Notre Dame's men’s lacrosse team fell short in their pursuit of a third national title, losing 16-9 to top-ranked Princeton in the championship game. After a promising start with a 3-0 lead, the Irish struggled as Princeton surged, scoring 11 consecutive goals and leading 11-3 at halftime. Despite several attempts to close the gap, Notre Dame could never fully recover from the deficit. The defeat marks Princeton’s first championship win since 2001, while the Irish have now lost in three championship finals.

By the Numbers
  • Notre Dame scored 3 goals in the first five minutes but ended up with 9.
  • Princeton had 11 unanswered goals in the first half, leading 11-3 at halftime.
State of Play
  • Notre Dame ends the season with a 13-3 record.
  • Princeton secures its seventh national championship title in program history.
What's Next

For Notre Dame, the focus will shift to regrouping for next season with hopes of reclaiming the national title and potentially building on their previous successes.

Bottom Line

This championship loss underscores the challenges of maintaining dominance in college lacrosse, with Notre Dame needing to reassess and strengthen strategies for future competitions.