Notre Dame will try to build on its two-game winning streak as they travel to Louisville to take on Bellarmine on Saturday.
The Irish (6-1) enter the game ranked No. 7 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and fresh off a 13-6 win against Drexel last Saturday, March 25. That win came on the heels of a 19-7 drubbing of Dartmouth March 15. Senior attack Alex Wharton and junior attack Duncan Swezey played significant roles in both wins. Between them, the pair have scored nine goals and made 11 assists in the last two games.
Wharton was named player of the week of the Great Western Lacrosse League for his six-point effort in the Dartmouth win.
Head coach Kevin Corrigan said Thursday that Wharton and Swezey's collective success is mainly the result of experience.
"The two of them have been playing together ever since [2005]," Corrigan said. "They came in this year and really started clicking. Both of them have been very aggressive but also smart with the ball, and they communicate really well. Playing together for a couple years now has definitely helped them."
Between Wharton, Swezey, and senior midfielder Michael Podgajny, who tied his career high with four assists against Drexel, the Irish look set on the offensive end of the field. According to Corrigan, though, the team's main goal as it heads to Bellarmine will lie more on the defensive half of play.
"The biggest thing for us is we need to establish ourselves in the way we have in our other games - defensively," Corrigan said. "That takes the pressure off of our offense. We can be a very defensive team when we're diligent and when we communicate. We've started off a number of our games very well and given up very few goals in the first quarter that's a really important thing because it relieves the pressure and allows us to play our game."
