Crysti Foote was named the IWLCA attack player of the year for 2006 after leading the nation with 74 goals and 114 points.

Irish Have Six Named To IWLCA Division One Women's Lacrosse All-Regional Team

May 25, 2006

Boston Photo Gallery

Notre Dame, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team has had six players selected to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association’s (IWLCA) all-West/Midwest Region Team for the 2006 campaign. Players selected to the all-Regional Team are now eligible for selection to the IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American teams that will be announced on Tuesday, May 30. The Irish, currently preparing for Friday’s NCAA semifinal game versus Dartmouth in Boston, Mass., had three players selected all-regional first team and three to the second team.

Taking first team honors are senior attack/midfield standout Crysti Foote (Suffern, N.Y.), freshman Jillian Byers (Northport, N.Y.) and sophomore Caitlin McKinney (Lafayette Hill, Pa.). Joining Notre Dame’s top three scorers as second team selections are midfielder Mary Carpenter (So., Rochester, N.Y.), goalkeeper Carol Dixon (Gr., Pennsauken, N.J.) and defender Meaghan Fitzpatrick (Jr., Farmingdale, N.Y.).

For Foote, this is her fourth time named to the all-regional team and third time as a first team selection (’03, ’05, ’06). McKinney and Fitzpatrick were second team selections in 2005 while Byers, Carpenter and Dixon are first-time choices. Foote becomes the first four-time all-regional selection for the Irish and is joined by Byers as the only Notre Dame freshmen ever selected first team in their rookie seasons.

A first team unanimous all-BIG EAST selection and a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist, Foote has turned in a record-shattering season for the Irish in 2006. Her 71 goals and 109 points lead the nation in each category and are Notre Dame single-season records along with her 38 assists. She also owns all of the Irish career records for goals (158), assists (74), points (232) and games played (65). Her 6.06 points-per-game are second in the nation as are her 3.94 goals-per-game.

Byers has put together the best season ever for a Notre Dame freshman in her rookie campaign. A unanimous first team all-BIG EAST selection, Byers is second on the team in scoring with 54 goals and 24 assists for 78 points. Her 54 goals and 78 points are both the second-best single-season point totals in the program’s history, trailing only Foote’s record-setting numbers. She also has four game-winning goals this season, including a sudden-death overtime winner versus Stanford and a game winner against Vanderbilt with just 18 seconds left.

McKinney is the third member of Notre Dame’s terrific scoring trio who was also a unanimous first team all-BIG EAST selection. Her 39 goals and 21 assists for 60 points are also career highs. She has four or more points in nine games this season. McKinney’s three-goal, one-assist effort in the quarterfinal win over Georgetown made her just the eighth player in Notre Dame history to reach 100 points in her career and she did it the quickest, reaching the century mark in just 33 games.

Carpenter makes her first appearance on the all-regional team and was a first time second-team all-BIG EAST selection as a sophomore. In 18 games this season, Carpenter has turned in career highs in goals (12), assists (10) and points (22). The hard-working midfielder does all the little things well as she leads the Irish with 51 ground balls, is third in draw controls (30) and second in caused turnovers with 23.

Dixon, who returned for her fifth season of eligibility in 2006, has been the backbone of the Irish defense all season. She is now 15-3 on the year with a 9.75 goals-against average and a .503 save percentage. On April 9, at Duke, Dixon set an Irish record by making 22 saves in an 11-10 loss to the Blue Devils. She closes her Notre Dame career as the school’s all-time leader in games played (55); minutes played (3,097:34), saves (480) and wins in a season (15). For her career, Dixon is 30-20 with a 9.74 goals-against average and a .488 save percentage.

Fitzpatrick was a second team all-BIG EAST choice in 2006 and is Notre Dame’s top match-up defenseman who draws the responsibility of stopping the opposition’s top scorer. A tough, tenacious defender, Fitzpatrick has turned in career highs in ground balls (39); draw controls (9) and caused turnovers (20).

Notre Dame faces Dartmouth (13-5) on Friday, May 26 at 8:30 p.m. in the NCAA semifinals. A win would advance the Irish to the championship game versus either Northwestern or Duke on Sunday, May 28 at 12:00 noon. That game will be televised by College Sports Television (CSTV).

2006 IWLCA West/Midwest Region Team
West/Midwest Region
First team

Sarah Albrecht, A, NorthwesternMegan Burker, A, StanfordJillian Byers, A, Notre DameSasha Cielak, D, VanderbiltRenee Cipro, D, Penn StateLindsay Finocchiaro, D, NorthwesternCrysti Foote, A, Notre DameLaura Glassanos, A, NorthwesternKate Hickman, A, VanderbiltAly Josephs, A, NorthwesternKristen Kjellman, M, NorthwesternKristie Leggio, M, DenverJessi Lieb, M, Penn StateCaitlin McKinney, A, Notre DameLindsey Munday, M, NorthwesternLaura Shane, GK, Stanford
Second team
Lauren Bryan, D, Penn StateMary Carpenter, M, Notre DameKC Carter, M, Ohio StateLaura Cavallo, M, CaliforniaMargie Curran, M, VanderbiltCarol Dixon, GK, Notre DameKatelyn Faas, A, St. BonaventureMeaghan Fitzpatrick, D, Notre DameMolly Frew, D, VanderbiltStephanie Greenlees, M, DenverLori Havrilla, A, Penn StateJen Heup, GK, OhioKrista Mann, D, DuquesneShari Maslin, A, Penn StateKelly Mulford, A, DuquesneKelly O'Connell, D, Denver