NCAA first round LIVE: Maryland vs. Notre Dame

The Irish hope to keep their undefeated dream season alive against the Terrapins in former Notre Dame player Will Yeatman’s return to Notre Dame. At stake is a spot in the quarterfinals against either Syracuse or Siena next weekend.

FINAL UPDATE: Maryland takes down Notre Dame 7-3 and advances to the second round. Check out The Observer’s website (www.ndsmcobserver.com) for a full wrap as soon as the postgame press conferences are over.

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Irish claim GWLL title

Thanks to a season-high six goals from senior attack Ryan Hoff, No. 2 Notre Dame beat Ohio State 16-7 and win their second consecutive conference championship.

The Irish finish the season 15-0, as the only undefeated team in Division I men’s lacrosse. They now await their fate in the NCAA Tournament. Pairings will be announced tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPNU and 10 p.m. on ESPN News. In all likelihood, the Irish will host a first-round game next weekend. Check back later tonight for updates on Notre Dame’s seed and opponent.

LIVE from Alumni Field: Notre Dame vs. St. John’s

The Irish hope to run their record to 11-0, on senior day no less. St. John’s, on the other hand, will attempt to break Notre Dame’s lengthy home winning streak. Follow all the action here.

FINAL UPDATE: Irish win 12-2 thanks to hat tricks from Grant Krebs and Ryan Hoff. The win caps a perfect home season and means that the graduating seniors have never lost a game at home. You read that correctly. Never. Check out tomorrow’s Observer for full coverage, including reactions from Hoff and Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan.

The best offense…?

There’s an old saying in sports that “the best offense is a good defense.”

Apparently, the Air Force Academy has decided to take a different spin on an old concept.

In a game where goal scoring is dominated by attackmen and midfielders, the Falcons’ defense has registered an astounding 20 points (14 goals, 6 assists) on the season. Furthermore, sophomore defenseman Bryan Gilbreath is fourth on the team with 8 goals on the year.  Gilbreath is not Air Force’s only defenseman with multiple goals as senior long-stick midfielders Jeff Pecora and Dan Gnazzo have registered 3 goals and 2 goals, respectively.

Air Force’s defense’s offensive success is likely a result of their strong transition game. As a result, the Irish will need to be mentally aware of the Falcon’s diverse scoring attack when they fall back on defense in transition.

Come out to see the Irish face off against Air Force’s unorthodox defense on Saturday at 1 PM at Alumni Field.

Live from Alumni Field: Men’s Lax vs. Villanova

A little late, but we’re here at Alumni Field for some men’s lacrosse action. It’s a little chilly and the skies look like rain could be on the way, but the Irish and Wildcats have just started action. Follow along here.

FINAL UPDATE — Irish win, 9-7, and move their record to 8-0 for the first time in school history. It was certainly closer than coach Kevin Corrigan would have liked, but even in bad conditions, Notre Dame held their composure against a gutsy ‘Nova squad, thanks largely to a hat trick from Peter Christman. For more coverage, check out tomorrow’s print or online edition of The Observer.

Irish shut down Tar Heels

Coming into Sunday’s matchup against No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 3 North Carolina was averaging almost 15 goals per game. Sunday, though, a stingy Irish defense combined with stellar play from goalie Scott Rodgers to hold the Tar Heels to just seven in a 9-7 victory.

More from Peter Christman

Just a few more tidbits from Irish captain Peter Christman as the No. 7 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team prepares for Sunday’s top-ten matchup against No. 3 North Carolina. For a full preview, click here.