The Air Force lacrosse team (3-4, 0-1) returns to GWLL action this weekend as it travels to 11th-ranked Notre Dame

The Air Force lacrosse team (3-4, 0-1) returns to GWLL action this weekend as it travels to 11th-ranked Notre Dame on Sunday, April 10. The game, which will be televised on tape delay by Comcast Local in South Bend and throughout the state of Michigan, is slated to begin at 12:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. MT) at Moose Krause Stadium.


Last Time Out…
The Falcons remained winless against service academy rival Army, falling to the Black Knights, 12-8, last weekend at West Point.

Army rolled out to a big 7-1 lead in the first half, but Air Force came storming back, going on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to one point. However, the Black Knights extended their advantage back to three by the beginning of the fourth period and fought off the Falcons for the four-point victory.

Sophomore Conrad Lochocki scored three goals for the Falcons, including two within 32 seconds to bring the score to 7-6. Meanwhile, freshman Kevin Crumrine added two goals and an assist. Goalkeeper Justin Pavoni also had a solid performance between the pipes, notching 14 saves and four ground balls.


Scouting the Fighting Irish...
Notre Dame, ranked 11th in the latest USILA coaches poll, fell to 5-2 on the season after falling 10-9 to then-No. 19 Dartmouth on Saturday.

Dartmouth broke an 8-8 tie with a pair of goals in the final three minutes, and a Notre Dame score with 19 seconds remaining was not enough to prevent the upset of the Irish, then ranked ninth in the country. Pat Walsh, Matt Ryan and Jim Morrison each had two goals each to lead Notre Dame, while Joey Kemp registered 23 saves.

On the season, Walsh leads the team with 34 points (16 goals and a team-high 18 assists), while Morrison paces the Irish with 22 goals on the season.

The Fighting Irish will host fellow GWLL-opponent Denver on Thursday before taking on the Falcons Sunday.


How We Rate...
In the latest edition of national statistics released by the NCAA (through games on April 5), Air Force goalkeeper Justin Pavoni is ranked second in the nation in ground balls with 7.29 per game, trailing only Alex Smith of Delaware.

Meanwhile, sophomore attackman Will Meister is also in the national rankings, rated 12th in the country in assists per game with 2.0.


How They Rate...
In the latest NCAA statistical reports, Notre Dame is ranked among the nation’s leaders in several categories, both as a team and individually. The Fighting Irish currently lead the country in man-up offense at .500. Notre Dame is also fourth in scoring offense (12.0), fifth in scoring margin (4.14), seventh in face-off win percentage (.596), ninth in defense (6.17) and 18th in scoring defense (7.86).

Meanwhile, freshman goalkeeper Joey Kemp is second in save percentage at .664 and 12th in goals against average (7.42). Pat Walsh ranks third in both points per game (4.86) and assists per game (2.57), while Jim Morrison is rated fourth in goals per contest with 2.86.Rounding out the group of Irishmen in the national rankings is Taylor Clagett, who is eighth with a .628 face-off win percentage and ranks 13th in ground balls with 5.29 per game.


In the Series...
The Falcons are 4-16 all-time against Notre Dame. Air Force has not defeated the Fighting Irish since 1988, when it notched a 14-8 victory.


Last Year vs. Notre Dame...
The Air Force offense struggled mightily against the Fighting Irish last season, as the Falcons fell, 12-2, at home to open the 2004 GWLL slate. Freshman Justin Kuchta scored both Air Force goals, while Justin Pavoni, facing 40 shots by the Irish, recorded 16 saves in the loss.


Three is the Magic Number...
Sophomore Conrad Lochocki, who leads the team with 16 goals on the season, has scored three goals in each of the Falcons’ last three games. Lochocki, who saw action in just two games last season and did not score any points, has scored in six of seven contests this year. He has also scored at least three goals in four of those games, his best a five-goal output in the season opener at VMI.


AF In The GWLL Rankings...
In the latest rankings released by the GWLL on April 5, several Falcons are rated among the league’s leaders in various statistical categories.

Junior goalkeeper Justin Pavoni remains the league leader in ground balls per game with 7.29, while also leading the conference in saves with 11.14 pg. Meanwhile, Air Force’s sophomore trio of Will Meister, Justin Kuchta and Conrad Lochocki all find themselves rated among the league’s offensive leaders. Meister ranks second in the GWLL in both assists (2.0) and points (3.43) per game. Kuchta is fifth in the league in goals (1.86 pg), is tied for fourth in assists (1.14 pg) and is fifth in points (3.0pg), while Lochocki is tied for third in goals per game with 2.29.


Up Next...
Air Force wraps up its five-game road swing in Chapel Hill, N.C., where it will face North Carolina on April 13. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (ET) at Fetzer Field.