SOUTH BEND, Ind. — What Will Donovan generates during a college men’s lacrosse game doesn’t necessarily show up in his own stat line.
That’s because chaos doesn’t play by the rules numerically.
And that’s what Donovan’s job is as a long-stick midfielder for the two-time defending national champion Irish (9-4) as they look to take another stride toward history Sunday in Annapolis, Md., against 5 seed Penn State (10-4) in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game (noon EDT on ESPNU).
Create chaos. Or as Inside Lacrosse once referred to it — playing the most badass position on the field.
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And Donovan’s badass game translates to an All-America level. The 6-foot, 175-pound junior was named second team Wednesday by Inside Lacrosse, as were teammates Chris Kavanagh and Ben Ramsey. Sophomore defenseman Shawn Lyght was named to the first team.
“It’s a combination of things,” Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan said of what makes Donovan elite. “He’s very athletic. He moves really well. He’s aggressive, but he’s selective about when he tries to be aggressive. Very poised. And he’s got a very good understanding of the game. So, he’s kind of got all the pieces that you want in a really good player.”
More times than not it shows up in others’ stats — like opponents’ muted offensive totals, or creating shot angles so difficult they turn into goalie saves for their own teams.
“Looking back at it, I didn’t make any supper-spectacular saves,” ND goalie Thomas Ricciardelli said of his 15 saves in Notre Dame’s stunning 15-6 domination of second-ranked/fourth-seeded Ohio State in a first-round NCAA Tourney upset this past Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
“The defense kind of set me up for success. They played excellent. Short sticks, our close guys, our LSMs [long-stick midfielders]. Everyone played really well. I kind of attribute those saves to them, because they gave me shots that I could save in the first place.”
Ground balls (23) and caused turnovers (18) are the most tangible numbers in Donovan’s own stat line, though he also has one goal and one assist this season as well.
“I had a Canadian coach growing up, and he kind of gave me free reign to make some of those plays in the middle of the field,” Donovan said of falling in love with his position. “It was fun. Kind of learned from him and try to jump into opportunities where I see them.
“I think the middle of the field is huge. I think that’s where you can kind of cause chaos. Like kind of settle in on each side of the ball and then be as chaotic as I can be.”
As a team the Irish are trying to create chaos in the bracket as well.
In the previous 52 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournaments, just 10 unseeded teams have reached the national semis, and just seven reached the title game. One of those was Notre Dame in 2010, the last time the Irish entered the tourney unseeded,
It’s been nine years since North Carolina became the first — and still the only — unseeded team to win the title.
There are three such teams still kicking in the quarterfinals, and two more — Colgate and Harvard — held fourth-period leads on the road last weekend before falling to Penn State and Syracuse, respectively.
Sunday’s winner between the Irish and Penn State at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will advance to the Final Four, May 24 and 26 in Foxborough, Mass. There, they’d play the winner of top seed Cornell (15-1) and unseeded Richmond (14-3). Cornell’s only loss this season came to the Nittany Lions, 13-12 in overtime, on March 8.
Sunday will be the 22nd meeting between ND and Penn State, with the Irish holding a 15-6 series lead, but it's the first matchup since the 2014 season. The Irish, per Corrigan, will again be without ACC Freshman of the Year Matt Jeffery, who suffered an upper-body injury April 26 in a 10-8 win over Penn.
“I think we’ve just got to execute,” Corrigan said of the key to advancing past the quarterfinals “They’re a very good team. They have a lot of different guys. They’re not a team that relies on one or two guys on either end of the team, so it’s not the focus maybe like we had a little bit last week with their goal-tending and a couple of their offensive guys. I think this is a team that’s very well balanced.”
And Donovan on Sunday, as part of the nation's No. 6 scoring defense (8.77 goals per game), will be looking to disrupt that balance and everything else Penn State brings to the table.
“He’s one of the best athletes on the field,” Ricciardelli said of Donovan. “He has the best feet. He has some of the best hands. He’s just an overall kind of a dog out there. He does everything well and he’s just an awesome player, awesome guy, on and off the field.
“As a goalie, you just love having him on the field at all times. He can guard everyone, every position. Behind the net, up top. Good in transition. Really good off the ground.
“He’s one of the best groundball players in college lacrosse. He gives me confidence, him being out on the field.”
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