NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship: Penn State Vs. Notre Dame Preview, How to Watch

The Nittany Lions meet Notre Dame, the two-time defending national champion, in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinals.

A general view Lincoln Financial Field before the 2024 NCAA Men's Lacrosse national championship game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Maryland Terrapins. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Penn State takes on the two-time defending national champion in the quarterfinals of the 2025 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, though the Nittany Lions are the higher seed. The Penn State-Notre Dame game is part of a Sunday doubleheader in Annapolis, Maryland, to complete the field for next week's semifinals.

Top-seeded Cornell and third-seeded Syracuse have advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. Here's what you need to know about the Penn State vs. Notre Dame lacrosse game in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Penn State (11-4) vs. Notre Dame (9-4)

• When: Noon ET Sunday

• Where: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland

• TV: ESPNU

• Streaming: ESPN+

• At Stake: The winner advances to the NCAA semifinals to face top-seed Cornell on May 24 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

How to watch Penn State vs. Notre Dame lacrosse

ESPNU will televise the game live from Annapolis. Fans can stream the game on ESPN+ and Disney+. Penn State and Notre Dame are playing for the first time since 2014, a game the Nittany Lions won 8-7. They also are meeting for the first time in the postseason. Notre Dame leads the series between the teams 15-6.

About the Nittany Lions

Penn State, playing in its third straight NCAA tournament, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 13-11 win over Colgate in the first round. Liam Matthews scored four goals for the Nittany Lions, including the eventual game-winner late in the second half. Penn State is the tournament's fifth seed, having reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament before falling to Maryland. Penn State is ranked seventh in the latest Inside Lacrosse poll.

Matt Traynor leads Penn State in scoring (52 points) and goals (36) and is tied for the Big Ten lead in points. The senior was named the Big Ten offensive player of the year and ranks fifth on Penn State's career points list (111).

Midfielder Hunter Aquino, the Big Ten freshman of the year, has compiled a 35-point season with 15 goals. He is the Big Ten's only freshman to rank among the top 10 in points and assists per game.

About the Fighting Irish

Notre Dame began pursuit of its third straight NCAA title with a 15-6 win over Ohio State, which won the Big Ten Tournament. The Fighting Irish won NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024, defeating Maryland 15-5 in last year's final.

Though they entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament unseeded, the Fighting Irish are ranked just one spot below Penn State at No. 8, according to Inside Lacrosse. Notre Dame also is tournament tested, having made the quarterfinals 13 times in the last 15 years.

Notre Dame's leading player is Chris Kavanagh, the ACC offensive player of the year who is a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award as the nation's top player. Kavanagh paces Notre Dame with 61 points and 36 goals and ranks ninth nationally in points per game (4.69). Kavanagh also has scored a program-record 38 points in NCAA Tournament play. Kavanagh scored five goals in last year's NCAA final, capping a season in which he scored a program-record 81 points.