May 6, 2002
Providence, R.I. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team had five players selected to the all-BIG EAST women’s lacrosse team – three first team selections and two on the second team – as the Conference announced its regular season awards on Monday.
Junior midfielder Danielle Shearer (Hampstead, Md.) capped her outstanding 2002 season by being selected a unanimous selection as the Conference’s Midfielder of the Year. An all-BIG EAST first team selection, Shearer led the Irish in scoring this season with career highs in goals (36), assists (19) and points (55). She also finished seventh on the team with 34 ground balls and was second with 19 draw controls. Earlier this season she became just the third player in school history to go over 100 points in her career. She now has 92 goals and 39 assists for 131 points.
Joining Shearer on the first team were midfielder Natalie Loftus (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) and goalkeeper Jen White (Jr., Annapolis, Md.). Chosen to the second team were defensive standout Tina Fedarcyk (Millersville, Md.) and midfielder Alissa Moser (Sr., North Wales, Pa.).
Loftus finished second on the team in scoring with 24 goals and career-highs in assists (11) and points (35). The catalyst for the Irish offensive attack, Loftus also had 35 ground balls and 17 draw controls on the season. She became the fourth player in school history to go over 100 points in her career with 73 goals and 31 assists for 104 points.
White, along with Shearer and five others, was a unanimous First Team selection. The junior goalkeeper led the BIG EAST with a 7.30 goals against overall and a 7.33 mark in six league games. A three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, White’s 7.30 goals against average and .549 save percentage are the best in the program’s six-year history.
Fedarcyk, a first team all-BIG EAST selection as a junior, was a four-year starter for the Irish and one of three team captains in 2002. She helped lead the Irish to their stingiest goals against average (7.30) in the program’s history, while being second on the team with 40 groundballs and 17 draw controls.
Moser, also a team captain with Fedarcyk and Kathryn Lam (Sr., Plainsboro, N.J.), was a second team selection for the second consecutive season. The midfielder has also had a career-year, finishing third in scoring with 27 goals and six assists for 33 points, all career highs. Moser finished fourth on the squad with 37 ground balls and led the team with 31 draw controls. She is the school’s all-time leader with 123 in her career.
As a team, the Irish finished second in the BIG EAST with a 5-1 mark with the lone loss coming to league champion Georgetown as the Hoyas were 6-0 on the year.
Notre Dame was also one of three BIG EAST teams along with Georgetown and Syracuse to receive NCAA tournament bids. The eighth-ranked Irish will play host to 14th-ranked Ohio State on Thursday, May 9 in a first round NCAA game. Game time at Moose Krause Stadium is 4:00 p.m.
2002 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Awards
Attack Player of the Year ** Erin Elbe, Sr., Georgetown
Midfielder of the Year ** Danielle Shearer, Jr., Notre Dame
Defensive Player of the Year Kristin Checksfield, Jr., Rutgers
Coach of the Year Kim Simons, Georgetown
**denotes unanimous selection
All-BIG EAST First Team All-BIG EAST Second Team Melissa Biles, Jr., D, Georgetown Susan Duccilli, Sr., M, Rutgers* Kristin Checksfield, Jr., D, Rutgers Tina Fedarcyk, Sr., D, Notre Dame* Erin Elbe, Sr, A, Georgetown Kelly Feeley, Sr., M/D, Connecticut Natalie Loftus, Sr., M/A, Notre Dame Lauren Gulotta, Sr., GK, Rutgers Pam Lowie, Sr., A/M, Connecticut Karen Healy, Sr., A, Syracuse* Gloria Lozano, So., M, Georgetown Jamie McGraw, So, GK, Virginia Tech* Lauren Miller, Sr., A, Boston College Alissa Moser, Sr., M/A, Notre Dame Ellen Rust, Jr., D, Syracuse Tracy Mullaney, Fr., A, Connecticut* Danielle Shearer, Jr., M, Notre Dame Liz Ryan, Jr., M, Georgetown Samantha Sybert, Jr., A, Virginia Tech Wick Stanwick, Jr., A, Georgetown* Jessica Trombley, Jr., M, Syracuse Jacklyn Yovankin, Fr., M, Boston College* Jen White, Jr., GK, Notre Dame Leigh-Ann Zimmer, So., A, Syracuse
*denotes unanimous selection