No. 1 Spiders Fall to No. 4 Notre Dame in Lacrosse Matchup

Richmond unable to overcome early deficit in loss at Northwestern's Martin Stadium

Apr. 4, 2026 at 7:40pm

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The No. 1 University of Richmond men's lacrosse team fell to No. 4 Notre Dame 12-8 on Saturday, suffering its first loss of the season. The Spiders fell behind 8-0 early and were unable to fully recover despite outscoring the Fighting Irish 8-4 over the final three quarters.

Why it matters

This was a key early-season matchup between two top-5 teams, with the loss dropping Richmond from the top spot in the national rankings. The Spiders' ability to fight back after the slow start shows their resilience, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome against a talented Notre Dame squad.

The details

Richmond managed just four settled offensive possessions in the opening 15 minutes as Notre Dame dictated the pace early. The Spiders scored four unanswered goals in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 9-4 at halftime, but Notre Dame responded with two more goals to push the margin back to five. Richmond continued to battle, but ultimately couldn't complete the comeback.

  • The Spiders fell behind 8-0 by the 3:43 mark of the first quarter.
  • Richmond scored four unanswered goals in the second quarter to make it 9-4 at halftime.
  • The Spiders outscored Notre Dame 8-4 over the final three quarters.

The players

Aidan O'Neil

Richmond player who scored the Spiders' first goal in the second quarter.

Connor Kelly

Richmond player who assisted on a goal that cut the deficit to six in the second quarter.

Jack Riccardi

Richmond player who scored two goals for the Spiders.

Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson

Richmond player who scored a transition goal in the second quarter.

Lucas Littlejohn

Richmond player who scored two goals for the Spiders.

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What’s next

Richmond heads to St. Bonaventure next weekend to continue Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, April 11 at noon.

The takeaway

This loss will be a learning experience for the Spiders as they look to bounce back and regain their top ranking. The early deficit proved too much to overcome, but Richmond's ability to fight back and make it a close game in the end shows the team's resilience and potential to compete with the nation's best.