Brenneman comes out of unheralded East Hampton program to give Notre Dame a jolt
Notre Dame's Grant Krebs (12) and Zach Brenneman, right, celebrate Brenneman's goal against Cornell during the first half of the NCAA Men's Final Four semifinal lacrosse game. (May 29, 2010) Credit: AP
BALTIMORE - Zach Brenneman has deep roots and deep feelings about those roots. The 6-3, 215-pound junior midfielder from East Hampton stiffened a bit when asked about not coming from one of Long Island's traditional lacrosse hotbeds.
"I hear that question a lot," Brenneman said tersely after his three-goal performance helped Notre Dame defeat Cornell, 12-7, Saturday to advance to Monday's championship game for the first time in school history. "I can't do anything about where I'm from. I just do what I do."
Later, when the formal interview session broke up, Brenneman was amicable as he expanded on his background. "I was a big fish in a small pond, I admit it," said Notre Dame's leading scorer this season with 39 points (26 goals). "But we've had several really good players from East Hampton. You can find talent everywhere."
Brenneman, a brawny midfielder with a hard shot, said he chose Notre Dame for its academics - he's a finance major - but thought the program had a chance to be "a contender ." This is the Fighting Irish's fifth straight appearance.
"A wonderful ride," Brenneman said, noting that it's especially gratifying because Notre Dame (10-6) has beaten three straight higher-seeded teams in the tournament after barely qualifying as an at-large selection. "You need to really enjoy these moments."
He is part of a midfield unit that is considered Notre Dame's strength. The Irish like to control the ball and time of possession. "As an offense, we like to possess the ball and keep it moving, but we'll shoot if we get the chance," he said.
Brenneman demonstrated that when he scored unassisted 38 seconds into the second quarter, took a feed from David Earl to finish an extra-man opportunity less than three minutes later, then fired a high rocket past A.J. Fiore 2:53 into the third quarter to give Notre Dame a 7-3 lead.
The final shot was a real blast, from a tough angle. "I just get open and shoot. That's my game," Brenneman said. "I was aiming just over his head. I'm not exactly Mr. Accuracy. I usually just pick one part of the cage to shoot at."
On that last one, Brenneman seemed to find the east end of the goal.
