Recreation 5 Preview: #15 Ohio State – Notre Dame Athletics

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After spending the final two weeks on the street, the No. 2 Combating Irish males’s lacrosse squad returns house to Arlotta Stadium for an additional ranked matchup in opposition to a Massive Ten squad, because it welcomes No. 15 Ohio State to South Bend for a 2 p.m. ET opening faceoff on Saturday, March 8. The sport will air on ACCN.
GAME DETAILS
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Arlotta Stadium
Schedule: March 8 — 2 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Dwell Stats: FightingIrish.com
Twitter Updates: @NDlacrosse
For a extra in-depth have a look at the matchup – Recreation Notes: Notre Dame
THE OHIO STATE SERIES
• Saturday would be the forty ninth assembly all time between Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Irish lead the all-time collection with the Buckeyes, holding a 36-12 benefit within the matchup.
• The latest installment between the 2 sides got here final season at Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium in Columbus with the Irish profitable by a rating of 13-10.
• The Irish have gained 18 of the final 21 matchups with Ohio State, together with the 9-0 shutout at Arlotta Stadium on March 21, 2015, which is the final time the Irish held an opponent scoreless in a sport.
• In final season’s victory the assault was led by Chris Kavanagh, who put up a career-high eight factors off 5 objectives and three assists.
KAVANAGH LEADS THE ATTACK
• Chris Kavanagh picked up proper the place he left off to open the 2025 season, posting a career-high 9 factors (4G, 5A) to complete only one level shy of this system report held by his brother Pat.
• The senior leads the Irish in factors this season with 21 off 13 objectives and eight assists.
•  Kavanagh turned within the best statistical offensive season in Notre Dame historical past final yr, setting this system report for factors in a season with 81.
• The attackman totaled 44 objectives and 37 assists throughout the 2024 season.
• Chris joined his brothers Matt (42G, 33A – 2015) and Pat (31G, 49A – 2024) as the one gamers in program historical past to report 30+ objectives and assists in the identical season.
• The Rockville Centre native earned NCAA Championship Most Excellent Participant honors after a prolific four-game stretch within the match in 2024, recording 22 factors off 14 objectives and eight assists.
• The attackman put an exclamation mark on his season with a 5-goal efficiency within the nationwide title win over Maryland, tying this system report for objectives in an NCAA match sport.
• Kavanagh set this system report for factors in an NCAA Match sport in opposition to Georgetown within the quarterfinals, totaling eight factors off 5 objectives and three assists. The 5 objectives tied this system report for many objectives scored in an NCAA Tourney sport.
• The senior has 197 factors off 125 objectives and 72 assists and at present ranks fourth in program historical past.
• Kavanagh not solely paced Notre Dame’s offense in 2023 however his 46 objectives ranked third all-time in program historical past for a single season, simply three behind Randy Colley’s report of 49 objectives set in 1995.
• The Rockville Centre, New York, native has scored a purpose in 26 straight video games and has recorded a degree in 48 of 49 video games in his profession. Kavanagh has posted a number of factors in 44 of 49 video games in his profession.
LYGHTS OUT
• It didn’t take lengthy for Shawn Lyght to make a reputation for himself within the school lacrosse world, as he cemented himself as one of many prime cowl defenseman within the nation throughout his 2024 freshman season.
• Lyght persistently drew the No. 1 possibility for the opposing assault all through the season.
• The defenseman held Connor Shellenberger to only one purpose between the 2 matchups, each leading to wins and he restricted Joey Spallina to only one level of their solely matchup of the yr.
• The sophomore opened the 2025 season in opposition to Cleveland State holding his fundamental defensive project to zero factors.
• Lyght was the one sophmore to earn first group All-America standing within the Inside Lacrosse preseason honors.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
• Regardless of shedding two beginning defensemen and standout goalie Liam Entenmann, Notre Dame has allowed solely one of many 4 groups it has confronted this season to achieve double-digit objectives in a sport.
• Notre Dame is permitting simply 8.75 objectives per sport this season.
• The Irish completed 2024 permitting simply 8.94 objectives per sport, main the nation, regardless of enjoying six video games in opposition to opponents that ranked within the prime 15 in objectives scored per sport.
• Notre Dame held opponents to 10 or fewer objectives in 12 of 17 video games throughout the 2024 marketing campaign, together with seven of the final eight on the way in which to the title.
• The Irish restricted the opposition to 12 or fewer objectives in 16 of 17 outings final season.
• Preseason All-People Ben Ramsey, Will Donovan and Shawn Lyght every return to the defensive unit together with the addition of Greg Campisi from Harvard.
TAYLOR MADE
• Graduate scholar Jake Taylor is without doubt one of the nice finishers in lacrosse, totaling 112 objectives in his Combating Irish profession.
• The attackman scored seven objectives within the season opener to develop into the eleventh participant in program historical past to achieve the 100-goal milestone.
• Taylor has 17 hat tips in his Combating Irish profession and has scored no less than three video games in every of his first two outings this season.
• The Denver native completed the 2024 season with 41 objectives on 83 photographs, giving him a capturing share of .494 which ranked fourth within the nation.
• Taylor scored one of many greatest objectives in program historical past, sending the 2023 NCAA semifinal into time beyond regulation with a tornado in opposition to Virignia within the ultimate minute of regulation.
GREATEST SHOW ON TURF
• The Irish assault has been borderline unstoppable over the past couple of seasons, main the nation in objectives per sport in 2024 with a mean of 15.65.
• The Blue and Gold has scored 67 objectives over the primary 4 video games this season, averaging 16.75 per sport, the second greatest mark within the nation.
• Notre Dame ranks third within the nation in factors per sport (27.0), shot share (.372) and assists per sport (10.25).
• The Notre Dame offense has completed with 10 or extra objectives scored in 26 straight video games, the longest lively streak within the nation.
• The Irish scored 24 objectives within the season opener and recorded 19 assists to complete 43 factors, ending simply three factors shy of this system report for factors in a sport.
DOMINATING THE DOT
• Senior FOGO Will Lynch has gained 47-of-72 faceoffs this season for a win share of .653 together with 28 floor balls.
•  The senior enters Saturday with 298 profession floor balls, probably the most by any participant in program historical past. Lynch set the report within the win over Georgetown, passing Billy Ahmuty (280 GBs – 1991-94) for the highest spot.
• Lynch is coming off his greatest season in his Combating Irish profession, profitable 61.2 p.c of his faceoff makes an attempt to guide the ACC and rank fourth within the nation.
• The FOGO gained 202-of 330 makes an attempt and scooped up a team-high 113 floor balls.
• Over the 4 NCAA Match video games Lynch was even higher than his season common, profitable 63-of-97 (64.9%).
• Lynch added a career-high 4 objectives final season, together with one within the ACC Match and one within the NCAA Match.
• Lynch was named to the All-ACC Group and to the ACC All-Match Group.
• The standout gained over 50 p.c of faceoffs in 12-of-16 video games final season.
FAMILY STYLE
• Everyone seems to be consuming within the Irish assault this season, as 15 totally different gamers have already recorded a number of factors on the season.
• The Irish have racked up 41 assists on the 67 objectives with Chris Kavanagh main the way in which with eight.
• Within the win over Marquette, all three beginning attackmen and all three beginning midfielders completed with mulitple objectives.
• Notre Dame’s midfield has accounted for 29 of 67 objectives this season.
FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE LACROSSE FIELD
• Three Notre Dame lacrosse gamers on the 2025 squad additionally suited up for the soccer group within the fall, as Jordan Faison, Tyler Buchner and Matt Jeffery are each dual-sport athletes.
• Faison completed the season with 30 receptions for 356 yards and a TD, together with a seven-catch, 89-yard efficiency within the first spherical of the Faculty Soccer Playoff win in opposition to IU.
• Buchner was utilized in trick performs on particular groups, choosing up a primary down on a faux FG in opposition to GT and finishing a 23-yard cross on a faux punt in opposition to USC.
• Jeffery performed in three video games on particular groups throughout his freshman season, seeing the sphere in opposition to Purdue, Stanford and Navy.
• All three have seen motion throughout the 2025 lacrosse season, as  Buchner has performed in all 4 video games as a SSDM and Faison and Jeffery made their debuts within the win at Georgetown.
© 2025 The College of Notre Dame. All rights reserved.

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