June 5, 2009

Notre Dame, Ind. - The Notre Dame women's lacrosse team added one more accolade to its highly successful 2009 season as the Irish finished the season ranked sixth in the nation in the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA)/Under Armour preseason poll announced this week.

Previously, Notre Dame's top final rankings came in 2002 and 2006 when the team finished both of those seasons ranked seventh in the nation.

This year's team set a school record with 16 wins versus five losses and captured its first-ever BIG EAST Championship in April. Notre Dame advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals where they lost to eventual NCAA finalist, North Carolina, 16-10 on May 16.

The Irish opened the 2009 season ranked 11th in the IWLCA preseason poll and spent most of the year in the middle of the poll ranked as high as sixth and as low as 12th. Since the 2001 season, the Irish have finished the year ranked in the final poll in all but one season.

The year-by-year rankings: 2009 - 6th; 2008 - 10th; 2007 - 13th; 2006 - 7th; 2005 - NR; 2004 - 9th; 2003 - 16th; 2002 - 7th and 2001 - 18th

Notre Dame finished the season as the highest ranked team from the BIG EAST with four conference teams - Syracuse (8th), Georgetown (9th) and Loyola (Md.) ranked 18th - in the top 20 while Louisville received votes in the final rankings.

               IWLCA/Under Armour Division I Final Weekly Poll

    Team (first place votes)  2009 record   Points   Previous Week
1.  Northwestern (20)            23-0         398         1
2.  Pennsylvania                 15-3         374         5
3.  Maryland                     21-1         353         2
    North Carolina               16-5         353         3
5.  Duke                         15-6         320         4
6.  Notre Dame                   16-5         287         6
7.  Princeton                    14-4         266         7
8.  Syracuse                     14-5         265         t8
9.  Georgetown                   13-6         241         t8
10. Virginia                     11-8         219         10
11. Vanderbilt                   10-7         200         12
12. Boston University            15-4         193         11
13. Stanford                     14-4         137         t13
14. Towson                       13-6         119         16
15. Penn State                    9-8         109         t13
16. Ohio State                   11-6          93         15
17. Dartmouth                     8-8          61         17
18. Loyola (Md.)                 11-6          52         t18
19. Fairfield                    17-3          38         RV
20. Cornell                       9-7          37         t18
Also receiving votes: Colgate, Louisville, New Hampshire, William & Mary