BROOKVILLE, N.Y.. – The No. 1 Fighting Irish outlasted No. 10/8 Cornell in an instant classic on Long Island, as Ben Ramsey scored the game-winning goal with 6.4 seconds left to give Notre Dame the 18-17 win.
The win improves the Blue and Gold’s record to 8-1 on the season and gives the Irish four wins over top-10 teams on the season.
Eleven Notre Dame players scored a goal in the victory. The attack was led by Eric Dobson and Jake Taylor, each recording a hat trick with three goals. Both Pat and Chris Kavanagh recorded a team-high four points, as Pat had two goals and two assists while Chris finished with a goal and three assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Big Red scored the opener before Pat Kavanagh leveled the score at 1-1 in the opening stages with his 100th career goal. The Irish then scored five of the next six goals to take a 6-2 lead before Cornell found the back of the net for the final goal of the first frame to make the score 6-3 after the opening 15 minutes of play. Dobson scored twice in the quarter, once with each hand.
The two sides traded punches on offense in the second quarter but the Irish outscored Cornell 5-4 to take an 11-7 lead into the halftime intermission. Notre Dame’s five goals came from five different players as Jordan Faison, Max Busenkell, Reilly Gray, Jake Taylor and Will Donovan each scored.
Cornell came out firing out of the break, scoring six of the first seven goals of the second half to take a 13-12 lead with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. The Irish responded with a beautiful behind-the-back goal from Taylor followed by a goal from Pat Kavanagh with 21 seconds left to retake the lead at 14-13 heading into the final frame.
Both teams scored a goal in the first two minutes of the fourth, with Dobson completing his hat trick with his third of the day. Cornell then scored two to go back on top at 16-15 with five minutes left in the contest before Taylor leveled the score at 16-16 with 4:01 on the clock.
After a Big Red goal gave them the lead at 17-16 with three minutes left, Chris Kavanagh scored just 16 seconds later off a feed from Faison to knot the game up at 17-17.
In the final minute of play it looked like Cornell would be able to hold for the final shot in regulation but Faison made the defensive play of the game, causing a turnover off a wrap check at midfield to give the Irish the chance to win in regulation.
With less than 10 seconds left in the game, Chris Kavanagh scooped up a ground ball and fed Ben Ramsey, who ripped a shot from 15-yards out past the Cornell goalie with 6.4 seconds left to win the game by a score of 18-17.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- Notre Dame is now 4-0 against top-10 ranked teams this season and are 5-1 against ranked opposition.
- The Irish attack has finished in double-figures for goals in every game this season.
- The 18 goals are the most Notre Dame has scored against a top-10 team since scoring 22 against Syracuse on May 1, 2022.
- Entenmann became the program’s all-time saves leader on Sunday, passing Joey Kemp (633) for the top spot with 644 saves.
- Taylor registered his fifth hat trick of the season and 13th of his career.
- With three goals Dobson now has 13 career hat tricks.
- Pat Kavanagh reached the 100-career goal mark and is just the third player in program history to record 100 goals and 100 assists in his career.
- Pat Kavanagh is the ninth player in program history to join the 100-goal club.
- With three assists, Chris Kavanagh has reached 20 assists in a season for the first time in his career.
UP NEXT
The Irish return home for its final regular-season game at Arlotta Stadium this season, welcoming UNC for an 11:30 a.m. matchup on Saturday, April 20 in South Bend. Admission to the game is free and it will air on ACCN.
— ND —