Incoming freshman Nikki Ortega scored the game-winning goal for the US U-19 National Team on Thursday against Canada.

Three Irish Signees Compete at World U-19 Championships

July 24, 2015

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – FIL World Cup Tournament Website | Live Video (Pay-Per-View) | Lacrosse Magazine Team USA Coverage

The best young women’s lacrosse players on Earth have assembled in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the Under-19 championships where Team USA searches for a fifth-consecutive gold medal. The team attempting to claim that gold has a distinct tint of Notre Dame gold to it.

Three Irish signees, Samantha Giacolone, Nikki Ortega and Hannah Proctor are donning the red, white and blue this week. With three signees on Team USA, Notre Dame has the most incoming freshmen of any school in the country on the squad.

The Irish have already impacted the Americans as Ortega scored the game-winning goal on Thursday in Team USA’s pool play-opening win over Canada. Both Ortega and Proctor joined the starting lineup for the 15-9 victory with Giacolone playing off of the bench.

All three hope to follow in the footsteps of their Notre Dame teammate Cortney Fortunato who earned a spot on the all-world team when the event was last held in 2011. Fortunato, who has since blossomed into a first-team All-America performer at the collegiate level, lead Team USA in both goals and points as the Americans claimed the 2011 gold medal in Germany.

Pool play continues on Friday as the U.S. faces Wales at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The Americans then face Australia on Saturday, Israel on Sunday and England on Tuesday.

Bracket play starts on Wednesday, July 29, with the quarterfinals, followed by semifinals on July 30 and an Aug. 1 gold medal game.