Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Sophomore Duncan Swezey notched a career-best four points on one goal and three assists against Bellarmine on Tuesday.

 
Irish Open GWLL Play In Fine Fashion With 11-3 Win Over Bellarmine

No. 19 Notre Dame improves to 4-3 on the season and extends home win streak to nine games

March 20, 2007

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Hat tricks from sophomore Ryan Hoff (Baldwin, Md./Dulaney) and freshman Will Yeatman (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) propelled the No. 19 Notre Dame men's lacrosse team to an 11-3 win over Bellarmine on Tuesday afternoon at Moose Krause Stadium. The contest was the 2007 Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) opener for both squads and just the second meeting ever between the two schools. Bellarmine is in its first season as a member of the GWLL.

Notre Dame (4-3, 1-0) trailed 1-0 after the first quarter, yet ran off six straight second-quarter goals to take a 6-1 lead into halftime. Yeatman started the barrage with back-to-back tallies. Sophomore Peter Christman (Simsbury, Conn./Westminster School) collected the assist on the first score, while the second goal was unassisted.

Duncan Swezey (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), who enjoyed a career-best four-point day on one goal and three assists, fed his classmate Hoff on three straight goals in a span of 1:57 to put the Irish up 5-1 with 8:14 remaining in the opening half. Senior midfielder Bill Liva (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Malvern Prep) capped the first half with a tally off a pass from John Greaney (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon).

The Fighting Irish would extend the run to eight consecutive scores with unassisted goals from Yeatman and junior Michael Podgajny (Ridley Park, Pa./Ridley) in the third quarter. Yeatman leads the Irish with 23 points on 12 goals and a team-high 11 assists.

Bellarmine (1-5, 0-1) stopped the surge on a goal from John Kirk with 4:00 left in the third period. However, the Irish struck right back 42 seconds later with a man-up goal from senior Lucius Polk (Washington, D.C./St. Albans) on an assist from freshman Brett Vecchio (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor).

The Irish, who out shot Bellarmine 37-22 for the game, kept attacking and Hoff would notch the assist on Swezey's goal before Polk netted his second tally with just four seconds left in the quarter. Notre Dame led the Knights 11-2 heading into the final stanza. The only score in the fourth quarter came from Bellarmine's Mike Rosenbergh off a pass from Andrew Wolford.

Irish goaltender Joey Kemp (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep), a junior, picked up the win as he made nine saves and allowed just two goals. Sophomore Scott Rodgers (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) played the final nine minutes of the game and made three saves, while he surrendered one score.

Bellarmine's J.C. Hutchens picked up the loss as he played the first half and allowed six goals and made three saves. David Haas was scored on five times in the third period, while A.J. Smith held the Irish scoreless in the final quarter. Both Haas and Smith made three stops.

The Irish return to action when they travel to Brown for a non-conference showdown on Saturday, March 31. Game time against the Bears is slated for 12 noon (ET).

Stay up-to-date on the Notre Dame men's lacrosse team by logging onto und.com or by calling the Notre Dame athletics hotline at (574) 631-3000. You can also sign up to receive text message score updates through Irish Alert. Log onto und.com for more details.

Bellarmine (1-5, 0-1) - 1 0 1 1 - 3
#19 Notre Dame (4-3, 1-0) - 0 6 5 0 - 11

Bellarmine Scoring (goals-assists):
Adam Gardner 1-0, John Kirk 1-0, Mike Rosenbergh 1-0, Jamie Floris 0-1, Andrew Wolford 0-1; Goaltenders: J.C. Hutchens (L, 30:00, 3 saves, 6 GA), David Haas (15:00, 3 saves, 5 GA), A.J. Smith (15:00, 3 saves, 0 GA)

Notre Dame Scoring (goals-assists):
Ryan Hoff 3-1, Will Yeatman 3-0, Lucius Polk 2-0, Duncan Swezey 1-3, Michael Podgajny 1-0, Bill Liva 1-0, Peter Christman 0-1, John Greaney 0-1, Brett Vecchio 0-1; Goaltenders: Joey Kemp (W, 50:49, 9 saves, 2 GA), Scott Rodgers (9:11, 3 saves, 1 GA)