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#1 Notre Dame Falls To UVA On The Road
Fighting Irish suffer first loss of season in ACC opener
Mar. 28, 2026 at 6:19pm
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The top-ranked Notre Dame men's lacrosse team suffered its first defeat of the 2026 season, falling to Virginia by a score of 11-9 in Charlottesville. The Fighting Irish led for much of the game but were unable to hold off a late Cavaliers comeback, with Virginia scoring the final two goals to secure the victory.
Why it matters
This loss drops Notre Dame's record to 6-1 on the season and marks their first defeat in ACC play. The Fighting Irish were the top-ranked team in the country coming into the game, so this result will likely impact their national ranking and standing in the conference. The game also serves as an early test for Notre Dame as they look to contend for an ACC championship and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
The details
Notre Dame got off to a slow start, falling behind 2-0 early, but responded with three quick goals to take a 3-2 lead. The teams traded scores throughout the first half, with the Fighting Irish taking a 6-5 advantage into halftime. Notre Dame extended their lead to 7-5 early in the third quarter, but Virginia battled back to tie the game at 9-9 heading to the fourth. The Cavaliers then scored the final two goals of the game to hand Notre Dame its first loss.
- The game was played on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
- Notre Dame led 6-5 at halftime.
- The game was tied 9-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
The players
Josh Yago
A Notre Dame player who scored two goals in the game.
Matt Jeffery
A Notre Dame player who also scored two goals for the Fighting Irish.
Will Maheras
A Notre Dame player who scored two goals for the team.
Thomas Ricciardelli
The Notre Dame goalkeeper who made 11 saves while allowing 11 goals.
Virginia
The opponent that defeated the top-ranked Notre Dame team.
What they’re saying
“We came up short today, but this is a resilient group and we'll learn from this experience. We have a big game against Richmond next week and our focus is on getting ready for that challenge.”
— Head Coach
What’s next
Notre Dame will look to bounce back next Saturday, April 4th, when they take on #2 Richmond in Evanston, Illinois. The game will be part of the Lacrosse Day in Chicago event and will air on ACCNX.
The takeaway
This loss serves as an early-season test for the top-ranked Fighting Irish, who will need to regroup quickly ahead of their showdown with #2 Richmond next weekend. While the defeat is disappointing, it provides Notre Dame an opportunity to assess their strengths and weaknesses as they aim to contend for an ACC championship and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
