March 1, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Notre Dame women's lacrosse team opens its 2000 season at Denver on Sun., March 5, at 1:00 p.m. The Irish return home for their home opener when they play host to Ohio University at 12:00 p.m., on Sat., March 11, at the Loftus Sports Center.

SEASON OPENER FOR THE IRISH:
Notre Dame opens its 2000 at Denver on Sun., March 5, at 1:00 p.m. The Pioneers enter the game with an 0-1 record after losing 19-10 to Boston College in their season opener and will play an Alumnae Game on Saturday before taking on the Irish. Notre Dame has won all three previous meetings with Denver, including a 21-6 victory at Moose Krause Stadium in 1999.

2000 PREVIEW:
As Tracy Coyne enters her fourth year as head coach of the Notre Dame women's lacrosse program, she sees the Irish ready to make a national impact in only its fourth season as a varsity program. For the first time in history, Notre Dame will have three talented goalkeepers on its roster, each bringing different styles and strengths to the cage. Junior Tara Durkin (Jenkintown, Pa.) comes to the program after transferring from the University of Massachusetts, junior Carrie Marshall returns from last year, and freshman Jen White (Annapolis, Md.) enters Notre Dame after a strong high school career.

The Irish defense looks to be an improved unit with the return of three starters and a key reserve and the addition of four freshmen. Coyne looks for sophomore Kathryn Lam (Plainsboro, N.J.) to be the leader of the defense after being voted a team captain. Sophomore Tine Fedarcyk (Millersville, Md.) was voted the team's MVP in 1999 after a freshman season in which she made an immediate impact for the Irish. Junior Sarah LeSueur (Garden City, N.Y.) has been a regular in the lineup the last two years, while sophomore Rachel Turk (Ambler, Pa.) looks for an expanded role this season. The Irish also will look to four freshmen in the defensive end in Jen Berarducci (Sykesville, Md.), Elizabeth Knight (Baltimore, Md.), Meredith Potempa (Hunt Valley, Md.) and Eleanor Weille (Garden City, N.Y.).

The midfield excites Coyne with the addition of a number of talented freshmen to an already speedy and athletic group that consist of junior Maura Doyle (Cockeysville, Md.) and sophomores Maureen Henwood (Marlton, N.J.), Alissa Moser (North Wales, Pa.), Natalie Loftus (Baltimore, Md.) and Kate Scarola (Windsor, Conn.). Henwood and Moser were a major part of Notre Dame's improvement as both started every game, and Loftus gained valuable experience last year. Coyne expects freshman and United States under-19 national team member Kelly McCardell (West Chester, Pa.) to give the midfield an immediate boost. Freshmen Anne Riley (Marblehead, Mass.) and Danielle Shearer (Hampstead, N.Y.) should challenge for starting roles.

Perhaps the biggest strength for the Irish last season came from the attack, which accounted for over 80 percent of the 177 goals scored by Notre Dame, which finished the year as the fourth-highest scoring team in NCAA Division I. Junior captains Lael O'Shaughnessy (Alexandria, Va.) and Kathryn Perrella (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) once again will spearhead the attack this year. O'Shaughnessy has proven herself to be among the best attack players in the country and a candidate to become Notre Dame's first women's lacrosse All-American after scoring 50 goals last season, including 15 goals in four games against ranked teams. Coyne will be counting on Perrella to elevate the level of her play even higher. Sophomore Maureen Whitaker (Doylestown, Pa.) could be one of the team's most improved players. Freshmen Angela Dixon (Pennsauken, N.J.) and Julie Ravis (Pottsdown, Pa.) also should bolster the attack.

BIG EAST WOMEN'S LACROSSE:
The 2001 women's lacrosse season will mark a new era in the brief history of Notre Dame women's lacrosse when the sport becomes the 20th sponsored by the BIG EAST Conference. Boston College, Connecticut, Georgetown, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech will join Notre Dame in the formation of BIG EAST women's lacrosse. Five of the six teams will be on Notre Dame's schedule in 2000. The teams will play a round-robin schedule against each of the other six teams. The BIG EAST also has applied for an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship for the conference winner.

"We now will have opportunity to compete in a quality all-sports conference and develop conference rivalries," says Tracy Coyne, a large part in the driving force among the coaching community for the inclusion of women's lacrosse under the BIG EAST Conference umbrella. "I expect the BIG EAST to become a very influential conference on the national level, particularly with the success a number of the teams have had already and the support that the newer programs receive. We can be as powerful as any other lacrosse conference."

2000 SCHEDULE:
Games against three of the 12 1999 NCAA tournament teams and five home games highlight the 15-game, Notre Dame women's lacrosse schedule for the 2000 schedule. The Irish also will face six team ranked in the preseason top 25, including second-ranked Duke and sixth-ranked Georgetown.

2000 TEAM INFORMATION

Head Coach
Tracy Coyne (Ohio University, 1983)

Assistant Coaches
Liz Downing (Maryland, 1996)
Christy Yarnell (Richmond, 1999)

Monogram Winners Returning/Lost
13/3

2000 Captains
Kathryn Lam
Lael O'Shaughnessy
Kathryn Perrella

1999 Record
9-6