– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
PHILADELPHIA — Notre Dame, the consensus No. 1 team in the country, ran into its biggest challenge of the season on Saturday afternoon, and it had more to do with history with their opponent than the talent and skill it possessed. The one man who knew all too well of the painful memories caused by Denver University in this stage is Fighting Irish coach Kevin Corrigan, yet he made sure that none of his current players experienced the same heartbreak Corrigan’s former players suffered at the hands at the Pioneers.
The defending champs will make a return trip to championship Monday, as a dominant second half propelled No. 1 Notre Dame to a 13-6 win over No. 5 Denver. A one-goal game at halftime quickly turned to a blowout, as Notre Dame outscored Denver 8-2 in the final 30 minutes. The Kavanagh brothers both record hat-tricks, with Pat’s coming on a slick behind-the-back goal in the fourth quarter that put the exclamation point on Notre Dame’s win. Devon McClane also posted a hat-trick for the Irish.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday’s national semifinals, with photos taken by ALOST staff photographer Scotty Rausenberger. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 36 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
