PHILADELPHIA -- It was a slow start to the first NCAA tournament semifinal on Saturday, but once the goals started dropping, defending champ Notre Dame pulled away from Denver.
Former Taft star Chris Kavanagh left his mark all over the 13-6 win, opening the scoring for the top-seeded Fighting Irish with his first goal at the 10-minute mark of the first quarter.
That tied the game early on and his team took the lead thanks to a caused turnover from Will Donovan (Greenwich, Conn.) in the six-on-six.
Then came a one-on-one between Pat Kavanagh and DU goalie Malcolm Kleban that ended with an easy tally. Donovan ended the game with three groundballs and two caused turnovers, flashing out to meet the ball carrier from the interior of the Notre Dame defense early and often.
