Georgetown Takes Down No. 1 Notre Dame in OT

Defending NCAA champion Notre Dame fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Sunday at the hands of an old Big East foe.

Aidan Carroll scored his third goal of the game with 1:58 left in overtime to lift unranked Georgetown to an 11-10 win over the top-ranked Fighting Irish.

Played outdoors at Arlotta Stadium, the game was nip and tuck throughout, the differential never amounting to more than two goals. That was in the first quarter, punctuated by an Alexander Vardaro goal with 45 seconds remaining to put the Hoyas ahead 3-1. And then again in the third quarter, when Graham Bundy Jr. scored his second goal to make it 5-3 Georgetown.

Notre Dame tied it twice in the third quarter, with football-lacrosse crossover talent Jordan Faison working inside the Hoyas defense for a nifty finish to make it 6-6 with 56 seconds left.

Five penalties turned the fourth quarter into an extra-man extravaganza. There were five man-up goals in the frame, including a pair of tallies by the Fighting Irish’s Jeffery Ricciardelli and one by Carroll that gave Georgetown a 10-9 lead with 3:09 left.

Of course, the Hoyas had to know something about that Kavanagh clutch gene. As if on cue, Tewaaraton candidate Pat Kavanagh scored on a rollback with 39 seconds left to tie the game at 10.

Notre Dame had a chance to win the game in regulation and again put the ball in Kavanagh’s stick. But the Hoyas’ defense held and Ty Banks caused a turnover before time expired.

Will Lynch (15-for-22) won the OT faceoff to give the Fighting Irish another opportunity to close out Georgetown. But Eric Dobson’s shot was blocked and Hoyas goalie Anderson Moore saved a shot by Devon McLane.

Georgetown worked the clock for about a minute before Carroll isolated short stick Ben Ramsey on the low wing, rolled topside, came across the middle, tucked his stick to avoid the trail check, shot and scored to send the Hoyas’ sideline into a frenzy.

Among the most emotional celebrants was Georgetown coach Kevin Warne, who somersaulted backward. After starting the season 0-2, the Hoyas have won consecutive road games at Penn and Notre Dame and will assuredly receive some attention in the national rankings this week. They host Brown next Saturday.

Georgetown limited the Fighting Irish to just 10 goals on 27-percent shooting (10-for-36) after Notre Dame eclipsed the 20-goal mark in its first two games. The Fighting Irish host Maryland next Sunday.