May 17, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association announced on Wednesday that University of Notre Dame women’s lacrosse seniors Casey Pearsall and Cortney Fortunato received All-America honors following the conclusion of the 2017 season. Pearsall was selected to the first team, while Fortunato received second-team honors.
Pearsall, who was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List and the All-ACC First Team, totaled 57 points on 28 goals and 29 assists and collected a team-high 61 draws and 38 ground balls in 2017.
The All-America honor marks the third of Pearsall’s career and first such selection to the first team. Pearsall owns sole possession of second place in the Irish record book with 183 career draw controls.
Pearsall set the Irish single-game record with 10 draw controls on April 6 and tallied seven points with six assists against Towson on March 15. She ranks fourth in the ACC with 1.61 assists per game and 10th in points per game (3.17).
In 76 career games, Pearsall tallied 167 points on 86 goals and 81 assists. The Wilton, Connecticut, native gathered 116 ground balls, 183 draw controls and 77 caused turnovers.
A Tewaaraton Award nominee and First Team All-ACC selection, Fortunato finished the season ranked 21st nationally in points (81) and tied for 21st in goals (59). She also ranked second in the ACC in points per game (4.26), second in goals per game (3.11) and 10th in assists per game (1.16).
Fortunato scored at least one goal in 18 games and contributed 15 multi-goal performances. The Northport, New York, native also recorded 11 hat tricks in 2017 (42 career), and the Irish went 7-4 in those games.
Fortunato averaged 2.71 points per game in ACC play and recorded two different 2017 ACC single-game-highs with 11 points and eight goals on April 6.
In her career, Fortunato totaled 311 points on 225 goals and 86 assists and gathered 106 ground balls, 94 caused turnovers and 52 draw controls. Fortunato wraps up her storied career ranked second all-time in points and goals and third in assists in Notre Dame history.
The IWLCA named 48 student-athletes to the 2017 Division I All-American teams. The first team included four ACC student-athletes. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American Banquet on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
For a closer, behind-the-scenes look at the Irish women’s lacrosse program, follow @NDWomensLax on Twitter and ndwlax on Snapchat.
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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.