Men's Lacrosse

Notre Dame Wins First NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (theACC.com) – Notre Dame won the 2023 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Monday afternoon, downing Duke, 13-9, in an all-ACC title game in front of 30,462 fans at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Fighting Irish (14-2) captured their first national championship in program history.
 
Notre Dame claimed the Atlantic Coast Conference’s ninth team national championship of the 2022-23 academic year, the most in league history. The ACC has now won 16 team national championships in the last two academic years, also a conference record.
 
ACC men’s lacrosse programs (at the time of the event) have now won 18 NCAA championships. Current ACC membership collectively owns 26 NCAA championships, including 10 of the last 15 as well as 15 titles since 2000.
 
This marked the fourth national championship game pitting ACC teams (1986 – UNC 10, UVa 9 (OT); 2011 – UVa 9, Maryland 7; 2014 – Duke 11, Notre Dame 9).
 
Notre Dame goalie Liam Entenmann was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after recording 18 saves in the championship game and totaling 29 saves during Championship Weekend. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Eric Dobson, Chris Fake, Chris Kavanagh and Brian Tevlin. Duke’s Brennan O’Neill, Jake Naso and Garrett Leadmon earned spots on the team, as did Virginia’s Connor Shellenberger.
 
Kavanagh and Jake Taylor each led the Irish with two goals and an assist. Leadmon scored two goals and dished out an assist for the Blue Devils (16-3), while goalie William Helm made 10 saves.
 
The Notre Dame faceoff unit had a big day, winning 14-of-24 faceoffs, highlighted by Will Lynch, who was 12-for-19.
 
With Virginia also among the semifinalists, the ACC had three teams competing in the NCAA’s Championship Weekend for the fifth time in league history (2005, 2011, 2014, 2021). At least one current ACC member advanced to the national semifinals for the 41st time in the last 43 seasons, and the league had at least one representative in the national championship game for the 19th time in the last 22 tournaments.