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Irish Welcome 12 In Class of 2024

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse program is set to welcome 12 new members as the Class of 2024 this fall. The group features three attackers, six midfielders, two defenders and one goaltender that hail from seven different states. 

“We are excited to welcome another top class of women to the University of Notre Dame,” said head coach Christine Halfpenny. “This year’s class fields an entire line-up from crease offense to goalkeeper. Our staff thoroughly evaluated this class to add women of the highest character both on and off the field to add to our current team’s culture and performance. Not only do we feel that our choices meet our athletic needs/wants for the immediate future, but also this class will help us sustain excellence as they move through their four year journey in our program. Additionally, their leadership and followership skills will be great additions to the culture that our alumni have worked so hard to put in place for the program. These twelve women are already determined to help propel our program forward to championship weekend as we continue to be leaders on and off the field.”

Learn more about each member of the Class of 2024 below. 

Lilly Callahan
Position: Goalie
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
High School: Needham High School

A two-time Bay State League All-Star and 2019 U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American, Callahan helped guide Needham High School to the 2017 Massachusetts Division I State Championship. In 2019, Callahan stopped 164 shots with a .570 save percentage to earn EMGLCA 1st Team All Star and Under Armour New England Highlight Team accolades.Her efforts helped Needham earn a berth in the U.S. Women’s National Tournament as the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Team 1 Tournament Champions. Callahan was also honored with an EMGLCA Leadership Award in 2020. 

Kelly Denes
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Jupiter, Fla.
High School: Cardinal Newman High School

Denes, a three-time All-Region honoree and 2019 U.S. Lacrosse All-American, helped guide Cardinal Newman to three straight district titles from 2017-2019. As a junior in 2019, Denes totaled 103 draw controls, 73 goals and 34 assists while serving as team captain for the second straight year. Her efforts also earned her First Team All-Palm Beach County, First Team All-District, Sun Sentinel First-Team All County and Team MVP honors. Denes also earned four varsity letters in soccer. 

Mary Kelly Doherty
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Summit, N.J.
High School: Oak Knoll

As a junior, Doherty helped Oak Knoll capture the 2019 Tournament Of Champions crown, a #5 U.S. Lacrosse national ranking and New Jersey Team of the Year honors while playing alongside fellow Irish signees Aine Maseker and Keelin Schlageter. It marked the third consecutive Group 1 Championship and Tournament of Champions appearance for Doherty at Oak Knoll. The Summit, New Jersey, native was a three-sport athlete in high school and helped her field hockey team earn three straight Tournament of Champions titles from 2019-2020. As a sophomore, Doherty broke Oak Knoll’s indoor track record in the high jump, 400M and 4 x 400M relay. 

Alison Harbaugh
Position: Attack
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
High School: The Bryn Mawr School

Harbaugh earned IAAM All-Conference Lacrosse honors in 2020 while serving as a team captain at The Bryn Mawr School. Harbaugh also earned three varsity letters in basketball and one varsity letter in tennis. Harbaugh captained Bryn Mawr to a conference title in 2020 while also earning the IAAM Character Coin Award. Harbaugh also earned scholar-athlete and leadership awards as a senior for her efforts on-and-off the field. Her father, John Harbaugh, is the head coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. 

Kyle Kirby
Position: Midfield/Attack
Hometown: Westport, Conn.
High School: Staples High School

As a junior in 2019, Kirby racked up a school-record 113 points (63G, 50A) and 133 draw controls en route to earning U.S. Lacrosse All-American, Under Armour Highlight Team All-American Connecticut Gametime All-State, All-County and Team MVP honors. Kirby was named the 2020 Jackie Pitts Award honoree by U.S. Lacrosse in the state of Connecticut. Kirby also earned four varsity letters in field hockey and helped her team earn four consecutive state titles from 2017-2020. Kirby was named a Max Field Hockey All-American this past year as a senior. Her father, Michael Kirby, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. 

Abby Maichin
Position: Attack
Hometown: Huntington, N.Y.
High School: Huntington High School

A four-time New York State Scholar-Athlete Award honoree, Maichin led Huntington with 70 points (46G, 24A) as a junior in 2019. She also helped guide the Long Island Yellow Jackets to the U.S. Lacrosse National Championship and a top-three national ranking in 2015. A two-time team captain at Huntington, Maichin was named to the Long Island Lacrosse Journal All-Long Island Team, Long Island Lacrosse Journal Top 20 Seniors List and Inside Lacrosse Young Gun Senior Watchlist in 2020. 

Alexandra McHugh
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Newtown Square, Pa.
High School: Episcopal Academy

McHugh helped Episcopal Academy earn back-to-back Inter-AC crowns in 2018 and 2019 while earning PAISSA All-Academic and All-Delco Honorable Mention accolades as a junior. McHugh also competed for Big 4 HHH and was named to the 2020 Inside Lacrosse Senior Watchlist. McHugh also earned varsity letters in soccer, squash and track, and helped break her school’s record in the 4 x 800M relay with a time of 9:53.30. She also guided Episcopal to the state championship in soccer in 2019. 

Aine Maseker
Position: Defense
Hometown: Madison, N.J.
High School: Oak Knoll

Maseker played alongside fellow Irish signees Mary Kelly Doherty and Keelin Schlageter at Oak Knoll. Maseker’s efforts helped Oak Knoll capture the 2019 Tournament Of Champions crown, a #5 U.S. Lacrosse national ranking and New Jersey Team of the Year honors. Before the 2020 campaign, Maseker was tabbed to the Preseason Inside Lacrosse All-IL Women’s Team and NJ.com First Team All-Senior squad. She was also the recipient of the 2020 Oak Knoll Women in Sport Award. Maseker also earned four varsity letters in soccer and helped Oak Knoll earn the Group 1 Sectional crown as a junior.

Kacie Mooney
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Pittsford, N.Y.
High School: Pittsford Mendon High School

Mooney collected team-highs in goals (49) and draw controls (90) while helping lead Pittsford Mendon to sectional and regional championships as a junior in 2019. Mooney’s efforts landed her on the All-Greater Rochester and First Team All-County lists. The sister of rising sophomore Ellie Mooney, Kacie also competed for Monster Elite, where she served as team captain and won several tournament crowns. Mooney also earned three varsity letters in soccer and a pair of varsity letters in basketball. 

Sophie Proctor
Position: Defense
Hometown: Wayne, Pa.
High School: Radnor High School

Proctor helped guide Radnor to the Central League Championship in 2019 after her team earned a berth in the district finals in 2018. The sister of Irish All-American defender Hannah Proctor (‘19), Sophie also earned varsity letters in soccer and competed for the club lacrosse squad STEPS Philly. 

Keelin Schlageter
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Maplewood, N.J.
High School: Oak Knoll

Schlageter played alongside fellow Irish signees Mary Kelly Doherty and Aine Maseker at Oak Knoll. Schlageter helped Oak Knoll capture the 2019 Tournament Of Champions crown, a #5 U.S. Lacrosse national ranking and New Jersey Team of the Year honors. Heading into 2020, Schageter was named an Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American and ranked #26 on Inside Lacrosse’s Senior Watchlist. U.S. Lacrosse also named Schlageter among the Top Five Players to Watch in the Mid-Atlantic in 2020. She was named a U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American as a junior in 2019. 

Kristen Shanahan
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Holbrook, N.Y.
High School: Sachem High School East

Shanahan was named a U.S. Lacrosse Third Team All-American as a junior in 2019 after scoring 57 goals and adding 12 assists while captaining Sachem High School. A two-time All-County honoree, Shanahan was named to Inside Lacrosse’s 2020 Rising Stars List. Shanahan was also named Newsday’s Player of the Year and earned All-State recognition in field hockey in both 2018 and 2019. Her uncle, Doug Shanahan, won the inaugural Tewaaraton Trophy at Hofstra in 2001. 

—ND—