Notre Dame Fighting Irish star wins sport's biggest individual award

As the waiting was almost over on Thursday evening, those who follow the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lacrosse team thought someone from the two-time National Champs would get themselves the Tewaaraton Award. The real question was which player was going to get the sport’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

When it did happen, when Pat Kavanagh’s name was called, it was the first time in the history of Notre Dame lacrosse. When the vote was announced and Kavanagh was announced as the winner it meant the best offensive player in the sport beat out what many consider the best defensive player in the sport. Who just happened to be Kavanagh’s teammate.

Kavanagh was one of five finalists for the honor, alongside Irish goalie Liam Entenmann. Yale senior attackman Matt Brandau, Duke senior attackman Brennan O’Neal and Virginia attackman Connor Shellenberger were also up for the award.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish star finally gets the call he’s been waiting for his whole career

This was Kavanagh’s third time as a Tewaaraton finalist. It was in fact the second time in a row he made the final five. He was also a finalist in 2021. Kavanagh is no longer the Susan Lucci of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He’s a winner. And he deserved it. That much is not debatable.

Throughout the season, Kavanagh was the undisputed leader for a dominant Notre Dame team that had exactly one bump in the road on its way to a second-straight national championship. 

The senior finished with 80 points — second on the team to his brother, Chris Kavanagh, with 81 — and he finished off his season in serious style. One could say he saved his best for last as he put up an NCAA Tournament program-record 6 assists in a 15-5 title game win over Maryland.

The national championship and the Tewaaraton Award. A heck of a way to finish a Notre Dame Fighting Irish career.