Irish Ship Up For NCAA Quarterfinals

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s lacrosse program has advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second time in the past three seasons and will take on Boston College Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET for a spot in the Final Four on the line.

The Irish and Eagles have met twice previously in 2023 but will be the first meeting between the two teams in Massachusetts this season.

GAME 19 DETAILS
Location: Newton, Mass.| Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field
Schedule: May 18 — 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Live Stats: UND.com
Twitter Updates: @NDWomensLax
For a more in-depth look at the matchup – Game Notes: Notre Dame

FOR STARTERS

• The Irish own a 15-5 record heading into the NCAA Quarterfinals, with four wins over nationally ranked teams.
• Most recently, the Irish defeated sixth-seeded Florida in the second round of NCAA play, 16-15, as Kasey Choma scored the go-ahead goal with 10.1 seconds left in regulation.
• The play of the game came off the stick of Jane McAvoy who found a double-teamed Choma in front of the cage for the last second tally to clinch a berth in the quarterfinal round for the second time in three years. 
• Jackie Wolak had seven points against the Gators, doubling her weekend total, with five goals and two assists. In two games played in Gainesville, Wolak posted a team-best 11 goals and added three assists for 14 points.
• The team’s leading scorer surpassed 100 points on the season with her third goal of the game, and fourth point, to become just the third woman in program history to hit the ellusive century mark. Wolak now boasts 56 goals and 47 assists on the year for 103 points.
• In round one of the postseason NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame rolled out a convincing 21-6 victory over Mercer to advance to the Second Round where they will face Florida.
• The 21 goals was a program best in the NCAA Tournament, along with their 31 points setting a new record as well.
• Kasey Choma recorded 10 points in the win, leading the team and becoming the first Irish woman to hit double-digit scoring in a single game this season.
• MK Doherty set a new personal best seven points in the win over the Bears, scoring two goals and adding five assists to her outing.
• Jackie Wolak tied her career-best goal performance, scoring six times against Mercer for her second career sock trick.
• Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the  Irish advanced to the ACC Championship semifinals for the third consecutive year, defeating fourth-seeded Virginia in the quarterfinal round, 15-13, to move on. In the semifinals, the Irish faced longtime rival Boston College where their tournament run ultimately came up just short of the championship game.
• Over the two-game stretch in Charlotte, six individuals found the back of the net, including Choma who led the team with six goals and seven points. 
• Lilly Callahan made eight saves in goal for the Irish in the win, including three in the final 60 seconds to maintain the team’s two-goal lead against the Cavaliers. The junior goalkeeper followed it up with 10 saves against the Eagles as she held them to one of their lowest goal totals of the season.
• For their strong defensive efforts in the ACC Tournament, Keelin Schalgeter and Lilly Callahan were named to the ACC All-Tournament team.
• A program-best seven individuals were named to All-ACC teams ahead of the first round of conference tournament play. The offensive trio of Madison Ahern, Kasey Choma and Jackie Wolak were all named First Team All-ACC while the defensive corp of Lilly Callahan, Kelly Denes and Hannah Dorney were awarded Second Team honors. Abigail Lyons was recognized as a part of the All-Freshman team.
• In their regular season finale, the Irish defeated the Louisville Cardinals, 15-9, inside Arlotta Stadium. Eight women highlighted the box score Thursday night, including Wolak with a team-best seven points off three goals and four assists.
• Kelly Denes surpassed 200 career draw controls against the Cardinals before setting a new single-season best of 103 draws, eclipsing her previous best of 100 in 2022. Her 10 draw controls against the Cardinals led the team while her role in the circle led the team to a 24-4 advantage Thursday. 
• With her second goal of the day against RMU, Kasey Choma recorded her 200th career point. She went on to post four goals in the contest. Earning the assist on Choma’s 200th point mark, Jackie Wolak tied her classmate with her 200th point for the Irish as well.
• Notre Dame’s 37 points in the win at Butler matched a program record, previously set earlier this season against Central Michigan.
• Their 26 goals against Butler was a season-high for the Irish, topping that previously set of 24 in February.
• The 23-goal victory was also the largest margin of victory for the Irish this year and their three goals against was second fewest in 2023.
• Live stats will be available for the contest as well as a the game being aired on the ESPN+.
• The attacking trio of  Choma, Ahern, and Wolak have combined for 273 of the 449  Irish points after registering 17 of the program’s 22 points against Florida to advance to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. Through the first two rounds, the trio posted 37 of the team’s 53 points.
• Choma now has a team-high 15 hat tricks on the season. Ahern is close behind with 13 while also registering her second sock trick of the year with six goals at Pitt.

THE NOTRE DAME – BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES

• Thursday’s contest will mark the third meeting between the Irish and Eagles in 2023. 
• In 22 all-time meetings between the two ACC foes, the Irish trail 14-8.
• The Irish hosted the Eagles during the regular season, ultimately falling 12-11 off a late goal to the Eagles.
• In the ACC Tournament semifinals, Notre Dame held BC to single digit goals but dropped the 9-4 decision to the eventual tournament champions.

IN THE POLLS

• Notre Dame is ranked No. 8 in this week’s ILWomen/IWLCA poll.

• Five other ACC programs are currently ranked in the top-25 according to the  IL Women/IWLCA Preseason Poll, including #2 Boston College, #3 Syracuse, #4 North Carolina, #12 Virginia,  and #23 Clemson.

HITTING THE MARK

• With her first save against BC in their regular season matchup, Lilly Callahan eclipsed the 100 career save mark. She now boasts 167 stops in 34 games played, with a .485 save percentage.
• Hannah Dorney, a recent ACC co-Defensive Player of the Week, hit 100 career ground balls when the Irish hosted BC. She now has 119 career pick ups.
• Ahern’s five goals against UNC brought her career tally to 140. She followed it up with four points against the Eagles, including a hat trick which gave her 202 career points. Ahern now boasts a team-best 236 points off 167 goals and 69 assists.

BALANCED ATTACK

• The Irish returned 3 of the 4 top scorers from the 2022 season in Kasey Choma, Madison Ahern, Jackie Wolak.
• The top scorers were assisted by Kelly Denes who won 100 draw controls and tallied 14 goals of her own. This season Denes boasts 129 draw controls and currently sits at 233 career draws and boasts 17 goals this season. She now sits second all-time for draw control wins in a single season behind Andie Aldave with 152 in 2019.
• Choma, Ahern, and Wolak lead the Irish in points combining for 273 points following a 17-point combined performance from the trio against Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• In the opening two rounds of NCAA Tournament play, the senior trio posted a combined 37 of the team’s 51 points to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
• Choma’s 3.40 goals per game ranks fourth in the ACC and 15th nationally while Ahern’s 3.10 average is fifth-best in the conference.
• Wolak is ranked in the top five in the country for points per game, averaging 5.15 points through 20 games played, while she ranks second in the conference. Her 47 assists is eighth in the nation and her 2.35 assists per game average ranks fifth in the ACC.
• With 103 points in 2023, Wolak is fourth nationally and second in the ACC. Last weekend she became just the third woman in program history to hit 100 points in a single season.
• Denes is ranked third in the ACC for draw controls per game tallying 6.45 and is 17th in the country.
• Seventeen different players have scored at least one goal this season with 16 having found the back of the net multiple times.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER

• The attacking trio of Choma, Ahern, and Wolak are combining for 273 points.
• With her 15th hat trick of the season, Kasey Choma now boasts 67 goals this season and leads the team in the category. She ranks eighth in the nation for total goals and her 3.40 goals per game average is fourth-best in the ACC.
• Wolak has 56 goals and 47 assists for a team-best 103 points. The senior eclipsed the ellusive 100-point mark in the first half against Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first Irish woman to reach 100 points in a single season since Jill Byers in 2009.
• Choma  now has tallied a team-high 15 hat tricks in the 2023 season and Wolak has tallied 12. Madison Ahern also boasts multiple hat tricks, having recorded 3+ goals in 13 of her 20 games played this season.
• Wolak’s game against Virginia saw her set career-high performances in goals (six) and points (eight). She followed it up by tying her career-high goal total with six against Mercer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Choma and Ahern were recently named Tewaaraton nominees for their regular season performance.
• Choma, Ahern and Wolak combined for 20 points in the win over Mercer.
• Their 15 goals and five assists combined to give the Irish a convincing 21-6 win over the Bears and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The trio then burst out to a 17-point game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to lift the Irish over the Gators and advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Over the two game stretch in Gainesville, the trio combined for 37 of the team’s 51 points.
• The trio combined for 12 of the team’s 17 total points at Virginia to close out March’s conference slate.
• Wolak ranks in the top five in the ACC and top-15 nationally for assists per game (2.35).
• Choma tallied a new career high in goals (8) and tied her career high in points (8) in the Virginia Tech game.

SMOTHERING DEFENSE

• The Irish have held 13 of their 20 opponents to single digits.
• Notre Dame has caused havoc on defense, averaging 9.15 caused turnovers per game, a mark that ranks second in the ACC.
• The Irish defense held Virginia Tech to its lowest goal total of the season and tied for its lowest in program history.
• Mercer’s six goals against the Irish tied a season low for the Bears’ offense, having been held to single digits just once prior in 2023 – to Florida in a 15-6 decision.
  

CALLAHAN IN THE CREASE

• Callahan made her first double-digit save performance of her career, finishing with 15 saves against Northwestern. This also established a new career high in saves for her.
• She ranks in the top-10 in the country in goals-against average (8.61). Her GAA is eighth nationally and is second among all ACC goalkeepers.
• Callahan earned her first career win in her first career start while holding the San Diego State attack to just two goals.
• The two goals Callahan allowed marked the lowest scoring output in SDSU program history, which dates back to the 2012 season. 
• In 45 minutes played against Butler, Callahan held the opposition scoreless, stopping all seven shots faced.

DOMINATING THE DRAW

• The Irish have won the draw control battle in 15 of their 20 games this season.
• Kelly Denes leads the team with 129 draw controls this season, good for second in program history for most draws in a single season.
• Mary Kelly Doherty’s 106 draw controls is second behind Denes this season and third all-time for a single season. The duo mark the first time in Irish history that two women boast 100+ wins in the circle in a single season.
• Notre Dame currently sits second in the nation in draw control percentage (.644) and in the top three for draw controls per game 18.00 while leading the ACC in both categories.
• Kelly Denes leads the Irish in draws per game (6.28) and is the primary player used at the draw for the Irish. She ranks among the nation’s best for draw controls per game and third in the conference.
• The Irish draw control unit held the nations leader on the draw circle to only four draw controls in their matchup against Duke.
• The Irish currently have won the draw control battle on the season by a margin of 330-195.

RECORD WATCH

• The Irish are currently four goals away from breaking their single-season program record for goals (321). The team currently boasts 318 on the season, while allowing just 178.

• The most points all-time in Irish program history is 471 while the 2023 squad boasts 449 heading into BC.

LEADERSHIP GROUP

• On Dec. 20, the Irish named three team captains for the 2023 campaign: Hannah Dorney, Kasey Choma, and Madison Ahern. Dorney is serving as a team captain for the second consecutive season.

ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS

• Two Irish were named Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans including Kasey Choma (First Team), Madison Ahern (HM).
• Ahern and Choma were also named Preseason All-Americans on February 3. Choma was named to the second team and Ahern to the third team.
• Kasey Choma was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American squad, and was also ranked among the top 20 lacrosse players recognized as the game’s biggest difference makers checking in at #19.
• Choma and Ahern claimed silver for the USA Super Sixes team at the 2022 World Games.

TEWAARATON NOMINEES

• Kasey Choma and Madison Ahern were named two of 25 Tewaaraton nominees, Thursday, April 20, ahead of the final regular season finale.
• The duo were each named to the initial watch list for the 2023 Tewaaraton Award, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced on February 10.
• Choma has been named to the watch list for the third consecutive season and this is Ahern’s second consecutive watchlist.

ALL STAR STAFF

• Head Coach Christine Halfpenny announced the addition of Associate Head Coaches Adam Sear and Lauren Benner.
• Sear comes to Notre Dame from the University of Michigan. He spent five seasons with the Wolverines.  He will assist in coordinating the offensive effort for the Irish.
• Benner joins the Irish after spending a season with Loyola. She will serve as the defensive coordinator and work extensively with the goalie unit.
• The Irish also welcome back Bridget Deehan as a volunteer assistant. Deehan graduated from Notre Dame as a two-time All-American goalkeeper.

NEWCOMERS

• The Irish welcome a 7-member freshman class as part of the 35-player roster, which includes two attackers, three midfielders, two goaltenders .
• Emma Murphy was named No. 5 in the IL Women Top 100 Freshman Power Rankings.