Game 16
No. 13 Duke (9-6) vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (9-2)
April 29 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Fifth Third Bank Stadium | Kennesaw, Ga.
Setting the Scene
- Duke is 9-6 overall and enters the ACC Championship as the No. 3 seed after finishing the conference slate 2-2.
- Notre Dame is 9-2 and is the No. 2 seed after losing to North Carolina in the ACC finale.
- Duke is ranked 10th in the latest RPI and is in search of its eighth ACC Championship
The Series History
- Duke and Notre Dame are meeting for the 19th time overall and for the second time in ACC Championship history.
- The Blue Devils are 11-7 overall and 5-1 in postseason games against the Fighting Irish
By the Numbers
100 – Career assists for senior
Myles Jones, becoming the first Division I lacrosse midfielder in history to have at least 100 goals and 100 assists in his career
42 - Goals in 2016 from
Deemer Class, a Duke record for a midfielder and ranking 19th all-time amongst midfielders
5-1 - Duke's record against Notre Dame in postseason games, including last year's ACC semifinal win
23 - Duke turnovers against Notre Dame in the regular season meeting, a season-high for the Blue Devils
53:36 – Minutes it's been since Duke gave up a goal, holding Marquette scoreless after scoring 6:24 into the game
5.67 – Duke's goals against average in the past three games, allowing 17 overall
.646 – Save percentage for goaltender
Danny Fowler in his past three starts, averaging 10.3 saves per game in that stretch
0 - Career Games sophomore
Justin Guterding has been held without a point, scoring at least on in all 33
7 – ACC Championships Duke has won since tournament started in 1989
10 – Points scored by Matt Kavanagh in the past five games against Duke, after totaling 11 in the first two meetings as a rookie
Trio Earns All-ACC
- It is the first honor for Guterding and the third for Class and Jones. They are the 10th and 11th Blue Devils to earn All-ACC recognition three times in their careers.
Duke in ACC Championship
- Duke enters its 27th ACC Championship with a 21-19 overall record, seven titles and seven runner-up finishes. The Blue Devils are the No. 3 seed for the fifth time and are 0-4 in the previous four outings, with the most recent being 2013.
- Duke is 14-12 in semifinal games and 1-0 against Notre Dame in those contests after last year's 13-8 victory.
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Kyle Rowe won 67 percent of his faceoffs in his ACC Championship debut in 2015.
Danny Fowler sports an 11.50 goals against average in his two ACC Championship outings.
Last Time Out
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Jack Bruckner scored four goals and
Justin Guterding added a game-high six points to lead the offense in a dominating 16-1 victory over No. 15 Marquette.
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Myles Jones, finishing with two goals and an assist, became the first midfielder in Division I lacrosse history to record 100 goals and 100 assists in his career.
- The Duke defense held Marquette scoreless for the final 53:36 of the game. The single goal allowed was the fewest since the Blue Devils beat Bellarmine 16-1 in 2006.
Danny Fowler and
Luke Aaron both made six saves apiece in the stout defensive effort.
About Notre Dame
- Notre Dame enters the ACC Championship as the No. 2 seed and ranked fourth overall with a 9-2 record. The Fighting Irish recently fell to North Carolina in the ACC finale.
- Matt Kavanagh and Mikey Wynne are Notre Dame's top scorers with 36 and 29 points, respectively. Sergio Perkovic patrols the midfield with 24 points.
- Notre Dame features the ACC's top defense, allowing 7.55 goals per game. Matt Landis anchors the stalwart defense with 14 caused turnovers and 24 ground balls.
- In goal, Shane Doss has been outstanding with a 7.43 goals against average and a .568 save percentage. He is averaging just 7.27 saves per game.
- P.J. Finley handles things at the faceoff X for the Irish, winning 100-of-203 restarts for a .493 win percentage. He has picked up 36 ground balls and also has contributed three goals and an assist.
Last Time We Met
- Notre Dame held Duke's high-powered offense to just six goals and two in the second half in an 8-6 win for the No. 2 Irish three weeks ago.
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Justin Guterding led all Duke scorers with four points, while
Danny Fowler was outstanding between the pipes for the Blue Devils with 12 saves.
Kyle Rowe won 11-of-18 faceoffs and picked up seven ground balls.
-The Blue Devils defense held Notre Dame attackman Matt Kavanagh without a point for the first time this season, while Sergio Perkovic paced the Irish offense with a hat trick.
- Duke led 6-5 midway through the fourth quarter after a goal from
Deemer Class, but Notre Dame scored the game's final three goals, two of which were from Perkovic to post the win.
- Shane Doss had 11 saves for the Irish.
What Gives
- Will Notre Dame's defense hold strong again? Or will the Blue Devils' high-powered offense shine through Friday night?
- Notre Dame has allowed more than 10 goals in a game just once this season - 17 to North Carolina - and scored 10-plus goals four times.
- Duke has scored 10-plus goals in 12 of 15 games, going 0-3 when held to single digits. The Blue Devils have held their opponents to nine or fewer goals eight times, going 7-1.
- In the seven regular season games against the Irish since 2010, the Blue Devils recorded double digit goals just twice. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has scored 10-plus goals in four of those.
- In the five postseason meetings between the two teams, Duke has scored at least 10 goals in three times. The Irish, however, have scored in double digits just once against the Blue Devils in the postseason.
Strong Three-Game Stretch for Duke D
- Duke's defense, after giving up 15 and 17 goals in consecutive weeks to Syracuse and North Carolina, has seemingly turned the corner. The Blue Devils have held each of its three previous opponents to a combined 17 goals for a 5.67 goals against average.
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Danny Fowler has been outstanding in the stretch, sporting a .646 save percentage and a 6.36 goals against average. He had a .486 save percentage and a 10.47 goals against average in the 12 games prior.
Second Midfield Contributions
- Duke has struggled to generate points from the second midfield this season after early season injuries forced lineup changes. The past two games, Duke has settled on
Brad Smith,
Matthew Giampetroni and
Tripp Transou. That trio added three points in the winning effort against Marquette and was on the field for two goals against Virginia.
- Duke got a season-high four points from the second midfield against Georgetown and has three games overall where it has two-plus.
- Have the Blue Devils landed on the group that can successfully spell the talented starting trio of Class, Cohan and Jones?
Class and Jones A Dangerous Tandem
- Tewaaraton Award nominees
Deemer Class and
Myles Jones are the most dynamic midfield duo in program history, combining for 248 goals and 164 assists for 412 career points.
- Jones holds the Duke records for single-season and career assists and points by a midfielder. Both are the lone midfielders in Duke history to score 100 career goals.
- Class is tops nationally among midfielders in goals per game (2.80). In points per game, Jones is second (4.07) and Class fourth (3.47) among midfielders. They are the lone midfield tandem ranked in the top 50 in points per game.
- The top midfield tandem in Division I lacrosse history was Paul and Gary Gait at Syracuse. They combined for 465 points from 319 goals and 146 assists.
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