Feb. 28, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Tuesday that senior midfielder Alex Dalton is the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. Dalton’s career week helped No. 7 Notre Dame knock off two undefeated opponents in Elon and No. 9 Duke.
Dalton collected a career-high eight ground balls in Notre Dame’s 16-7 victory at Elon at Rudd Field on Thursday, when the Irish snapped Elon’s four-game win streak. In the game, Dalton tallied a season-high two points on a goal and an assist, and she added three caused turnovers.
Dalton, one of the team’s four captains, made the start in Notre Dame’s top-10 matchup at No. 9 Duke on Sunday, when Notre Dame blemished its opponent’s 4-0 record for the second straight game. She collected six draw controls, two caused turnovers and one ground ball in Notre Dame’s 12-11 comeback win to open conference play.
Dalton, a preseason All-America honorable mention, has 12 ground balls, eight draw controls and seven caused turnovers in four games this season. The weekly honor marks the first of her career.
Notre Dame’s six-game win streak is the longest active streak of any team in the conference. The six consecutive wins are the most by an Irish team since they won 10 straight to open the 2013 season.
The Irish return to action against No. 20 Louisville at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Arlotta Stadium. Admission to all regular-season Notre Dame women’s lacrosse games is free for all fans.
For a closer, behind-the-scenes look at the Irish women’s lacrosse team, follow @NDWomensLax on Twitter.
–ND–
Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.