Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 1 Notre Dame

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For the first time under Gary Gait, No. 3 Syracuse has won five straight games. SU’s winning streak started with a win over High Point on March 2 before defeating then-No. 2 Johns Hopkins. Later came wins over Delaware, then-No. 4 Duke and most recently Hobart.

Next up for Syracuse is its biggest challenge this season and its most important game in recent memory — a matchup with No. 1 ranked Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are the reigning national champions and they’ve returned to their top spot nationally after a five-week hiatus.

Here’s everything to know about No. 1 Notre Dame (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) ahead of its matchup with No. 3 Syracuse (9-2, 1-0 ACC):

All-time series

The series is tied 10-10.

Last time they played…

Syracuse came into its matchup with then-No. 3 Notre Dame on April 1, 2023, fresh off a win against Hobart for its third straight victory. The Orange fell down 5-0 in the first quarter, yet fought back to get within two at halftime.

Five straight goals from Syracuse gave it a 12-11 lead with 13:09 left in the fourth quarter. What ensued was a disastrous final portion of the game where Notre Dame scored nine straight goals to come out with a 20-12 win.

Cole Kirst led Syracuse with four points (two goals, two assists) while Alex Simmons added a hat trick. In the end, SU’s 13-for-36 effort at the faceoff X led to its demise, dropping it to 0-3 in ACC play.

The Fighting Irish report

Notre Dame is coming off its most successful season in program history, capturing its first-ever national title. Notre Dame started 2024 as the No. 1 team in the country, but an overtime loss to Georgetown on Feb. 25 caused it to drop to No. 6. ND hasn’t lost since then, picking up three victories over Big Ten opponents (Ohio State, Maryland and Michigan).

The Fighting Irish hold the highest scoring offense in the country (17 goals per game) and allow the least amount of goals (8.33). Notre Dame also has the highest shooting percentage in the country, converting over 40% of its attempts and leading the nation in assists per game with 10.83. One potential weakness is ND’s sloppiness as it runs the ball over 13.5 times per game, which is the third-worst mark in the country.

The Fighting Irish are led by the brothers Pat and Chris Kavanagh. The duo are ND’s point leaders with Pat recording a team-high 22 assists (29 points total) while Chris is second on the team in goals with 16 (30 points). Jake Taylor is Notre Dame’s main scoring threat, with a team-high 22 goals on 44 shots this season.

How Syracuse beats Notre Dame

The main thing for Syracuse is to not get caught up in the moment. Playing against the No. 1 team and reigning national champions can be a daunting task, but Syracuse has the talent to knock off the Fighting Irish.

If the Orange continue to spread the ball around to their litany of attacking options they could have success. There’s no need to rely on Joey Spallina to produce goals since SU has won its last two games without Spallina scoring.

On the defensive side, Syracuse is going to have to remain composed. The Kavanagh brothers will be a handful, but the Orange recently shut down Duke’s potent attack. The defensive unit, led by Riley Figueiras and Billy Dwan, will be riding high. Over the past three games, the Orange have let up just five goals in the second half and if they can continue this momentum, then they could knock off Notre Dame.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

Stat to know: 55

Over the past six matchups, Notre Dame has outscored Syracuse by 55 goals. Since SU’s last win over ND, it’s been mostly one-way traffic. The Fighting Irish have won the last five contests by at least seven goals, including scoring at least 20 goals three times. South Bend hasn’t been kind to the Orange either as the last two times Syracuse traveled to face Notre Dame, it was outscored 44-14.

Player to watch: No. 44 Liam Entenmann

In his fifth year at Notre Dame, Entenmann remains the best goalkeeper in the country. Last season, the goalie entered the postseason as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and in four games finished with nearly a 60% save percentage. Entenmann saved his best performance for last with 18 saves in the championship game against Duke, holding the Blue Devils to single digits.

This season has been much of the same. Although his save percentage is slightly down, his 56% stoppage rate still ranks 14th in the country. Entenmann has only allowed double-digit goals twice and is coming off a season-best 15-save performance against Michigan.