Top-Seeded Notre Dame Outlasts Men's Lacrosse, 10-6
5/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – Zach Dendas (Branford, Conn.) scored three goals, but the fourth-seeded Quinnipiac men's lacrosse team fell to the top-seeded and nationally-ranked No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 10-6, in the Great Western Lacrosse League Championship semifinals, Friday night at Maple Field. The Bobcats tied the game at 4-4 three minutes into the third quarter, but the Irish scored five consecutive goals to run away with the win.
The loss ends the Bobcats' season at 8-5, while Notre Dame (12-2) moves on to the GWLL Championship Final, to be played Sunday at noon against the winner of the Ohio State and Denver game in the nightcap.
Ted Dimond (Marblehead, Mass.) contributed two goals for the Bobcats, and Todd Kaiser (Summit, N.J.) added a marker. Kaiser also had an assist. Anthony Poerio (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) assisted on two of Dendas' goals, while Gary Messina (West Islip, N.Y.) added to his team-high assist total (16) with one helper. Mitch Cooper (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) also had one assist. Kevin Benzing (Severna Park, Md.) made 10 saves in net for the Bobcats.
Ryan Hoff had three goals to lead the Irish, while Grant Krebs and Michael Podgajny had two apiece. Krebs added two assists, as did Peter Christman. Joey Kemp made eight saves in net for the win.
The Bobcats got on the board first, just over two minutes into the initial quarter on Dimond's first goal. Garret Kerr (Inglewood, Ontario) intercepted an Irish clear attempt in Notre Dame's defensive zone. Kerr then found Kaiser, who fed Dimond at the right post to beat Kemp. The Irish responded as Podgajny ripped a shot from 15 yards out to beat Benzing and tie game at the 10:08 mark.
Quinnipiac retook the lead when an errant Bobcat pass found Dendas, who picked it up 12 yards out from the left post and ripped a shot past Kemp at the 2:28 mark.
Notre Dame tied the game less than four minutes into the second quarter when Duncan Swezey passed from behind the net to Hoff at the right post, where the latter put it past Benzing. Just over two minutes later, the Irish took their first lead of the game on a Krebs marker. Christman made a slick pass to Krebs, who buried the ball in the back of the net.
Notre Dame made it a two-goal lead on Hoff's second goal of the game with 6:40 to go in the first half. Christman streaked in toward the net before leaving it behind for Hoff. With Christman creating a shooting lane, Hoff unleashed a shot from 15 yards out for the score.
Dimond scored his second goal of the game with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter to cut the deficit in half at 4-3. Cooper sent a short pass 15 yards out to Dimond, before the latter ripped a shot past Kemp.
The Bobcats tied the game just less than three minutes into the third quarter as Messina found Kaiser 10 yards nearly parallel to the right post. Kaiser sent a low shot past Kemp for the score.
But the Irish scored the next five goals to put the game on ice. Zach Brenneman scored the first of the five goals. Brenneman scooped up the rebound of an Irish shot 15 yards out, moved five yards closer and ripped a shot that beat Benzing in the top left corner of the net.
Hoff scored his third goal of the game off an Alex Wharton assist with just under three minutes left in the third quarter. Wharton passed from 10 yards parallel to the right of the right post to Hoff, who put it past Benzing from just a few yards out.
Krebs then scored what proved to be the game-winner, unassisted, with 34 seconds left in the third. Neal Hicks, Podgajny and Swezey added goals in the final quarter to complete the Notre Dame scoring.
Dendas scored his final two goals of the game in nearly identical fashion. Each time, he took a Poerio pass from the middle of the field to his position, 15 yards out to the left of the goal, and ripped a high shot past Kemp.
