Pat Kavanagh’s latest stride into history is perhaps less of an exclamation point to a brilliant college men’s lacrosse career and more of a bridge to burgeoning moments to come for the Notre Dame program.
Which would suit the selfless outgoing star of an Irish program that on Monday won the school’s second title in the sport in as many years, and on Thursday night in Washington, D.C., became the first ND player to take home lacrosse’s highest honor, the Tewaaraton Award.
It’s all about leaving a legacy.
A look at Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class is just the beginning. There are five top 50 national prospects in the class, led by insidelacrosse.com’s No. 1 recruit, Matthew Jeffery of Cheshire, Conn.
And yes, the midfielder has a little Jordan Faison in him too, having already talked to Notre Dame head football coach and lacrosse fan Marcus Freeman about playing that sport as well, as a wide receiver.
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Most of those players in that class, which included five top 50 prospects, had verbally committed to the Irish before Notre Dame won its first-ever title in May of 2023. All seven of the top 50 prospects committed to ND in the 2025 class and the two 2026s did so before the Irish pummeled Maryland, 15-5, Monday in Philadelphia for title No. 2.
But they knew who Pat Kavanagh was.
And now a large swath of the sports world knows his name, too — and what he’s about, as the Irish men’s lacrosse team picked up crossover fans in bunches.
“I think a lot of our game is just very instinctual,” the grad senior said Monday after winning the championship in reference to his game and that of younger brother, Chris, the 2024 NCAA Tourney Most Outstanding Player. “That stuff you see out there on game day is the crazy backhand, behind-the-back, around-the-world that me and Chris and also Jake Taylor like to throw, we practice that stuff.
“We don't just pull that out of our back pocket on Saturdays and Sundays. Whenever we pick up a stick, mess around on our lot growing up on Long Island, we were always just practicing stuff like that, crazy trick shots and being creative.”
And then he pushed the spotlight away, as he did throughout the postgame, and shined it on others.
One of them was Irish goalie Liam Entenmann, who was among the other four finalists in Washington for the award. Entenmann, the 2023 NCAA Tourney MVP, was just the third goalie ever nominated for the award that’s been given out since 2001. That position remains without a winner.
The other three finalists were all attackmen, like Pat Kavanagh — Matthew Brandeau (Yale), Brennan O’Neill (Duke) and Connor Shellenberger (Virginia). Jackie Wolak of Notre Dame was one of the five finalists for the women’s Tewaaraton Award which went to Northwestern’s Izzy Scane.
Both winners were announced at the annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. It marked the third time Pat Kavanagh had been nominated for the award.
The Rockville Centre, N.Y., native leaves as Notre Dame’s all-time career leader in points (301) and assists (184). Eighty of those points came this season, bettering his single-season school record of 77, set in 2023. And 20 of those 80 points came during the four NCAA Tourney games, including six from his six assists against Maryland in the championship.
Brother Chris, though, is the new single-season record-holder, with 81 points this season, including five goals in the title game.
“He's been my best friend my entire life.” Pat said of Chris, a junior who returns next season. “And to do this the past three years with him and then to win back-to-back national championships with my little brother and best friend since he was born, it's incredible.
“The kid is blossoming into a superstar, but he's always been one. He's kind of just played unselfishly his first few years and taken some time to grow and develop in areas that were a little weaker early on in his college career.
“You saw it this year. … He took an incredible leap, and I'm so proud of him. I couldn't be happier for him and the rest of our team.”
Legacy, indeed.
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