The skinny on NCAA lacrosse final matchup

NCAA lacrosse final

Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

TV: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

How they got here

Unseeded Notre Dame defeated No. 6 Princeton, 8-5, and No. 3 Maryland, 7-5, to reach the Final Four. The Fighting Irish beat No. 7 Cornell, 12-7, Saturday. No. 5 seed Duke defeated Johns Hopkins, 18-5, and No. 4 North Carolina, 17-9. The Blue Devils edged No. 1 Virginia, 14-13, Saturday.

What to look for

A first-time national champion will be crowned after this game, which presents an intriguing contrast in styles. Notre Dame packs it in on defense, forces teams to shoot from outside at tough angles and puts the game in the hands of hot goaltender Scott Rodgers of MacArthur. The Irish like to take long possessions on offense and keep the score down. Duke will run with anybody and likes a faster pace. That's because the Blue Devils have the nation's top goal-scorer, Max Quinzani, and top assist man, Tewaaraton Trophy favorite Ned Crotty.

Long Island links

In addition to Rodgers, Notre Dame features middie Zach Brenneman of East Hampton, the team's leading scorer who had a hat trick Saturday against Cornell. Attack Sean Rogers of Holy Trinity has had a good playoff run and scored a goal Saturday. Second-unit middie Steve Murphy of Floyd will get playing time Monday in the heat, and he also scored Saturday. For Duke, the third member of the nation's most dangerous attack is Zach Howell of Huntington, who had two goals and an assist in Saturday's thriller against Virginia and has 49 goals for the season. Middie Justin Turri of West Islip continued his solid playoffs with a hat trick Saturday.