Feb. 3, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team will open the 2014 campaign ranked No. 11 in the preseason IWLCA (Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association) Poll as it aims for a seventh NCAA Tournament berth in the past eight years.
Much like in the preseason Inside Lacrosse poll, which also had the Fighting Irish at No. 11, Notre Dame will face nine of the nation’s Top 20 teams this fall.
Notre Dame begins play in the Atlantic Coast Conference this spring, unquestionably the nation’s top women’s lacrosse league. ACC teams have captured 14 of the last 27 national championships. Five of the top eight squads in the preseason IWLCA poll hail from the league, including defending national champion North Carolina.
Notre Dame’s 2014 season will see the Irish face off with preseason No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Syracuse, No. 4 Northwestern, No. 6 Duke and No. 8 Virginia. The Irish will also take the field against No. 12 Stony Brook, No. 14 Stanford and No. 20 Boston College this spring.
Ranked teams represent 56-percent of Notre Dame’s 16-game schedule. The Irish will play 38-percent of their 2014 slate against teams ranked in the preseason top eight. Each of the four teams that comprised the 2013 Final Four will oppose Notre Dame in 2014.
The Irish return 17 monogram winners from the 2013 team that went 12-5, qualified for the NCAAs and was ranked as high as No. 5 during the season. The 2014 season will commence for Notre Dame with a home scrimmage against Michigan on Feb. 8 at 7:45 p.m. For ticket information, logon to UND.com or call (574) 631-7356.
IWLCA PRESEASON TOP 20
1. North Carolina*
2. Maryland*
3. Syracuse*
4. Northwestern*
5. Florida
6. Duke*
7. Penn State
8. Virginia*
9. Loyola
10. Georgetown
11. NOTRE DAME
12. Stony Brook*
13. UMass
14. Stanford*
15. Penn
16. Princeton
17. Denver
18. Navy
19. Towson
20. Boston College*
* Denotes 2014 Notre Dame opponent