin Pennington is the engine that drives the Scarlet Knights. A preseason All-BIG EAST performer, Pennington leads Rutgers in goals (20), assists (12) and points (32). He also lists third on the club with 25 ground balls. Attackman Kory Kelly and midfielder Gerhard Buehning are tied for second on the squad with 19 goals. No other Rutgers player has more than nine goals.

Jacob Fradkin is the only Rutgers defender to start every game. He has 20 ground balls and leads the Scarlet Knights with 16 caused turnovers. Against Princeton, senior Sean Hover and junior Brian Shemesh joined Fradkin in the starting lineup. Goalies Rudy Butler and Billy Olin have shared time in the cage this season. Butler has seven appearances with six starts. He’s made 37 saves and owns an 8.08 goals-against average. Olin has played in six contests, starting four. He has 28 saves and a 9.72 goals-against average. Olin was between the pipes for all 60 minutes Tuesday at Princeton.

THE SYRACUSE-RUTGERS SERIES
Syracuse and Rutgers have played at least once every season since 1979. The Orange owns a dominating 37-8 lead in the series thanks in large part to a 20-game series winning streak from 1956 to 1995. Overall, the Orange is 14-6 in road games against the Scarlet Knights. The Orange has won the last five games in the series and has defeated Rutgers by an aggregate score of 79-39 in those five contests.

*************************************
Mike Morrison
Asst. Director of Athletic Communications
Syracuse University
Manley Field House
Syracuse, NY 13244
Ph: 315-443-2608
Fax: 315-443-3405
www.suathletics.com

Syracuse University: New York’s College Team

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PROVIDENCE (0-9, 0-2) at
NOTRE DAME (5-5, 0-3)
Saturday, April 17 • 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Arlotta Stadium • Notre Dame, Ind.
Live video broadcast on und.com
Gametracker on und.com

SETTING THE STAGE …
Notre Dame returns home following a two-game road trip to face BIG EAST foe Providence on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Game time is slated for noon (ET) at Arlotta Stadium. The Fighting Irish are 5-5 and 0-3 in BIG EAST play, while the Friars are 0-9, including a 0-2 mark in league action.

ABOUT THE IRISH …
Notre Dame will look to snap a three-game losing skid when the Irish play host to Providence on Saturday … the Fighting Irish are aiming for their first BIG EAST victory after suffering consecutive setbacks to Rutgers (10-8), Villanova (9-8) and Georgetown (11-8) … senior midfielder Grant Krebs paced the Irish with a career-high four goals against Georgetown last Sunday … junior midfielder Zach Brenneman has a team-high 18 goals … senior attackman Neal Hicks has a team-best 11 assists to go along with 15 goals … Brenneman and Hicks share the team lead in points with 26 apiece … the Fighting Irish are averaging 9.30 goals per game, while surrendering 8.40 per contest … Notre Dame has had 11 different players score a goal this season … senior goalie Scott Rodgers, a third-team All-American last season, is 5-3 on the season  … Rodgers boasts an 8.10 goals-against average and a .570 save percentage … he has a 20-4 career record … freshman goalie John Kemp has played in three games, including one start … Kemp carries a 9.50 goals-against average and a .558 save percentage.

ND-PROVIDENCE SERIES NOTES …
Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between Notre Dame and Providence.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE …
Providence will bring a 0-9 record into Saturday’s meeting with the Fighting Irish … the Friars are 0-2 in BIG EAST play … Providence is coming off a 7-5 setback against Yale on Tuesday … Providence has fallen to Georgetown (14-4) and St. John’s (13-5)?in league play … the Friars are averaging 5.11 goals per game, while surrendering 11.11 per contest … junior midfielder Mike Feldberg has a team-high nine goals … sophomore midfielder Jake Nolan leads the Friars in assists (10) and points (11) … sophomore Tim Finnegan has started five games in goal and has a 13.35 goals-against average and a .510 save percentage … Christian Dzwilewski has three starts between the pipes and carries a 10.97 goals-against average with a .512 save percentage … the Friars went 6-10 last season … Providence returned six starters and 29 letterwinners from the 2009 squad … head coach Chris Burdick is in his 12th season at the helm of the Friar program.

CAREER DAY FOR KREBS …
Senior midfielder Grant Krebs scored a career-high four goals on Sunday against Georgetown … that matched the most goals scored by an Irish player this season (Max Pfeifer had four against Drexel) … that was the third game this season that Krebs had scored three or more goals.

A HOT HALF …
The eight first-half goals against Georgetown (Apr. 11) were the second-most scored in any half this season by the Irish … Notre Dame scored nine goals in the first half against Penn State on Feb. 28.

LOCKING DOWN …
The Fighting Irish boast the nation’s fifth-best man-down defense (.792) … Notre Dame ranks tied for 10th nationally in overall team defense by surrendering just 8.40 goals per game … since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Fighting Irish defense has only allowed 10 or more goals seven times in the 58 games played during that span.

RODGERS IN THE RANKINGS …
Notre Dame senior goalie Scott Rodgers ranks ninth nationally with an 8.11 goals-against average and he is 12th in the nation with a .570 save percentage.

SCORELESS QUARTERS …
When the Notre Dame defense held Rutgers scoreless in the first quarter on March 27, it marked the fifth time this season that the Irish held an opponent without a goal for an entire quarter … in the season opener, Notre Dame did not allow a fourth-quarter goal against Duke … the Fighting Irish held Loyola scoreless during the second quarter of the game on March 6 … the Irish shut out Drexel in the third period on March 9 … Notre Dame held Ohio State scoreless in the fourth quarter in the meeting on March 20.

FINISHING STRONG …
Notre Dame has out-scored its opponents 27-18 in the fourth quarter of play this season.

HAT TRICKS …
Six Notre Dame players have registered hat tricks this season … junior midfielder Zach Brenneman has a team-best four hat tricks this season … Grant Krebs (Sr./M) has three, including a four-goal performance against Georgetown … Neal Hicks (Sr./A) and David Earl (Jr./M) both have two hat tricks … Max Pfeifer (So./M) and Sean Rogers (So./A) each have one hat trick this season … Pfeifer’s hat trick was a four-goal effort against Drexel.

SPREADING THE WEALTH …
The Fighting Irish have had 11 players score a goal this season … Notre Dame boasts four players with double-digit goal totals … Zach Brenneman (Jr./M) has a team-high 18 goals, while Grant Krebs (Sr./M) has 16 … Neal Hicks (Sr./A) has 15 goals and David Earl (Jr./M) has netted 14.

STREAKING …
Junior midfielder Zach Brenneman has scored a goal in a team-best five straight contests … Brenneman has netted 11 goals during that stretch.

FACING OFF …
Senior midfielder Trever Sipperly went 13-17 (.765) in faceoffs against Drexel (March 9) to match a personal-best winning percentage for a single game … Sipperly followed that up with 14 wins out of 20 attempts (.700) against Fairfield … he ranks 15th nationally with a .574 winning percentage (117-87) this season … last season, Sipperly ranked 13th nationally with a .559 percentage (85-67).

QUALITY COMPETITION …
The Fighting Irish have seven teams on their 2010 slate that appear in the latest USILA coaches poll … five of those squads are ranked in the top 10 … Notre Dame opened the campaign with an 11-7 victory over current No. 5 Duke … the Blue Devils were ranked second at the time of the contest … Notre Dame took down current No. 8 Loyola, 11-9, on March 6 … the Irish fell at current No. 7 Drexel, 7-6 in overtime, on March 9 … the Irish also suffered a 10-8 setback to current No. 18 Fairfield on March 13 in Houston, Texas … the Fighting Irish were defeated by No. 13 Villanova, 9-8, on April 3 … Notre Dame fell at No. 9 Georgetown, 11-8, last Sunday … the Irish will conclude the regular season against No. 2 Syracuse on May 1 at home.

A COACHING MILESTONE …
Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan earned his 200th victory at Notre Dame with the win over Denver on March 16 … Corrigan, who is in his 22nd season at Notre Dame, has a 201-101 (.666) record at the helm of the Fighting Irish program.

A RARE OCCURANCE …
The 10-8 setback to Rutgers on March 27 snapped Notre Dame’s 27-game regular-season home win streak … prior to the loss to the Scarlet Knights, the Irish had not dropped a regular-season home tilt since a 9-6 loss to Denver during the 2005 season.

WORKING OVERTIME …
The 7-6 win over Ohio State on March 20 was Notre Dame’s second overtime game of the season … the Irish dropped a 7-6 overtime decision at Drexel on March 9 … the last time that Notre Dame played two overtime contests in the same season was in 2005 … the win over Ohio State was Notre Dame’s first overtime victory since an 8-7 win over Colgate in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

A GOOD CAUSE …
The Notre Dame-Fairfield contest on March 13 was part of the inaugural ‘Beating Cancer With a Stick Lacrosse Classic’ … the event, which was presented by Lacrosse 4 All, will help raise money for The Children’s Cancer Hospital at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center … it was the first NCAA Division I lacrosse game in Houston since 1970, when Johns Hopkins played Navy … four high school programs, Kinkaid, Houston Episcopal, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) and Palo Verde (Nev.), also participated in the event.

A RETURN TO TEXAS …
The Fairfield game on March 13 signified the second straight season that Notre Dame has played a game in the state of Texas … last year, the Fighting Irish topped Vermont, 13-7, in Dallas … that contest was part of the Patriot Cup.

BEATING THE BEST …
Notre Dame has defeated two top-10 teams this season … the Irish knocked off No. 2 Duke, 11-7, in the season opener … Notre Dame took down No. 10 Loyola, 11-9, on March 6 … the last time the Fighting Irish beat two top-10 teams in the same season was during the 2008 campaign … that season, Notre Dame topped No. 9 Ohio State, 17-12, during the regular season and then downed the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, 9-2, during the GWLL tournament … Notre Dame also beat No. 10 Colgate, 8-7 in overtime, that season in the first round of the NCAA Championship.

DEFENDING THE CAGE …
Notre Dame currently ranks tied for 10th nationally with an 8.40 goals-against average … Notre Dame boasted the nation’s top defense in 2009 by producing a school-record 6.19 goals-against average, which shattered the program standard of 6.66 from the 2007 season … in his first season as a starter, Scott Rodgers led all NCAA Division I goalies with a 6.14 goals-against average and a .663 save percentage en route to earning third-team All-America honors in 2009 … his 15 victories also established a Fighting Irish record … the Irish had the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense in 2008 by allowing 7.04 goals per game … in 2007, Notre Dame ranked fourth nationally with the 6.66 mark.

ARLOTTA STADIUM …
Arlotta Stadium is the new home for the Notre Dame men’s and women’s lacrosse programs … construction of the facility began in August of 2008 and it held its first event on October 16, 2009 as the Notre Dame men’s team played the Iroquois National Team in an exhibition contest … the official stadium dedication was held on October 17, 2009 … Notre Dame defeated Denver 14-7 on March 16 in its first regular-season game in the facility … the stadium features over 2,000 seats, lights, an artificial-turf field, locker rooms, player lounges, restrooms and concession areas … the state-of-the-art facility is named after Notre Dame graduate John Arlotta, president and chief executive officer of Denver-based Coram Inc. … he and his wife Bobbie pledged the lead gift toward the stadium, which was built to the east of the Joyce Center as part of the University’s new athletics quadrangle … the Arlotta children – Mindy, Andy and Jon – pledged an additional gift from The Arlotta Family Foundation toward the project … in addition to their generous donation, alumni and friends of the lacrosse programs donated over two million dollars.

BIG STAGE …
Notre Dame has played in some big venues over the past few seasons … on March 6, the Irish defeated Loyola, 11-9, in front of 19,742 fans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. during the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic … last season, Notre Dame topped Ohio State, 14-8, in front of an NCAA regular-season record crowd of 30,192 fans at Ohio Stadium … the game was played prior to Ohio State’s spring football game … the Fighting Irish bested Denver, 10-8, at Invesco Field at Mile High one season ago … in 2008, Notre Dame faced Denver at Toyota Park, which is home to the Chicago Machine (MLL) and Chicago Fire (MLS).

A FANTASTIC 400 …
The Penn State contest on Feb. 28 marked the 400th game in the history of varsity men’s lacrosse at Notre Dame … the Fighting Irish carry an all-time record of 265-143 (.650).

GETTING OFFENSIVE …
The Notre Dame offense has been one of the best in the nation over the past few seasons … last season, the Irish tied for 10th nationally by averaging 11.00 goals per-game … in 2008, the Irish averaged 12.04 goals per game and that placed them fifth among all NCAA Division I teams … Notre Dame ranked fourth in 2007 with an 11.65 goals per-game average … the Irish are averaging 9.30 goals per game this season.

GRAND OPENING …
Notre Dame’s 11-7 season-opening win over No. 2 Duke on Feb. 20 marked the program’s first victory over a team ranked in the top-two of the national polls … Notre Dame is 23-7 all-time in season-openers, including a 17-5 record in the Kevin Corrigan era … the Irish have won a program-record eight straight season-openers … the Fighting Irish have opened their slate against a ranked opponent for 17 consecutive seasons.

DELIGHTFUL DEBUT …
Notre Dame freshman midfielder Steve Murphy netted two goals in his collegiate debut against Duke on Feb. 20 … the last time a Fighting Irish freshman scored at least two goals in their Notre Dame debut was when Ryan Hoff and Peter Christman deposited two goals each in an 8-4 win over Penn State in 2006.

THREE NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST …
Notre Dame seniors Sam Barnes (D), Grant Krebs (M) and Scott Rodgers (GK) were named to the 64-man watch list for the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy … The Tewaaraton Award was formally established in August of 2000 and is the pre-eminent lacrosse award, which is given annually to the NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse player of the year … the award will be presented on June 3rd, 2010 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS …
Five Notre Dame players garnered preseason All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse … Scott Rodgers (Sr., G) was named to the first team, while Grant Krebs (Sr., M) and Sam Barnes (Sr., D) were second-team selections … Trever Sipperly (Sr., M/FO) and Andrew Irving (Jr., LSM) were honorable mention picks.

BIG EAST DEBUT …
The 2010 campaign marks the first season of BIG EAST men’s lacrosse … the seven conference schools that participate in the newly-formed league are Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse and Villanova … the teams will play a six-game single round-robin regular-season schedule … men’s lacrosse is the BIG EAST’s 11th men’s sport while the Conference conducts 13 women’s sports … Notre Dame already is a member of the BIG EAST in 23 other sports … Notre Dame was a member of the Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) from 1994-2009 … the Fighting Irish captured 12 GWLL regular-season titles in addition to winning the only two GWLL Tournaments (2008 & 2009).

IRISH TABBED TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG EAST …
Notre Dame was picked to finish second in the inaugural season of the BIG EAST men’s lacrosse league … the conference’s head coaches casted the votes and were not permitted to vote for their own teams … Syracuse was tabbed to win the league with six first-place votes, while Notre Dame received one first-place nod … rounding out the order of finish was Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, St. John’s and Providence.

IRISH EARN PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE HONORS …
Four Notre Dame student-athletes were named to the 2010 All-BIG EAST Preseason Team … senior Scott Rodgers was the lone goalie selected to the 15-man squad … fellow seniors Sam Barnes (D), Neal Hicks (A) and Grant Krebs (M) also were chosen for the all-conference team.

RODGERS NAMED A LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST …
Notre Dame goalie Scott Rodgers has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the men’s lacrosse division … to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition … an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities … Rodgers, a third-team All-American last season, carries a 3.077 cumulative grade-point average as a sociology major in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters … nationwide balloting is underway to determine the winner … fan balloting is available at www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging … fans can text LAX to 74567 to vote for the finalists … Lowe’s will announce the winner of the award in late May.

IRISH CAPTAINS …
Seniors Mike Creighton (D), Neal Hicks (A) and Kelly McKenna (M) are first-time captains for the Fighting Irish, while Scott Rodgers (G), a fifth-year senior, is serving as a team captain for the second straight season.

A QUICK LOOK BACK …
In 2009, Notre Dame posted the first undefeated regular season in program history … the Fighting Irish went 13-0 overall in the regular season, including a 5-0 mark in Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) play … Notre Dame notched two more wins to take its second straight GWLL Tournament title … the Irish concluded the season with a 15-1 record after falling to Maryland, 7-3, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament … Notre Dame garnered the No. 7 seed for the NCAAs … the win total and winning percentage (.938) established program records … the Fighting Irish defense led the nation in 2009 with a 6.19 goals-against average, while the offense was tied for 10th by scoring 11.0 goals per game … five Notre Dame players garnered All-America honors in 2009 … Scott Rodgers (G), Ryan Hoff (A) and Regis McDermott (D) were third-team selections, while Sam Barnes (D) and Grant Krebs (M) were honorable-mention picks … Rodgers, Barnes and Krebs are back for the Irish in 2010 … Rodgers was named the 2009 GWLL Player of the Year, while Kevin Corrigan was named the league’s coach of the year for the fifth time … Rodgers led the nation in goals-against average (6.14) and save percentage (.663) … attackman Neal Hicks led the Irish with 43 points on 25 goals and 18 assists … Hoff scored a team-best 32 goals.

WINNING WAYS …
In 2009, Notre Dame’s 15-1 mark established program records for wins and winning percentage in a single season … the Fighting Irish compiled the first undefeated regular season in program history and it marked the fourth straight season that the Irish have reached double figures in wins … Notre Dame’s 15-game win streak was a program best.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS …
Notre Dame has earned four straight appearances to the NCAA Championship … over the past two seasons, the Irish have garnered one of the tournament’s eight national seeds and have hosted a first-round contest … last season, the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish fell to Maryland, 7-3, in the tournament’s first round … Notre Dame has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1990 … Notre Dame is competing in its 30th season of varsity lacrosse … the Fighting Irish have an all-time record of 265-143 (.650) … Kevin Corrigan is in his 22nd season as the head coach of the Fighting Irish … he has a record of 201-101 (.666) during his Notre Dame tenure.

KEEPING UP WITH ND MEN’S LACROSSE …
Log onto und.com for the latest information on the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse program … und.com, the official athletics web site for the University of Notre Dame, features press releases, game stories, feature stories, video interviews, stats, rosters and more … fans also can sign up for Irish ALERT, a text messaging service designed to give fans game updates for all 26 varsity sports at Notre Dame … Irish men’s lacrosse fans can sign up to receive scores following each quarter … in addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting assistant sports information director Sean Carroll at Carroll.64@nd.edu or (574) 631-2664 … all requests for story ideas, interview access, match credentials and further information on Irish men’s lacrosse should similarly be directed to Carroll … credential and interview requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance.

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Sean Carroll
Assistant Sports Information Director
University of Notre Dame
112 Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556
office: (574) 631-2664
cell: (574) 340-2177
fax: (574) 631-7941
www.und.com
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