Notre Dame Lacrosse Secures Outright ACC Title and Three Season Honours
Coach Kevin Corrigan and goalkeeper Thomas Ricciardelli lead a squad recognised as the nation's top-ranked programme in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference awards.
The 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Season Awards were announced on Tuesday, confirming the dominance of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The programme secured three individual season awards and four spots on the All-ACC Team, reflecting their status as the number one ranked squad in the nation according to both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse polls.
Head coach Kevin Corrigan was named ACC Coach of the Year, marking his second victory in the award after previously winning in 2024. Under his guidance, the Irish finished the regular season with a 10-1 record to claim the outright conference title, a feat achieved for the third consecutive year.
The accolades also recognised individual excellence across the conference. Thomas Ricciardelli of Notre Dame claimed Goalie of the Year, while Joey Spallina of Syracuse was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Spallina, who became Syracuse's all-time points leader on April 18 with 312 career points, leads the league in assists and points.
Defensive prowess was highlighted by a shared Defensive Player of the Year award between North Carolina's Brady Wambach and Notre Dame's Shawn Lyght. Lyght leads the ACC in groundballs and caused turnovers, while Wambach continues his status as a premier faceoff specialist. Additionally, Virginia rookie Brendan Millon was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year for leading all freshmen nationally in points and assists per game.
The All-ACC Team selection saw a near-equal split among the five conference programmes, with Duke, Notre Dame, and Virginia each featuring four honorees. Eleven honorees repeated from the 2025 season, including Will Donovan of Notre Dame and Owen Duffy of North Carolina. Notably, all five ACC programmes rank within the top 10 nationally in the NCAA's latest RPI.
The 2026 Allstate ACC Men's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled for May 1 and May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the Friday semifinal, the top-seeded Notre Dame will face the No. 4 seed Virginia, with the championship game set for Sunday at noon ET.
