Coming off two losses to start their inaugural Big East season, the Irish need a big win over No. 11 Georgetown on the road to get back into the NCAA Tournament hunt.
The Hoyas (6-3, 2-1 Big East) come in battle-tested by one of the toughest schedules in the country.
"Georgetown has a very athletic, very skilled, dynamic offense," Irish coach Kevin Corrigan said. "Defensively, they are very aggressive and in your face."
After starting the season strong with wins over No. 6 Duke and No. 9 Loyola (Md.), the Irish (5-4, 0-2) have fizzled out as of late and need a win in order to get back on track. At one point, the Irish had climbed all the way to No. 3 in the rankings. But after losses to Drexel, Fairfield and Rutgers, Notre Dame fell out of the USILA Coaches' Poll, and almost out of the NCAA Tournament picture.
"We need to win this game to get into the NCAA Tournament," Corrigan said. "We've lost our fall-back — we just need to win now."
Corrigan said he needs the Irish to play smarter, more controlled lacrosse. In their losses, the Irish got away from what they do best as a team, and it cost them.
"We need to play sound, fundamental lacrosse for 60 minutes," Corrigan said. "We need to play with poise and intelligence. We haven't done that consistently."
Because of the strength of Georgetown both offensively and defensively, the Irish will need to be on their game in all areas of the field. Corrigan said he wants to see poise on offense against the athleticism of Georgetown's defense, stiff defense against the dynamic Hoya attack and intelligence in transition to avoid unsettled situations.
If the Irish can come away with a win, they would claim a huge road victory and a boost to their tournament résumé. On top of that, it would give them a full head of steam heading into their final three Big East games against Providence, St. John's and two-time defending national champion, No. 3 Syracuse, a game that has already sold out.
The Irish will face off against the Hoyas at 12 p.m. in Washington, D.C., with television coverage on ESPNU.
