Men’s lacrosse beats Notre Dame 9-8 in historic upset

The Richmond Spiders defeated the sixth nationally ranked Notre Dame 9-8 with a fighter’s mentality Saturday afternoon. The Spiders came ready to play with a 4-1 lead in the first quarter, leaving the Fighting Irish to play catch up the entirety of the game.

Notre Dame’s elite ranking is backed by their raw talent. The Irish tallied 30 groundballs while Richmond picked up 17. But the statistics don't reflect several key ground balls that Richmond dominated to keep possession during critical times.

The Richmond defense suppressed an Irish comeback in the last five minutes of the game. Notre Dame attackman Connor Morin put in two, but Richmond was still able keep the lead.

The Spiders battled Notre Dame’s skill by working as a unit. “It was as complete of a team effort we’ve ever had,” Richmond Head Coach Dan Chemotti said.

Chemotti attributed the win to a strong start by the offense and a persistent defensive effort that held the Irish down the entirety of the game.

“I’ve been really proud of the defense," Chemotti said. "They’ve been working really hard and up and down the field. Each guy was just awesome."

Sophomore attackman Ryan Lanchbury scored a hat trick to bring him to 17 goals in the four games played this season. Junior midfielder Tate Gallagher was able to add two to the count and made significant plays to help redshirt sophomore goalie Jack Rusbuldt in net. Rusbuldt made 11 saves, several of which Notre Dame attackmen shot uncontested from the crease.

The Spiders will face fifth nationally ranked Duke next Friday at 7 p.m.

Contact sports writer Jackson McAtee at jackson.mcatee@richmond.edu.