April 15, 2004
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* Meredith Simon and Carol Dixon are BIG EAST offensive and defensive players of the week for the week ending April 11.
IRISH AND HOYAS TO BATTLE: The Notre Dame women's lacrosse team will
travel to Washington, D.C., this weekend to face the Georgetown Hoyas
on Saturday, April 17th. The game will be played at Georgetown's
Kehoe Field with a 1:00 p.m. (EDT) start. The Irish will go into the
BIG EAST encounter with a 10-0 overall record and a 3-0 mark in
league play. Notre Dame is in the midst of a 14-game winning streak
and moved up to second in the country in this week's IWLCA polls.
The Irish are coming off a 14-6 road win at Ohio State last Saturday,
April 10. Georgetown comes into the game ranked fifth in the country
and is 8-2 overall with a 4-0 mark in the BIG EAST. The Hoyas
defeated Boston College, 20-3, in their last game on April 10.
Georgetown has a half-game lead on the Irish in the league standings
heading into Saturday's game. Following the Georgetown game, Notre
Dame will travel to Evanston, Ill., to face Northwestern on Tuesday,
April 20 in a 4:00 p.m. game.
IRISH VERSUS GEORGETOWN: Notre Dame and Georgetown meet for the fifth
time in the all-time series with the Hoyas owning a 4-0 edge. The
Hoyas have won twice in Washington and twice at Notre Dame. Last
season, the two teams had to go to overtime in South Bend with
Georgetown pulling out a 16-15 win in the extra stanza. The Hoyas
scored three goals in the final 2:22 of the game to wipe out a 13-10
Irish lead. In overtime, Georgetown scored three quick goals only to
see the Irish score twice for the 16-15 final score. The Hoyas have
won the BIG EAST title and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament
in each of the first three seasons that the conference has been in
existence. The Irish have finished third (2001, 2003) twice and
second (2002) once in that span.
HEAD COACH Tracy Coyne: Notre Dame head coach Tracy Coyne is in her
eighth season with the Irish and is the only coach the program has
ever known. Coyne owns a 67-43 (.609) record at Notre Dame and is
181-69 (.725) in her 17-year coaching career. She is 0-4 versus
Georgetown. In 2003, she led the Irish to an 8-7 record and a 4-2
mark in the BIG EAST, good for third in the league standings. In
2002, Coyne led the Irish to their first-ever NCAA tournament bid as
Notre Dame advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual
champion, Princeton, 11-5. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native led Denison
(1988) and Roanoke (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996) to the NCAA
Division III tournament during stops at those schools. A 1983
graduate of Ohio University, Coyne has coached on the international
level as the head coach for the Canadian women's lacrosse national
team. She led the team to the medal round at the 2001 World Cup and
will serve as head coach of Team Canada again for the 2005 World Cup.
PULLING RANK: Notre Dame moved into second in both the IWLCA coaches
poll and Inside Lacrosse magazine on April 12. That marks the
highest any Notre Dame women's lacrosse team has ever been ranked.
The Irish started the season with a preseason ranking of 17th and
moved to 12th on March 1 after wins at California and Stanford. They
remained 12th until March 16th when Notre Dame moved to third after
wins versus #2 Duke and #6 James Madison. The Irish remained third
until this week when they moved to second behind Princeton after wins
versus Ohio University and Ohio State.
SWEEPING OHIO: The Irish won both games on the week with wins over
Ohio University (13-8) and Ohio State (14-6). Versus Ohio State on
April 10, senior midfielder Meredith Simon (Flemington, N.J.) paced
the Notre Dame offensive attack with six points on three goals and
three assists and junior goalkeeper Carol Dixon (Pennsauken, N.J.)
led the defense with a career-high 14 saves at Columbus, Ohio. The
Irish ran out to a 10-0 first-half lead to put the game away early
before Ohio State scored late in the opening half for a 10-1 halftime
score. Simon got plenty of help on the offensive attack as Lauren
Fischer (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Crysti Foote (So., Suffern, N.Y.)
had four-point games with three goals and an assist each. Kassen
Delano (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) and Abby Owen (Sr., Briarcliff Manor,
N.Y.) added two goals each in the game and Jackie Bowers (Jr.,
Springfield, Pa.) added a solo goal on the afternoon. On April 6
versus Ohio University, Simon again paced the attack with three goals
on the afternoon. Meghan Murphy (Fr., Centennial, Colo.), Lauren
Fischer and Abby Owen scored two goals each as Notre Dame rolled to a
13-8 win over the Bobcats. For the game, Fischer and Owen each had
two goals and an assist for three-point games and Crysti Foote had a
goal and an assist to join Murphy with two points on the afternoon.
Kassen Delano (Alexandria, Va.), Jackie Bowers and Kerry Van Shura
(So., Bel Air, Md.) had single goals for the Irish. Notre Dame led
7-4 at halftime and outscored the Bobcats, 6-4, in the second half
for the win. Carol Dixon had 10 stops in goal for the Irish.
VERSUS THE BEST: Georgetown is the fifth nationally ranked team the
Irish have faced this season. Through 10 games, Notre Dame is 4-0
against top 20 teams. All-time, Notre Dame is now 13-27 versus teams
that were ranked in the top 20. Among Notre Dame's wins this season
versus ranked teams are victories over #2 Duke and #6 James Madison.
Those two wins came against the highest-ranked teams the Irish have
ever beaten. The previous highest-ranked team Notre Dame beat was
Yale (7th-ranked) in 2001 and in 2002, they downed 7th-ranked
Syracuse. In 2003, the Irish were 3-7 versus teams ranked in the top
20.
ON A TEAR: Senior midfielder Meredith Simon continued her red-hot
play this season versus Ohio State as she recorded her fourth game
with six or more points in the 14-6 win. Simon had three goals and
three assists to go with a three-goal game versus Ohio University on
April 6. She now has career highs in goals (33), assists (14) and
points (47) in just 10 games this year. As of April 12, Simon is
eighth in the country with 4.70 points per game and is tied for 10th
with 3.30 goals per game. At Notre Dame she has 96 goals (third
all-time), 35 assists (fourth all-time) for 131 career points
(fourth-best all-time). Only two other players - Danielle Shearer
(130) and Lael O'Shaughnessy (122) have reached the 100-goal plateau
in their Notre Dame careers. Simon needs just four goals to become
the third.
ON THE RIGHT FOOTE: After being held off the scoresheet for two
consecutive games earlier this season, sophomore midfielder Crysti
Foote has found her scoring touch over the last five games. During
the five-game run, Foote has 11 goals and five assists for 16
points. On the season, Foote is fourth in scoring with 15 goals and
eight assists for 23 points on the year. As a freshman in 2003, she
finished third on the team in scoring with 27 goals and 11 assists
for 38 points. Foote played in all 15 games, starting the final six
of the season. In those six games, she racked up 18 goals and eight
assists for 26 points. She ended the year with an eight-game scoring
streak with 22 goals and nine assists for 31 points. During her
streak, Foote had six-point games versus Georgetown (4g, 2a) and
Davidson (3g, 3a). She also had a four-goal game versus Vanderbilt
to close the year. Following the season, Foote became the first
Notre Dame women's lacrosse freshman to be named to the Brine/IWLCA
all-Mid-Atlantic region team.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON: Notre Dame can look back on the end of the
2003 season as a jump start for the 2004 campaign. The Irish ended
the season with four straight wins to improve from 4-7 on the year to
8-7 overall. With 10 wins to start the 2004 season, the Irish have
now won 14 straight going into the game at Georgetown. The previous
longest winning streak for the Irish was six games from 3/13/01 to
3/31/01.
IRISH ON THE NATIONAL SCENE: Notre Dame figures prominently in the
national statistics this week (through games of April 12):
Individuals:
Points per game: Meredith Simon, 8th, 4.70 ppg
Goals per game: Meredith Simon, t10th, 3.30 gpg
GAVG: Carol Dixon, 9th, 7.92 GAVG
Save Pct: Carol Dixon, 17th, .532 save pct.
Team:
Goals per game: 2nd, 14.40 gpg
Team Defense: 9th, 7.90 opponent gpg
Margin of Victory: 4th, +6.50 gpg
Ground Balls: t9th, 27.00
Draw Controls: 8th, 12.80
Caused Turnovers: 6th, 11.90
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: For the second time this season, Notre Dame
women's lacrosse players were named the BIG EAST offensive and
defensive players of the week, this time for the week ending April
11. The previous time occured on March 29 when Meredith Simon and
defender Andrea Kinnik (Sr., West Chester, Pa.) took league honors on
the same week. This week, Simon was named the league's offensive
player of the week as she recorded six goals and three assists for
nine points. Those totals give her a career-high 33 goals and 14
assists for 47 points on the year in just 10 games. Junior
goalkeeper Carol Dixon backstopped the Irish to a pair of wins on the
week to take co-defensive player of the week honors. Dixon made 24
saves in two wins to run her record to 10-0 in her first season as
the Irish starting goalkeeper. In the April 6 win over Ohio
University, Dixon made 10 saves while giving up four goals in each
half to the Bobcats. At Ohio State, Dixon turned in a career-high
14-save performance as the Irish downed the Buckeyes, 14-6. For the
season, Dixon is 10-0 with a 7.82 goals-against average and a .554
save percentage. Both totals are in the top three in the BIG EAST
and among the top 15 in the nation.
Simon was named BIG EAST offensive player of the week for March 8 and
March 29th. Dixon's previous honor was on March 1 after opening the
season with two wins in California.
SCORING STREAKS: Meredith Simon continued her scoring streak versus
Ohio State that has now reached 21 games. Abby Owen has an 11 game
streak that started last season and Lauren Fischer has scored in
every game this season. Here are the current Irish scoring streaks
going into the Ohio State game.
Meredith Simon - 21 games (55g, 21a, 76 pts)
Abby Owen - 11 games (26g, 9a, 35 pts)
Lauren Fischer - 10 games (20g, 8a, 28 pts)
Kassen Delano - 9 games (13g, 4a, 17 pts)
Jackie Bowers - 6 games (9g, 3a, 12 pts)
Crysti Foote - 5 games (11g, 5a, 16 pts)
CAREER YEAR: You thought that midfielder Abby Owen had a breakout
season in 2003 when she had 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points???
Well, in 2004, through the first 10 games of the year, Owen has
already scored 25 goals with seven assists for 32 points (a new
career high). She has four games this season with four points and
four games with three points on the year. She had a career-high
four-goal game versus Stanford on Feb. 29. She was named Inside
Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 29 and
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending March 14.
DELANO DELIGHTS: Senior midfielder Kassen Delano turned in a
season-best four-point game (three goals and one assist) in the win
over Connecticut. The three-goal game was the third of her career
and the four-point game was the second. Delano's other four-point
game came versus Connecticut on April 8, 2001. On the season, Delano
has 11 goals and four assists for 15 points. Her career highs are 15
goals and five assists for 20 points, marks set as a freshman in 2001.
HIGH-SCORING IRISH: Notre Dame is second in the nation in scoring
with 14.40 goals per game through the first 10 games of the season.
The Irish trail Maryland as the Terrapins are averaging 14.77 goals
per game in 13 contests this season. Notre Dame's mark of 14.40 is
the all-time best scoring mark for the Irish. The previous best is
13.56 goals per game and that came during the 1997 season, the first
year that the program existed.
IRISH HONORS: The following Notre Dame players have been honored during 2004.
Carol Dixon - BIG EAST co-defensive player of the week (April 12).
BIG EAST co-defensive player of the week (Feb. 29)
Andrea Kinnik - BIG EAST co-defensive player of the week (March 29)
Abby Owen - BIG EAST offensive player of the week (March 14)
Inside Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Week (Feb. 29)
Meredith Simon - BIG EAST offensive player of the week (April 12)
BIG EAST offensive player of the week (March 29)
BIG EAST co-offensive player of the week (March 8)
FIVE FOR BOWERS: Just when you thought that the Irish didn't have
enough goal scorers in the lineup, Jackie Bowers joined the attack
versus Virginia Tech (March 26). All the junior attack player did
was rack up a career-best five goals in the win. For the weekend
versus Virginia Tech and Boston College, Bowers had six goals and one
assist for seven points. On the year, Bowers has 10 goals and five
assists for 15 points. All are career highs. Bowers had three goals
and one assist for four points in limited action last season.
SCORIN' LAUREN: Senior attacker Lauren Fischer continued her strong
senior season with three goals and an assist in the win at Ohio State
(April 10). Through 10 games, Fischer has career highs in goals
(20), assists (8) and points (24). Fischer's three-assist game on
March 28 versus Boston College is a career high. Her four-point
versus Ohio State was her second of the season (March 7 vs. Cornell)
and the third of her career and is a career high. The three-goal
game versus Ohio State was the third of the season and fifth of her
career. Fischer's previous career highs in goals (18), assists (6)
and points (24) were established last season.
KINNIK FOR THE DEFENSE: Senior Andrea Kinnik had a breakout season
in 2003 for the Irish. She led the team with 44 ground balls and 22
caused turnovers while tying for fifth with 20 draw controls. Her
defensive skills were recognized in the postseason when she was named
first-team Brine/IWLCA all-Mid-Atlantic Region and third-team
All-America by womenslacrosse.com. She already has scored four goals
this season and leads the team with 35 ground balls and 19 caused
turnovers.
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN: When the Irish opened the 2004 season at
Cal-Berkeley, Carol Dixon became the first goalkeeper to start a game
for the Irish besides Jen White ('03) since the final game of the
2000 season. White started 48 consecutive games for Notre Dame,
between 2001-2003. Dixon served as White's backup the previous two
seasons and saw action in five games last year, playing 121 minutes
with a 8.93 goals-against average and a .571 save percentage. She
was 0-0 on the year. This season, Dixon has acquitted herself quite
well as she has a 10-game winning streak to start the season with a
7.92 goals-against average and a .554 save percentage. She ranks
second in the BIG EAST in goals-against average and is fourth in save
percentage. Nationally, her goals against ranks ninth and her save
percentage is 17th. Twice this season, Dixon has been named the BIG
EAST co-defensive player of the week (Feb. 29 and April 12).
SLAMMING THE DOOR: Through 10 games this season, Notre Dame's
defense has given up just 79 goals for an 7.90 goals-against
average. The best goals against in the program's previous seven
seasons was 7.49 and that came during the 2002 campaign. Only Duke
and Virginia Tech, with 11 goals, has scored in double figures versus
the Irish this season.
GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE: Notre Dame's defense has even joined in on
the goal scoring this season. The Irish defense had a goal and an
assist in the 13-8 win over Ohio University on April 6. Andrea
Kinnik set up one goal and sophomore Kerry Van Shura (Bel Air, Md.)
scored her first collegiate goal in the contest. In nine games this
season, Irish defenders have 12 goals and three assists on the year.
Kristen Gaudreau (Sr., Annapolis, Md.) leads the defense with six
goals and an assist for seven points. Andrea Kinnik has four goals
and two assists while Van Shura and Jess Mikula (Jr., Chester, Md.)
have one goal each.
THE CAPTAINS: Serving as captains for the Notre Dame women's
lacrosse team in 2004 will be seniors Andrea Kinnik and Meredith
Simon. For both players are first-year captains for the Irish.
NEW KIDS: Freshman midfielder Meghan Murphy (Fr., Centennial, Colo.)
has stepped right into the Notre Dame lineup and has played like a
veteran through the first 10 games of the season. Murphy had a
career-high three goals and four points in the win over Cornell (Mar.
7), just her third game in an Irish uniform. For the season she has
nine goals and one assist for 10 points and is seventh on the team in
scoring. Fellow freshman defender Meaghan Fitzpatrick (Farmingdale,
N.Y.) made her first career start versus Connecticut and has seen
action in all eight games on defense. Sophomore Brittany Fox (So.,
Annapolis, Md.) scored her first career goal in the win over Cornell
in her second career game. Junior midfielder Maura Costello
(Manhasset, N.Y.) and sophomore defender Katie Killeen (Manhasset,
N.Y.) both saw their first action for the Irish women's lacrosse team
versus Cornell. Kristin Hopson (Fr., Rosemont, Pa.) saw her first
action versus Virginia Tech while Megan O'Shaughnessy (Fr.,
Englewood, Colo.) and Kaki Orr (Fr., Darien, Conn.) saw their first
career action versus Boston College.
THE LONGEST GAME: Notre Dame's overtime win versus California was the
seventh overtime game in the program's history. The Irish are now
3-4 in games that go beyond regulation. On April 13, 2003, Notre
Dame played the longest game in its history, a double-overtime loss
to Stanford (14-13) as the two team's battled for 72 minutes (60
regulation minutes and four three-minute overtime stanzas). The
previous long game came in 2003 versus Duke as the Irish played 71:45
before losing a 10-9 decision. That game ended in sudden-death as
the winning goal was scored with just 15 seconds left in the fourth
three-minute overtime.
CLOSE ONES: Notre Dame's 12-11 overtime win on Feb. 27 was the 15th
one-goal game in the program's history. The Irish are now 7-8 in
those games. During the 2003 season, Notre Dame was 1-3 in one-goal
games with two of the losses coming in back-to-back overtime contests.
GREAT GOALS: Notre Dame ended the 2003 season by setting a school
record for goals in an away game when the Irish scored 22 at #15
Vanderbilt (22-11) in the season finale. The 22-goal outburst broke
the previous road mark of 20 set at Gannon (20-10) and equaled the
school record of 22 set in a 2000 home win over Ohio University
(22-3). The 22 goals were the most scored versus a ranked team,
surpassing the mark of 15 set earlier in the season versus
Connecticut and Georgetown (ot).
FUTURE IRISH: In November's early-signing period, head coach Tracy
Coyne announced that five high school lacrosse standouts signed
letters of intent to attend Notre Dame for the 2004-05 school year.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: The Irish were picked in BIG EAST
coaches voting to finish third in the BIG EAST this coming season
behind Georgetown and Syracuse. The coaches also named Meredith
Simon and Andrea Kinnik to their preseason all-BIG EAST team. Inside
Lacrosse Magazine ranks the Irish 16th in the nation in their
preseason poll.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Two members of the Notre Dame lacrosse team have
family ties to the program and two others have ties to the men's
lacrosse program. Junior goalkeeper Carol Dixon (Pennsauken, N.J.)
got to play two seasons with her sister, Angela, who graduated in May
of 2003. The duo gave Notre Dame its second set of sisters to play
on the women's lacrosse team, joining Amy and Mara Grace who played
in the first year of the program. Freshman midfield/attack player,
Megan O'Shaughnessy (Englewood, Colo.) is the cousin of Irish scoring
great Lael O'Shaughnessy, a 2001 graduate. Senior Meredith Simon
follows in her brother Eric's footsteps. A 2003 graduate, Eric
served as one of the captains of the 2003 men's lacrosse team while
Meredith is a co-captain of the women's team in 2003. Senior
defender Bridget Higgins (Wilton, Conn.) older brother, Kevin, played
lacrosse at Notre Dame and served as team captain for the 2000
season. Sophomore defender Lena Zentgraf (Charlottesville, Va.) is
the niece of men's lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan and the
granddaughter of former Notre Dame athletic director Gene Corrigan.
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