Photo credit: Jaclyn Borowski

COSTA MESA, Calif. – A pair of the nation's top defensive teams put on an excellent display in front of a sellout crowd at LeBard Stadium as No. 1 Notre Dame pulled away late to defeat the No. 8 Maryland men's lacrosse team, 9-4. The event was part of the Pacific Coast Lacrosse Shootout.

Junior Tim Muller was tremendous on the defensive end for the Terps with four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers, while senior Kyle Bernlohr made nine saves in net.

Notre Dame opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game, before Torrey Pines, Calif., native Lucas Gradinger tied up the game for the Terps on a feed from Pat Young. Maryland then took the lead, 2-1, on a goal by Matt Rambo from Tim Rotanz.

The Terrapin defense stood tall in the first quarter, holding the Irish scoreless on three extra man opportunities. Opposing teams are now 0-for-8 on the EMO against the Terps in the last two games.

The Irish knotted up the game, 2-2, with 2:37 left in the first half, before scoring two more goals in the third quarter to take a 4-2 lead.

Maryland answered right back, however, as Adam DiMillo took advantage of a Notre Dame turnover by finding Bryan Cole alone in the Irish defensive end. Cole beat the Notre Dame goalkeeper for the critical goal. Isaiah Davis-Allen then brought the Terps even, 4-4, with a missile at the start of the fourth quarter.

The next six minutes brought tremendous end-to-end action as both teams looked to take control, but it was the Irish who broke the deadlock with 5:22 to play on a Mikey Wynne goal. Wynne then scored again with 3:29 to play to give the Irish a two-goal cushion. Notre Dame scored three goals in the last minute as the Terps desperately tried to regain possession.

Maryland will spend Sunday in California, before it travels to Philadelphia for a date with Drexel on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 pm.

– Maryland –