Notre Dame men’s lacrosse wins second straight national championship

Mary Kavanagh looked as happy as any person has ever been as Notre Dame fans gave her the “touchdown push-up” treatment during the third quarter of Monday’s national championship game against Maryland.

It’s hard to blame her. Her sons, Pat and Chris, were making history.

Pat Kavanagh set the program record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game with 6. Chris Kavanagh tied his own goals mark with 5. The two star attackmen shined bright as Notre Dame won its second-straight national championship.

The Irish dispatched the Terrapins 15-5. Pat Kavanagh and graduate goalie Liam Entenmann, two of the greatest players in program history, ended their careers in blue and gold with two rings.

“I don’t know how you can put something like this in perspective,” Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan said after the game. “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys, and what they did.”

The Notre Dame onslaught waited until Maryland scored 2 quick goals and jumped out to an early lead. But when it came, the Terps couldn’t stop it.

First, it was the depth. Second-team midfielders Will Angrick and Max Busenkell scored or assisted on two of Notre Dame’s first three strikes. Busenkell, who grew up in the Philadelphia area, picked up 2 points in the game’s first 10 minutes.

Even third-team midfielder Jalen Seymour got on the board, giving the Irish the lead for good at 4-3. Seven different players — Angrick, graduate student attackman Jake Taylor, Busenkell, Seymour, senior midfielder Eric Dobson, graduate student midfielder Devon McLane and junior attackman Chris Kavanagh — scored Notre Dame’s first seven goals.

From there, Kavanaghs took over.

Chris, the younger brother, scored 3 unanswered goals in the second quarter. His third was a disgusting turnaround whip shot off a pass from his older brother. Maryland graduate student goalie Logan McNaney could barely react to Chris Kavanagh’s laser before it hit the back of the net.

That assist was one of 4 for Pat Kavanagh in the first half, and he added 2 after the break. The Tewaaraton Award finalist finished his Fighting Irish career with 300 points, the most in program history. He operated from behind the net to perfection, setting up his teammates with impeccable timing for lightning-quick goals.

Entenmann, Notre Dame’s second Tewaaraton finalist, allowed those early goals but put together a performance even more sensational than his MVP-worthy title game in 2023. He made 5 saves on 16 shots, good for an outstanding .762 save percentage.

The Irish as a whole crushed the Terrapins defensively, causing 11 turnovers. When Maryland mustered shot attempts, either in the air or on the bounce, Entenmann shut the door.

Senior midfielder Carter Parlette, graduate student defenseman Marco Napolitano and sophomore long-stick midfielder Will Donovan led the way with 2 caused turnovers each. Even former Notre Dame and Alabama quarterback Tyler Buchner got in on the fun, with a violent stick check that stopped a Maryland scoring chance.

Graduate student midfielder Reilly Gray‘s goal on a Pat Kavanagh assist finished a 10-2 run to close the first half, but the Irish didn’t let up from there. Freshman midfielder Jordan Faison collected his own rebound in front of the net and scored to make it 11-4. He finished his first season at Notre Dame — which included a successful campaign on the football field at wide receiver — with 22 goals.

Chris Kavanagh scored twice more, and that was all she wrote.

Corrigan claimed his second title in 36 seasons at the helm in South Bend, building his program almost from the ground up. His 2024 group will go down as one of the most dominant Fighting Irish teams, in any sport, in recent memory.

That team’s season ended Monday afternoon with a national championship.

As for the Kavanaghs, Pat and Chris played their last game together in a Notre Dame uniform. Their family legacy, as the ESPN broadcast put it, will live on in South Bend for years to come.

“[Pat] became one of the best players in the world, just through hard work, dedication and perseverance,” Chris Kavanagh said. “I’m proud of him. My best friend for life, and we did it.”