Today we highlight one of the hardest working players on the field for our #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s lacrosse team: senior defensive midfielder Carter Parlette!

Carter is from Ponte Vedra, Florida, where he was a two-time captain of the Ponte Vedra High School lacrosse team, and where he played club ball with Sweetlax Florida. In Florida he was already a great student-athlete, being both a member of the National Honor Society and a US lacrosse All-American and Under Armour South Team All-American, attributes that made him a great fit for Notre Dame.

Lacrosse may not be the first thing that comes to mind when hearing Ponte Vedra, Florida, but did you know that Notre Dame has FOUR players from the Sunshine State? In addition to Carter, the Irish have Eric Dobson, Jordan Faison and Ryan Sforzo!

#21 Carter Parlette made his Notre Dame debut in the first game his freshman year against Robert Morris. He quickly became a regular on the field, playing in eight games as a freshman, 11 as a sophomore, then contributing in every game of the Notre Dame 2023 national championship campaign. Carter has played in every game this season and has accumulated impressive numbers from the short-stick defensive midfielder position, including 14 ground balls and 7 caused turnovers in 9 games. Number 21 has a highlight reel filled with impressive effort plays.

Pay careful attention to the background of the video during this amazing play.  The Notre Dame bench erupts, the amount of juice Carter gives the team with plays like this can’t be measured.

He is a student in the Mendoza College of Business majoring in Management Consulting.

We had the opportunity to talk to Carter and as him a few questions:

As a player from Florida, we’ll ask you to weigh in on an ongoing argument we have with players from around the country: what is the more extreme lacrosse playing environment, early season cold weather games up North, or summer youth tournaments on synthetic turf in the South?
Early season cold weather games up North are brutal, especially for someone who is used to the Florida heat. The summer tournaments on synthetic turf in the South can get hot, but I’ll take that over freezing temperatures any day of the week. Growing up in Florida, I never owned a winter jacket. I had to buy a few before coming to Notre Dame my freshman year.

What was it about Notre Dame that inspired you to choose it as your school, and what parts of it have exceeded your expectations during your time on campus?
Notre Dame checked every box I was looking to get out of my college experience: academics, culture, and an excellent coaching staff. Notre Dame is well respected for its academics, and the culture here is truly special. I’ve formed great bonds with my teammates that will last a lifetime. The coaching staff is full of great people who truly care for their players and what we are trying to accomplish as a team.

We remember you in high school as an offensive-minded dodging midfielder who could shoot with both hands. How did you come to transition to being a SSDM?
Offense was my strong suit in high school, but my game didn’t translate much to the college game. I appeared in a few games my freshman year as an offensive midfielder, but I didn’t make a real impact. When Coach Wellner came to me with the idea to switch over to defensive midfield, I jumped at the opportunity. Playing defensive has allowed me to contribute to this team in a different way.

On the football side of 18Stripes, our writing room is really focused on analytics. It’s a point of emphasis in their articles. Stats and analytics for college lacrosse have improved a lot recently and are better available. How have you been able to use these tools to improve your game?
Analytics are an important part of the game and will continue to be in the future. These stats are most helpful when scouting opponents. From the statistics, were able to find certain tendencies of opponents, where guys like to shoot, etc. Knowing these tendencies, we attempt to limit opponent’s strengths and take away what is comfortable to them.

We hear a lot of fantastic things about the gold scout team and how they effectively prepare the team for your opponents. What do they do best to prepare you specifically as an SSDM, and is there a player on that unit that you feel sharpens you the most as you get ready for games?
The gold scout team is the backbone of this team. Although their names are not in the paper, they play a huge role in the success of this team on game days. All of the gold team offensive midfielders do a great job replicating the tendencies of our opponents. It says a lot about a team when you have complete buy in from top to bottom.

We enjoyed watching you play in Philadelphia over Memorial Day, but other than that national championship experience, what is your favorite game you have ever played in?
Last year, Virginia was a great team that beat us twice in the regular season. Once we beat Hopkins in the quarterfinals, we knew we’d be facing Virginia in the final four. Being a creative, well coached team, we knew that was going to be a tough matchup. It felt as if everything came together during that game, and we were firing on all cylinders. Besides the national championship game, that Virginia game was my favorite game I’ve ever played in. Pulling out the win in that intense matchup was a great feeling.

You have succeeded at all levels, from being a high school player in Florida good enough to play division one at Notre Dame, to being a key contributor on a national championship team. What advice do you have for young players starting in lacrosse who hope to follow in your footsteps?
My biggest advice to younger lacrosse players is to love the game. Watch as much lacrosse as possible, hit the wall whenever you can, ask questions when you don’t know the right play, etc. This love for the game will drive you to be the best player you can be.

Lastly, when your time at Notre Dame finally comes to an end, what do you think you will miss the most about your experiences at the university?
When I leave Notre Dame, I will mostly miss the locker room. Not the physical locker room, but the guys that make up the locker room. Coach Corrigan does a great job not only recruiting great lacrosse players, but great people. I’m beyond thankful for my experiences at Notre Dame.

Thank you, Carter, for taking the time to answer our questions!

SENIOR DAY

Carter Parlette is one of 11 seniors and 14 graduate students that will be recognized in today’s game at the senior day celebration at Arlotta Stadium. The game against North Carolina (6-6, 0-2 ACC) will be at 11:30 a.m. on the ACC Network. Please make sure to tune in to watch this special day for our amazing seniors and graduate students!

#GoIrish

ND-ATL 2.0