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The Dartmouth
July 4, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Men's lacrosse upsets ninth-ranked Notre Dame 10-9

For the second time this season, the No. 19 Dartmouth men's lacrosse team bounced back after a disappointing loss to regain momentum towards a possible birth in the NCAA tournament by defeating a highly-ranked opponent. On Saturday afternoon, the laxers rebounded from a frustrating setback to Albany earlier in the week and conquered a formidable ninth-ranked Notre Dame squad at Scully-Fahey Field, 10-9. The win propels the team back into the hunt for its second-ever NCAA bid and gives it a definite boost heading into the Ivy League portion of its schedule.

The Fighting Irish traveled to Hanover coming off of a four-game winning streak that included a victory over perennial powerhouse North Carolina. However, the Big Green stopped that momentum dead in its tracks as Dartmouth hung tough against its visiting opponent, keeping the score tied through the first half of play.

Notre Dame jumped out in front first with two scores from Matt Ryan, but the Big Green was quick to retaliate with its own offensive weapons as middies Brad Heritage '06 and Ben Grinnell '05 netted a goal each to tie the score at two by the end of the first quarter.

The Fighting Irish pulled ahead by two again in the second quarter, only to be answered by a Dartmouth counterattack led by Jamie Coffin '06 and Nick Bonacci '07, who scored twice in the second frame to give Dartmouth its first lead of the game at 5-4.

Unfortunately for the Big Green, Notre Dame refused to give up against the Dartmouth offensive charge, as it tied the score at five apiece just before halftime.

Regrouped and poised to topple its second top-10 opponent in the last two weeks, the Big Green jumped back in front of the Irish on a tally by Ryan Danehy '06 with 10:37 remaining in the third period of play. Notre Dame countered with two quick scores within a minute of each other to put the Irish on top 7-6 at the 6:25 mark in the third.

Dartmouth's tri-captain Grinnell, however, stepped up to fuel the Big Green scoring machine with three additional scores, giving him a four-goal effort on the afternoon to lead all scorers in the game, and most importantly, be the deciding factor in the eventual Dartmouth victory.

Grinnell was as quick to score as he was to defer credit to the support of his teammates, "Everyone stepped up today," he said. "The victory was a total team effort."

Grinnell's fourth and final goal came at a clutch time for the Big Green, who was tied with the Irish at eight-all in the final few minutes of the contest. Alec Hufnagel '06 added an insurance marker with 1:27 left in regulation to put Dartmouth ahead 10-8.

Big Green goalie Andrew Goldstein remained steadfast through the remainder of the game to secure the victory against a Notre Dame offense that averages almost 13 goals per game.

The final 10-9 score was not reflective, however, of the Big Green's statistical dominance over the visiting Irish, as Dartmouth out-shot Notre Dame 51-32 and grabbed 10 more ground balls to control the tempo throughout the game.

Slated next for Dartmouth is a road contest against the Penn Quakers this upcoming Sunday, April 10th, in Philadelphia, Penn.