The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team fell to 5-3 and 1-1 in conference play after their 14-9 loss on the road to Syracuse. They now prepare for their final home game of the ACC regular season slate against Virginia on Saturday evening in South Bend.
State of the Irish
Right when it appeared that Notre Dame had turned the corner, head coach Kevin Corrigan’s team took a step back against Syracuse. Barring their 3-0 start to the contest, the Irish were outplayed for the entire game. Their nine-goal output was only the second time they failed to hit double digits this season, the other coming against No. 2 Ohio State. Their attack was held scoreless for 39 minutes and 53 seconds, a scoring drought uncharacteristic of any team, nonetheless one of the best in the nation. Notre Dame didn’t expect to hit the heights of last year’s historically dominant squad, but they still have the pieces to remain contenders for championship weekend. However, Saturday was another reminder that the rest of the field is right there with them, if not passing them by in 2025. That said, they will have a bounce-back opportunity this Saturday with a Virginia team that has yet to defeat a ranked opponent. It is a game they both should and need to win.
Virginia in a down year
With offensive stalwarts Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier out the door, along with several other key contributors from last season, Virginia entered 2025 prepared for what head coach Lars Tiffany called a “depth chart year.” The duo of Shellenberger and Cormier accounted for a whopping 97 goals and 65 assists in their final season, leaving behind a tall task for the Cavaliers as they sought to replace that production. Despite a rollercoaster regular season and a 1-3 mark in ACC play, Virginia pulled off an upset against a higher-seeded Johns Hopkins team in double overtime of the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal to advance to the last four, where they fell short against Maryland.
The Cavalier attack has leaned on a trio of returners in McCabe Millon, Ryan Colsey and Truitt Sunderland. Millon, who featured in last year’s starting group and profiled as the leader going into this season, has tallied 19 goals and a team-high 22 assists. Sunderland leads the group in points with 43, sharing the team-high 25-goal mark with Colsey. Griffin Schutz anchors the midfield alongside graduate Jack Walshe, who has been a welcome addition to the lineup after battling injuries throughout his senior campaign.
Ben Wayer’s return has been pivotal for Virginia’s rope unit, but their defensive struggles have nonetheless carried over from last season. After finishing as the 37th-ranked unit in the nation in 2024, improvement on that end was going to be essential for the team’s success in 2025. Unfortunately for Tiffany’s squad, that improvement hasn’t come. If anything, the Cavaliers have taken steps back, ranking 46th nationally and surrendering 12 or more goals in six of their 11 contests. After a nightmare end of the season for netminder Matthew Nunes, one that saw Virginia’s three-year starter pulled against Duke and late in the win over Johns Hopkins, Kyle Morris emerged as a contender for the starting job in the offseason. The junior, however, was unable to take advantage of early season opportunities, leaving Nunes to man the cage for the majority of the season, albeit shakily. The senior has posted a career-low .494 save percentage and most recently watched 18 fly past him against North Carolina.
Sitting at 5-6 on the year and 0-2 in their first two conference games, it’s now or never for Virginia as they hope to remain in contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Making the trip to South Bend will present a massive challenge, as they have fallen to the Irish in their past three matchups.
The ACC clash will take place at Arlotta Stadium on Saturday with face-off set for 5 p.m.
