Head Coach Tracy Coyne opens her 15th season as Notre Dame's women' lacrosse coach this weekend at California and Stanford.

Irish Women's Lacrosse Opens 15th Season On The Road In California

Feb. 9, 2011

Notre Dame, Ind. –

Complete Release in PDF FormatGet Acrobat Reader

– The Game: #10/#10 Notre Dame (11-7 in `10) at California (8-10 in `10)

– Date/Time/Site: Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 – 5:00 p.m. (PT) – Witter Rugby Field – Berkeley, Calif.

– The Game: #10/#10 Notre Dame (11-7 in `10) at #12/#14 Stanford (15-6 in `10)

– Date/Time/Site: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2011 – 11:00 a.m. (PT) – Laird Q. Cagan Stadium – Palo Alto, Calif.

– Internet: Gametracker will be available for the Stanford game at the Stanford website – gostanford.com. There is no live video streaming for either game this weekend.

SEASON OPENER: The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team begins its 15th season this weekend when the Irish escape the winter weather with a trip west to California to face the University of California on Friday, Feb. 11 and Stanford University on Sunday, February 13. The game with Cal has a 5:00 p.m. (PT) starting time while Sunday’s clash with the Cardinals has an 11:00 a.m. (PT) start. Notre Dame enters the 2011 season ranked 10th in the U.S. Lacrosse preseason poll and 10th by Inside Lacrosse. The Irish are coming off of an 11-7 season in 2010 that saw them finish the year ranked 12th in the final IWLCA coaches’ poll. Notre Dame’s opening day opponent – the Cal Bears – was 8-10 last season and finished with a 3-3 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). The Bears were picked to finish third in the preseason MPSF poll. Sunday’s opponent – the Stanford Cardinal – is coming off a 15-6 campaign and was 5-1 in the MPSF in 2010, winning the conference postseason tournament. They were selected in this year’s preseason poll to finish first this season. In 2010, Stanford advanced to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round to James Madison. The Cardinal are ranked 12th in the U.S. Lacrosse preseason poll and 14th by Inside Lacrosse. They finished last year ranked 14th in the IWLCA coaches’ poll. Both games this weekend are season openers for California and Stanford.

THE IRISH ALL-TIME: Notre Dame enters Friday’s game at California with an all-time record of 137-89 over the first 14 years of the program. That gives the Irish a .606 winning percentage. That record includes a 67-31 (.684) mark at home, a 56-50 (.528) record on the road and a 14-8 (.636) ledger on neutral fields.

FOR OPENERS: The Irish are 12-2 all-time in season openers going into the meeting with California. Notre Dame is 13-1 in opening games on the road and 9-5 in openers played at home in the first 14 years of the program’s history.

IRISH VERSUS THE GOLDEN BEARS: Notre Dame and California have met seven times in the all-time series with the Irish winning all seven meetings. At California, Notre Dame is 3-0 while at home the Irish also are 3-0. In one game on a neutral field, Notre Dame is 1-0 against Cal. Last season , the two teams met in Berkeley with Notre Dame taking a 14-12 decision in overtime. The Irish trailed in the game, 10-7, with under four minutes left and had to rally to send the game to overtime at 10-10. In the overtime, the Irish got four goals while California was scoring twice for the win. Kailene Abt (Sr., Huntington, N.Y.) led the Irish with two goals and three assists while Shaylyn Blaney (Sr., Stony Brook, N.Y.) added four goals in the win. Ansley Stewart (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) got the game winner with 1:34 left in overtime and Gina Scioscia `10 added the insurance goal. Goalkeeper Ellie Hilling (So., Rochester, N.Y.) made five saves in the victory.

NOTRE DAME VERSUS STANFORD: The Irish and Cardinal have met 10 times in the all-time series with Notre Dame holding a 7-3 advantage in those games. At home, the Irish are 3-2 against Stanford while in Palo Alto, Notre Dame has a 4-1 record. The two teams did not play last season. The last meeting between the two programs came on Feb. 28, 2009, a 17-8 win for the Irish at the Loftus Center.

FAMILIAR FACE: Walking the sidelines as an assistant coach at California in Friday’s season opener will be former Irish standout and assistant coach Meredith Simon Black `04. Simon Black spent three seasons (2008-10) as an assistant with her former coach, Tracy Coyne, before getting married last fall and moving to California. A first team All-American for the Irish in 2004, Simon Black still ranks seventh in games played (63), sixth in goals (109) and seven in points. She was recently named the new head coach at Marquette University where the Eagles will be starting their program in 2012.

HEAD COACH Tracy Coyne: Tracy Coyne is in her 15th season at Notre Dame and her 24th year in collegiate lacrosse. Coyne brings a 251-115 (.686) career record into this week’s games. She recorded her 250th career win on April 22, 2010 in a 12-11 victory at Ohio State, making her just the ninth coach in NCAA history to have 250 or more wins in her career. As the only head coach in the Notre Dame program’s history, Coyne is 137-89 (.606) and has guided the Irish to six NCAA tournaments (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010) where her teams have advanced to the Final Four once (2006) and the quarterfinals twice (2002, 2009). The Irish have participated in all four BIG EAST Tournaments to date, beginning in 2007 and they recorded their first BIG EAST title in 2009 with wins over Syracuse (16-10) and Georgetown (12-10). A 1983 Ohio University graduate, Coyne was 23-5 in two seasons at Denison (1988-89), 91-21 in seven years at Roanoke (1990-96) and 137-89 in this, her 15th season at Notre Dame. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native led Denison (1988) and Roanoke (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996) to the NCAA Division III tournament during stops at those schools. Coyne also has coached on the international level as the head coach for the Canadian women’s lacrosse national team from 1999-2005. In June of 2005, she led Team Canada to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 World Cup, her second, fourth-place finish (2001) as Canada’s field boss. As a head coach, she is 7-0 all-time against California and 7-3 versus Stanford.

THE CAPTAINS: Two members of the 2011 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team will serve as captains this season. Senior midfielder Shaylyn Blaney will be joined by senior defender Jackie Doherty (Ellicott City, Md.). Blaney served as one of the team’s captains in 2010 while this is the first season for Doherty. Blaney is a two-time second team IWLCA All-American and leads the Irish offense. Doherty guides the defense and was selected as a first team IWLCA All-American in her junior year.

PRESEASON HONORS: Three members of the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team were selected by the BIG EAST coaches as members of the 2011 preseason all-BIG EAST team. Leading the group is Shaylyn Blaney who is a three-time all-BIG EAST selection (first team twice and second team once) in her career. She is joined by senior defender Jackie Doherty who was a first team choice last season. Joing those two is midfielder Kailene Abt who was a second team all-BIG EAST selection last season.

NEW FACES: Head coach Tracy Coyne has two new assistant coaches this season as they replace Merideth Simon `04, who is now an assistant at Cal and Kateri Linville, who was an assistant with the Irish for five seasons. Linville is now the head coach at her alma mater – the University of Delaware. Replacing them are former Irish All-American Crysti Foote `06 and Nick Williams, a former standout lacrosse and football player at Towson. Foote, who helped lead Notre Dame to its only appearance in an NCAA women’s lacrosse Final Four joined Coyne’s staff in July after spending last season working on her Masters Degree at Long Island University. She has been an assistant coach at Drew University and Columbia since graduating. A member of Canada’s national team and a veteran of two World Cups (`05, `09), Foote was a two-time All-American and a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in 2006. She owned virtually every offensive record for the Irish upon her graduation. Williams also joined the staff in July after one season as an assistant coach at Towson. A two-sport athlete at Towson, Williams was a four-year member of the lacrosse and football teams. In lacrosse, Williams helped the Tigers to a pair of CAA titles and in football is the program’s fifth leading rusher. He will work with the Irish defense and the goalkeepers while Foote works with the attack.

STREAKY IRISH: During the 2010 season two Notre Dame players – Maggie Tamasitis (Jr., Boyertown, Pa.) and Gina Scioscia `10 scored points in all 18 games. Scioscia finished her career with the second longest scoring streak in the program’s history – 37 games. Tamasitis will be joined by two others as she starts the 2011 season with an 18-game point streak.

Maggie Tamasitis - 18 games (18g, 26a, 44 pts)Kailene Abt - 10 games (15g, 5a, 20 pts)Megan Sullivan - 4 games (4g, 3a, 7 pts.)Jenny Granger - 3 games (5g, 2a, 7 pts.)

MAKING THE STOPS: Freshman goaltender Ellie Hilling played all but 2:19 minutes last season as she went 11-7 on the year with a 9.69 goals-against average and a .421 save percentage. Included in her season were a shutout versus Villanova (16-0, on April 9) and a 98:33 minute scoreless streak from April 5 to April 11. Her 9.69 goals-against average was the fourth-lowest, single-season mark at Notre Dame.

Goals-Against Leaders1.   Jen White (2002)           7.492.   Carol Dixon (2004)         8.573.   Jen White (2001)           9.254.   Ellie Hilling (2010)       9.695.   Jen White (2003)           9.866.   Carol Dixon (2006)         9.987.   Erin Goodman (2007)       10.328.   Erin Goodman (2008)       10.749.   Carol Dixon (2005)        11.0410.  Erin Goodman (2009)       11.11

THREE IN A ROW: Notre Dame has been to the NCAA Tournament six times (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010) in its first 14 seasons of the women’s lacrosse program and three times in the last three years, a first for the program. With an 11-7 record last year, the Irish have now had five straight seasons with 10 or more wins, starting with the 2006 campaign. Since 2006, Notre Dame is 65-29 (.691).

NAIL BITERS: One thing that can be said about the 2010 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team is that they kept fans on the edge of their seats. In 11 of the team’s 18 games last year, the Irish had four overtime games, eight games decided by one goal and 11 decided by two goals or less. In overtime, the Irish were 2-2. They were 5-3 in one goal games and 7-4 in games decided by two or less. In the BIG EAST Tournament, the Irish dropped a 12-11, four overtime game to Syracuse in the semifinals. That game was decided after 72:58, the longest game in Notre Dame history and the longest in the history of the BIG EAST Tournament.

ROAD WARRIORS: Last season, Notre Dame was 6-4 on the road and have now had three consecutive seasons of at least six wins on the road. Since the 2008 season, Notre Dame is 18-10 (.648) away from home.

NEW KIDS: Head coach Tracy Coyne’s eight-member freshman class was ranked as the fourth-best freshman class in the nation by Inside Lacrosse in September. Three members of the class were ranked among the top 25 freshmen in the country – midfielders Kaitlyn Brosco (Shoreham, N.Y.), Margaret Smith (Westminster, Md.) and Grace Dooley (Chicago, Ill.) with a fourth midfielder, Molly Shawhan (Fulton, Md.) named to the magazine’s “Watch List,” that listed 40 other top women’s lacrosse players who will play their first Division I season this spring. Ranked ahead of the Irish in the team rankings were Georgetown, North Carolina and Maryland while Northwestern, Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, Penn State and Johns Hopkins rounded out the top 10. Brosco was listed as the number three freshman, Smith, seventh and Dooley, 23rd overall.

RUNNING THE SHOW: With the graduation of attack standout Gina Scioscia `10, look for junior Maggie Tamasitis to run the Irish offense in 2011. Tamasitis finished second on the Irish in scoring last season with career highs in goals (18), assists (26) and points (44). She already ranks ninth on Notre Dame’s all-time assist list with 46 in her first two seasons at Notre Dame.

SISTER ACT: The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse program has a long history of sisters playng for coach Tracy Coyne. This season, Coyne welcomes her ninth set of sisters to play at Notre Dame as junior midfielder Megan Sullivan (Winchester, Mass.) will be joined by her younger sister, Lauren, a freshman on this year’s roster. The Sullivan’s join eight other sister duos to play at Notre Dame – Maggie `10 and Lena Zentraf `07, twin sisters Heather and Lindsey Ferguson `08; Julie `08 and Crysti Foote `06; Lauren `09 and Meghan deMello `06; Kelly and Kristen Gaudreau `04; Carol `06 and Angela Dixon `03 and Annemarie `09 and Mary McGrath `06. The sisters who started the tradition are Amy `98 and Mara Grace `98. They played in 1997 and 1998, the first two years of the program.

DYNAMITE DEFENSE: Notre Dame’s veteran defensive corps turned in a strong season last year, limiting opponents to just 10.05 goals per game, the fewest per game since giving up 9.86 during the 2006 season. Seniors Jackie Doherty and Lauren Fenlon (Dayton, Md.) return to lead the defense along with junior Kate Newall (Middlesex, England) and sophomore Emily Conner (Alexandria, Va.). Look for freshman Margaret Smith (Westminster, Md.) to move in and play a key role in her freshman year on the Irish back line in front of goalkeeper Ellie Hilling.

KEY CONTRIBUTOR: Junior midfielder Megan Sullivan became a key contributor to the Irish offense in 2010. Strong in transition, the speedy middie had career highs in goals (16), assists (6) and points (20) to finish sixth on the team in scoring. In the 11-9 win over Louisville on March 27, Sullivan had a career-high four goals versus the Cardinals.

IRISH AND OVERTIME: Notre Dame played four overtime games in 2010 and was 2-2 in those contests. In the 14-year history of the program, the Irish have played overtime 18 times and are now 8-10 in those games.

WORTH THE WAIT: Two of the three longest games in Notre Dame women’s lacrosse history occurred in 2010.

1. May 15, 2010 vs. Syracuse (72:58) – Lost 12-11 in four overtimes in BIG EAST semifinals.

2. Apr. 13, 2003 vs. Stanford (72:00) – Lost 14-13 to the Cardinal.

3. Mar. 20, 2010 at Boston Univ. (71:22) – Won 7-6 in Boston against the Terriers.

VERSUS THE BEST: Notre Dame opens the 2011 season with six games on the schedule against teams ranked in the top 20 by Inside Lacrosse. The Irish are scheduled to face: No. 2 Northwestern; No. 5 Syracuse, No. 6 Georgetown, No. 11 Vanderbilt, No. 12 Loyola and No. 14 Stanford this season.

ALL-AMERICANS: The 2010 season saw two members of the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team achieve All-American status. Defender Jackie Doherty was selected first team IWLCA All-American. She was joined on the second team by Shaylyn Blaney who was a second team selection for the second time. Doherty and Blaney give the Irish 13 different players that have been named IWCLA All-Americans.

2010 - Jackie Doherty (first team)2010 - Shaylyn Blaney (second team)2009 - Shannon Burke (first team)2009 - Jillian Byers (first team)2009 - Shaylyn Blaney (second team)2009 - Gina Scioscia (second team)2008 - Caitlin McKinney (first team)2008 - Jillian Byers (second team)2007 - Jillian Byers (second team)2007 - Caitlin McKinney (second team)2006 - Crysti Foote (first team)2006 - Jillian Byers (second team)2006 - Caitlin McKinney (third team)2005 - Crysti Foote (third team)2004 - Meredith Simon (first team)2004 - Andrea Kinnik (second team)2004 - Abby Owen (third team)2003 - Jen White (third team)2002 - Kathryn Lam (second team)2002 - Danielle Shearer (second team)