March 11, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Freshman Cortney Fortunato of the No. 7/6 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team was named on Tuesday as the Brine Player of the Week by Inside Lacrosse. Earlier today she was named the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Week.
The honors come on the heels of a week that saw Notre Dame upset No. 4 Northwestern, 9-8, on the road and then beat Louisville, 12-9, at home to improve to 5-2 on the year. The Northwestern win was of particular note, snapping a 15-game home winning streak for a Wildcat team that, including the win by Notre Dame is 101-4 at home since 2004. Though the conference is perennially laden with elite teams, Notre Dame’s win was just the second time an ACC team has beaten the Wildcats on the road in 18 total games (16-2), joining a 2010 win by North Carolina. Although unranked, the tough Cardinals, meanwhile, continue to receive votes in the national polls.
Fortunato netted a hat trick in each of Notre Dame’s wins last week and, including today’s win at Richmond, has now scored at least three goals in six of her eight collegiate games. Fortunato entered today’s game tied for 12th nationally, and leading all freshmen, with 20 goals scored. Fortunato was the only Irish player to score more than one goal in the win over the Wildcats and she set the tone for the entire contest, aggressively announcing Notre Dame’s presence, by scoring just 11 seconds into the game after Barbara Sullivan controlled the opening draw. Fortunato also scored the critical game-tying goal with 2:21 left to play, knotting the score at 8-8.
Against the Cardinals, Fortunato scored twice in the second half comeback as a part of her three-goal day. Fortunato also controlled two draws against the Cardinals, both of which led to Irish goals, but one of them helped change the complexion of the entire game. With the Irish down 7-4 at halftime and being beaten 11-1 on draw controls, Fortunato controlled the opening draw of the second half, leading to a Brie Custis goal just 20 seconds into the second half to jump start a run where the Irish would score eight out of nine goals to take command of the game.
Winners of four in a row, Notre Dame (6-2) will look to continue this strong run at noon on Saturday when the Fighting Irish return to ACC play with a game against No. 2 Maryland in College Park.