NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Eager to defend their 2008 American Mideast Conference title, Notre Dame commenced 2009 league play with a 5-0 victory over the Walsh Cavaliers at Milazzo Soccer Field on Tuesday night.  (Box)

In a match that was all but decided after 20 minutes, striker #Luke Holmes# and midfielder #Simon Rumbold# each scored a pair of goals. Forward #George Kephart# added the Falcons' fifth goal of the night. The victory marked Notre Dame's highest win since the 11-1 defeat of the Taylor Trojans on Aug. 28.

With the victory, the No. 3-ranked and reigning AMC champions (6-1) stressed that they will be among the top contenders in their conference. The Cavaliers (3-4) meanwhile have lost their first three AMC matches this season without scoring a single goal.

“This was our first conference game, and technically the start of another season,” Notre Dame Assistant Coach #Carl Nolan# said. “We asked for a big start and three points. The lads delivered and now have to keep on delivering.”

The way Nolan's and Head Coach #Michael “Mac” McBride#'s team delivered against Walsh illustrated a trend that has become a recipe for Notre Dame's success this season. The goal-hungry Falcons have now scored 13 of their combined 32 goals within in the first 25 minutes of play.

On Tuesday, the Blue & White established a comfortable 3-0 lead within just 20 minutes.

Holmes kicked off the scoring, as he beat the Cavaliers' goalie to a through ball by midfielder #Brendan Murphy# to sneak the leather past the netkeeper in the 13th minute.

Five minutes later, after he had already hit the crossbar with a header in the 4th, Rumbold nodded in a cross by midfielder #Tom Mellor#.

Yet another two minutes later, Holmes beautifully curved a 27-yard free kick over the Walsh wall into the top corner of the net. It was his 11th goal of the season and his 28th in 27 games for NDC overall.

Mellor with a 20-yard shot after a fine dribbling in the 25th minute and striker #Steven Kane# with a shot that went just wide in the 44th had opportunities to increase the lead before the break.

The Cavaliers on the other hand only once tested Notre Dame goalie #Craig Pickering# with a header in the 23rd minute.

But with the beginning of the second half Walsh displayed more impetus and subsequently created more chances. First Pickering saved a shot from short distance in the 47th minute; in the 61st he was lucky that a Cavalier header off a free kick went just wide.

As the game went on, however, the Blue & White regained control. They circulated the ball well and created several good opportunities.

Rumbold capitalized on one of these chances with yet another header off a cross by Mellor in the 68th minute. It was his fourth goal of the season.

With two minutes left, Kephart converted a cross by Kane for the fifth and final goal of the night.

Notre Dame outshot the Cavaliers, 11-7. Pickering logged 72 minutes in goal and made four saves until he was substituted for #Alex Klein#, who made his second appearance for the Falcons this season.

Next, the Blue & White come back to Lyndhurst's Korb Field for their first home game since their season opener against Davenport (Mich.) on Aug. 25. Notre Dame will host Shawnee State for the second of four straight AMC matches on Saturday, Sep. 26.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

CONFERENCE COUP: The Blue & White have won the last 17 AMC games, as they swept their opponents during both the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. Notre Dame's last defeat in conference play dates back almost three years, when the Falcons lost to Houghton, 1-0, on Oct. 28, 2006. Notre Dame's overall AMC record is 51-13-2.

CAVS A CATCH: With Tuesday's win, Notre Dame remains undefeated against Coach McBride's alma mater. The Falcons post a 4-0-1 record against Walsh, having outscored the Cavs, 10-2. All four victories came in AMC play. The only tie occurred in 2003 when the single non-conference match between both teams ended scoreless after double-overtime (Sept. 10, 2003).

SIMPLE MATH: Holmes plus goal equals victory: That's the simple math behind Notre Dame's success. During last year's campaign and this season so far, the Falcons have not lost a match in which striker Luke Holmes has scored. The Blue & White's only defeat this year came against Azusa Pacific (1-2) on Sept. 11, when midfielder #Ashley Young# scored the Falcons' lone goal. During Notre Dame's only two losses against St. Ambrose (0-1) and Ashland (1-2) last year, Holmes also didn't score.