Loyola of Maryland took a much slower route to the NCAA lacrosse championship game than the Greyhounds are accustomed to.FORT WAYNE – Records: Irish 16-8, 8-3 Big East; DePaul 11-12, 2-9
When: Noon today
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend
TV: Big East Network
Radio: 1480 AM
Notre Dame leaders: Eric Atkins (12.9 ppg), Jerian Grant (4.8 apg), Jack Cooley (8.6 rpg)
DePaul leaders: Melvin Cleveland (18.2 ppg), Brandon Young (4.9 apg), Cleveland (6.8 rpg)
Key matchup: The Irish and Blue Demons’ sophomore guards will likely decide the winner of today’s game. Atkins leads Notre Dame in scoring and is also second in assists with 3.5 per game. Young is DePaul’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15 points, and he is eighth in the conference in assists.
The skinny:
Notre Dame is riding a season-high five-game winning streak, with three of those victories coming against ranked opponents. … The Irish enter the game in third place in the Big East, while the Demons are second to last. … DePaul has lost its last three games and eight of its last nine games. … The Irish lead the all-time series 57-44 and have won their last six games against the Demons.
