Notre Dame Defeats Marquette in Competitive Lacrosse Match

Golden Eagles put up a fight against ranked Fighting Irish before late-game surge

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Despite a slow start, Marquette men's lacrosse kept the game competitive against #7 Notre Dame, trailing just 8-6 at halftime. The Golden Eagles evened the score at 8-8 in the third quarter, but the Fighting Irish pulled away with a 6-1 run in the final minutes to win 16-11.

Why it matters

This game highlights Marquette's ability to compete with a top-ranked opponent, even as they suffered their second loss to start the season. The Golden Eagles showed resilience in battling back, demonstrating their potential for the rest of the season despite the eventual defeat.

The details

Marquette didn't gain possession until Notre Dame had already taken a 2-0 lead, but the Golden Eagles responded with goals from Ethan Salvia and Tucker Mullen to make it 3-2 after the first quarter. Mullen then tied the game at 3-3 in the second quarter, but Notre Dame went on a 5-1 run to take an 8-4 lead. Beau Westphal and Carsen Brandt scored before halftime to make it 8-6. Brandt then tied the game at 8-8 in the third quarter, but Notre Dame pulled away with a 6-1 run in the final minutes to win 16-11.

  • Notre Dame scored on their first two shots of the season within the first five minutes.
  • Marquette trailed 8-4 with 3:52 left in the second quarter before scoring twice before halftime.
  • The game was tied 8-8 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.
  • Notre Dame led 12-9 after scoring two goals in the final minute of the third quarter.
  • Notre Dame went on a 6-1 run in the final 15 minutes to pull away for the 16-11 win.

The players

Carsen Brandt

A Marquette player who scored a hat trick and added an assist for four points in the game.

Tucker Mullen

A Marquette player who had two goals and two assists for four points in the game.

Beau Westphal

A Marquette player who scored a hat trick in the game.

Aidan Diaz-Matos

A Notre Dame faceoff specialist who scored the Fighting Irish's second goal of the game.

Luke Miller

A Notre Dame player who scored a goal to put the Fighting Irish up 8-4 late in the second quarter.

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What they’re saying

“It's not a bad loss, not to a top 10 team. If you wanted to be encouraged about how Marquette handled their business for the first 41 minutes, that's pretty fair. But you have to play all 60 to beat a ranked team, and Marquette didn't have that in the cards in this one.”

— Andrew Fleck, Author (anonymouseagle.com)

What’s next

Marquette will look to earn their first win of the season next Saturday when they visit Cleveland State, who are also 0-2 to start the year.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, Marquette's ability to compete with a top-ranked opponent for most of the game is an encouraging sign for the rest of their season. The Golden Eagles showed resilience in battling back, demonstrating their potential even as they suffered their second defeat to start the year.