Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Georgetown on May 10, 2025 , Loss , 12, to, 16
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Final
Men's Lacrosse
12
vs Georgetown
16
Saturday, April 8
Notre Dame, Ind.
4 p.m.
Duke University
at
Notre Dame
Photo by: Duke Athletics
No. 1 Duke at No. 2 Notre Dame on Tap for Saturday Afternoon
4/7/2023 8:29:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
The Opening Faceoff
By the Numbers
10-1 - Duke's best record through 11 games since the 2008 season when the Blue Devils went 13-1 in the regular season
6 - Times ACC teams have faced off when ranked No. 1 and No. 2 since the USILA poll debuted in 1973
5 – Of the previous seven meetings between Duke and Notre Dame that have been decided by two or fewer goals
4.73 - Career points per game average for Brennan O'Neill in ACC games
5.71 - Career points per game average for Notre Dame's Pat Kavanagh in ACC play
16.38 – Goals scored per game for Notre Dame, ranking second nationally
10.18 – Goals allowed per game for Duke, ranking 11th nationally
15 – Points for Brennan O'Neill in his four games against Notre Dame – 11 goals and four assists
8.5 – Goals per game for Duke's attack trio of McAdorey, O'Neill and Williams
9.50 – Goals per game allowed by Notre Dame this season, the seventh best mark in the nation
.534 – Jake Naso's faceoff win percentage in four games against Notre Dame
.604 - Duke's faceoff percentage this season, ranking seventh nationally
.471 - Notre Dame's faceoff percentage in 2023, 49th among Division I programs
Catch Coach Danowski on the Inside Lacrosse Podcast
Blue Devils Return to No. 1
1 vs 2 Matchups in ACC History
About Notre Dame
Series History
What Gives
Duke and Notre Dame Meet as Top Five Foes
Brennan O'Neill
Jake Naso
Up Next
#GoDuke
- Duke, 10-1 on the year, returned to the top spot in the national polls following its 16-14 win at Virginia. The Blue Devils' 10-1 record is the best through 11 games since the 2008 squad went 13-1 in the regular season. Faceoff Saturday is set for 4 p.m.
- Notre Dame sits at No. 2 in the polls with a 7-1 record and 2-0 mark in ACC play following a 20-12 win at Syracuse. The Irish feature the nation's No. 2 scoring offense, averaging 16.38 goals per game. Notre Dame has not been held to single digit scoring this season.
- The attack unit of Andrew McAdorey, Brennan O'Neill and Dyson Williams have paced the Blue Devils. The trio is averaging 8.5 goals and 12.5 points per game and has 53 percent of the team's 262 points. Duke has gotten goals from 22 different players this season.
- Duke's defense has been solid, holding teams to just .271 shooting and to 10.18 goals per game. The Blue Devils are allowing just 9.2 goals per game over the past five outings.
- Graduate student transfer William Helm is solid in the cage, averaging 11 saves per game and sporting a .538 save percentage.
- Junior faceoff specialist Jake Naso features a .625 win percentage at the dot to rank 10th nationally. He ranks second in faceoffs taken (285). Will Lynch is 85-of-172 (.494) in draws this season.
By the Numbers
10-1 - Duke's best record through 11 games since the 2008 season when the Blue Devils went 13-1 in the regular season
6 - Times ACC teams have faced off when ranked No. 1 and No. 2 since the USILA poll debuted in 1973
5 – Of the previous seven meetings between Duke and Notre Dame that have been decided by two or fewer goals
4.73 - Career points per game average for Brennan O'Neill in ACC games
5.71 - Career points per game average for Notre Dame's Pat Kavanagh in ACC play
16.38 – Goals scored per game for Notre Dame, ranking second nationally
10.18 – Goals allowed per game for Duke, ranking 11th nationally
15 – Points for Brennan O'Neill in his four games against Notre Dame – 11 goals and four assists
8.5 – Goals per game for Duke's attack trio of McAdorey, O'Neill and Williams
9.50 – Goals per game allowed by Notre Dame this season, the seventh best mark in the nation
.534 – Jake Naso's faceoff win percentage in four games against Notre Dame
.604 - Duke's faceoff percentage this season, ranking seventh nationally
.471 - Notre Dame's faceoff percentage in 2023, 49th among Division I programs
Catch Coach Danowski on the Inside Lacrosse Podcast
Blue Devils Return to No. 1
- The Blue Devils are the fourth different team to sit in the top spot of the polls this season (Maryland, Virginia and Notre Dame). The Blue Devils were last No. 1 in the April 5, 2021 poll. The Blue Devils are 9-6 under head coach John Danowski at No. 1.
1 vs 2 Matchups in ACC History
- Saturday's game will mark just the seventh time in ACC men's lacrosse history that two ACC programs will play when ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the USILA poll since the poll began in 1973. The most recent was in 2021 with No. 1 Duke edging No. 2 North Carolina, 12-11 in overtime.
About Notre Dame
- Notre Dame enters Saturday's contest with a 7-1 record and a No. 2 ranking following its 20-12 win at Syracuse last weekend. The Irish's lone loss came against Virginia.
- The Irish also features one of the nation's top offenses with senior Pat Kavanagh leading the way with 43 points (5.38/gm). His brother Chris Kavanagh has 35 points for the country's No. 2-ranked offense. Eric Dobson leads the midfield line with 25 points.
- On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame remains steady per usual in allowing just 9.50 goals per game. Only four opponents - Marquette, Maryland, Virginia and Syracuse - have scored 10 or more goals.
- Will Lynch is the faceoff specialist, sporting a .494 win percentage. He most recently won 23-of-33 draws at Syracuse. In goal, Liam Entenmann owns a 9.05 goals against average and a .557 save percentage to rank in the top 10 nationally.
Series History
- Duke and Notre Dame square off for the 30th time. The Blue Devils have a slight 16-13 edge in the rivalry, but it is the Fighting Irish who have had the edge of late in winning four of the past six, including both contests last season.
- Duke head coach John Danowski is 20-18 all-time against Notre Dame and 12-12 versus the Irish as the leader of the Blue Devils.
What Gives
- Saturday's contest between Duke and Notre Dame features a host of interesting matchups, including the Irish's high-octane offense against a tough Blue Devil defense.
- Both squads enter the contest with high-powered offenses. Duke is averaging 15.50 goals per game, while Notre Dame is second in the nation at 16.38. The Irish have not been held to fewer than 10 goals this season and most recently had 20 against Syracuse.
- Defensively, Duke sports a 10.18 goals against average, while Notre Dame is at 9.50. The Blue Devils have held six of their 11 opponents to single digits this season and each of the past six foes under their scoring average . Only four Duke opponents have shot better than 30 percent in a game this season.
Duke and Notre Dame Meet as Top Five Foes
- For only the fourth time in the two programs' storied histories, Duke and Notre Dame will face off in a top-five matchup. Duke has a slight edge at 2-1, including the 2014 NCAA Championship game.
Brennan O'Neill
- Junior Brennan O'Neill reached 100 points against Syracuse (80g, 20a), reaching the benchmark in 29 games. He is 23rd on the career points chart and became the 22nd Blue Devil to score 100 career goals. He is 10 points away from becoming the 15th Blue Devil to score 200 career points and ranks 14th in career goals at 133.
Jake Naso
- Duke's primary faceoff man the past two seasons, Naso became the second Blue Devil to reach 600 wins at the dot. With 646 to his name, he leads all junior faceoff specialists in career victories. He is averaging 14.7 faceoff wins for his career and needs 54 victories to become just the 30th player in NCAA Division I history to reach 700 in his career. He is 170 off of Brendan Fowler's Duke record of 816.
Up Next
- Duke returns home April 15 for a second matchup against Virginia. Faceoff is set for 12 p.m., and it will be Duke's annual reunion weekend celebration.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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