SOUTH BEND — On one side of Liam Entenmann’s mask reads “JR BL WC.” The other has “MR MF.”
Every day, Entenmann looks at those initials and remembers who those people were and what they meant to him. It serves as a reminder that even in tough times, his life is still pretty good.
The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse goalie has used those people to fuel his success, which includes being named a Tewaaraton Award finalist, given to the best lacrosse player in the country. He’ll have another chance to pad his résumé for the award Saturday when the No. 1 Irish face No. 8 Georgetown in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game at Hofstra University in New York.
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“This was last year,” Entenmann said of when he started putting the initials on his helmet. “There was no real rhyme or reason to it. I basically just said to myself, ‘What do I want to think about before I put my helmet on?’ I’ve got my heroes (on the left) and the people that I miss and want to play for on the other side.”
The heroes are three people. “JR” is Jimmy Regan, who played lacrosse at the same high school Entenmann did, Chaminade in Mineola, New York. He played collegiately at Duke before becoming an army ranger following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Regan tragically was killed in action in Iraq in 2007.
“I’ll look past that (he went to Duke) because I don’t love Duke, but he was a great guy,” Entenmann said.
“BL” is Brendan Looney, who played lacrosse at the Naval Academy. He also died in combat, during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010.
“He was considered to be the ultimate teammate; went onto be a Navy seal,” Entenmann said.
The final hero, “WC,” is Welles Crowther. His story has been well-documented, as he saved up to 18 people in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 before dying when the building collapsed. His story has been told through the Red Bandana Project, which he wore around his nose and mouth to protect from the smoke while trying to save people.
“He was a hero on 9/11,” Entenmann said.
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The people he misses are on the right side of the mask. “MF” is Mike Farrell, a former teammate of his who died in a car crash three years ago at 20 years old.
“I wasn’t crazy tight with him, but he was one of those guys who was just a really solid guy,” Entenmann said.
And finally, there’s “MR” for Marc Reeves, who coached Entenmann on a club lacrosse team. Reeves died in 2022.
That’s a lot of heaviness on one mask, but it helps keep perspective for one of the best lacrosse players in the country.
“When I look at these people, the ideas I have of these people in my head really reminds me how fortunate I have it, how lucky I am to be where I’m at and surrounded by who I’m with,” Entenmann said. “It’s very humbling. There are a lot of people that have it a lot worse than I do. My worst day at Notre Dame is still, in the grand scheme, pretty good. I’m very aware of that and very thankful for it.”
His teammates are thankful to have him, too. With Notre Dame struggling against UAlbany in its first-round game this past Sunday, Entenmann made some timely saves to keep the Irish’s deficit from growing. This gave time for Notre Dame’s offense to find its rhythm in the second half on its way to a 14-9 win.
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“I wouldn’t want to play for another goalie,” starting defender Shawn Lyght said. “Being a freshman, he gives me a great safety blanket. You make a mistake, and he’s there to back you up. He’s always supportive. Having the best goalie in the country — he gives me all the confidence to play. He has full faith in me, so playing with him has been amazing and a great experience.”
Entenmann is already considered one of the best players in Notre Dame program history. After anchoring a national championship team last year, he can further cement his legacy with a second title in the coming weeks.
“He’s outstanding,” Notre Dame graduate senior Jake Taylor said. “He’s easily one of the best, if not the best, player in the country. He stands on his head every day for us, and we’re super fortunate to have him in our goal. I can’t express in words how unreal it is to watch him play.”
