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Women's Lacrosse Faces No. 7 Notre Dame in BIG EAST Opener
March 23, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team opens BIG EAST play against seventh-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday, March 24, in South Bend, Ind. Start time is set for 1 p.m. at the Arlotta Stadium. The Cardinals (2-5) dropped two contests last week, falling to then-No. 8 Vanderbilt, 14-12, and most recently, 20-10, to Jacksonville on March 17. In the loss to Jacksonville, Cat Gordon scored a team-best three goals and won a game-high eight draw controls for the second time this season. Nikki Boltja and Faye Brust each tacked on two goals. Defensively, three players recorded three ground balls apiece: Casey Pepperman, Janaye Dzikewich and Monica Negron, who also had a goal, an assist and three draw controls. Amy Poteet led the Cardinals with two caused turnovers. Collectively, Louisville won the draw control battle (19-13) and picked up three more ground balls (15-12). Morgan Derner scored a game-best five goals for the Dolphins. Assistant coach Crysti Foote will be returning to Notre Dame after spending last season as an assistant coach for the Fighting Irish. Also her alma mater, Foote sits second in school history in career points (237), third in goals (161) and fourth in assists (76). As of March 18, Louisville ranks 11th in draw controls (15.14 per game) and is 24th in caused turnovers per game (8.57). Notre Dame ranks No. 3 nationally (16 goals per game), 10th in scoring margin (+5.83) and 15th in ground balls per game (17.67). Notre Dame (6-0), just one of two undefeated teams at the Division I level, beat then-No. 16 Cornell, 17-13, on March 17 at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. It was the third ranked opponent the Fighting Irish have defeated this season.
Megan Sullivan, Jaimie Morrison and Lindsay Powell each scored a hat trick for Notre Dame, while Maggie Tamasitis was credited with four assists. Powell had a team-best four draw controls, while Morrison picked up a team-high three ground balls. Defensively, Barbara Sullivan totaled four caused turnovers, and Emily Conner caused two. Ellie Hilling played all 60 minutes in goal and made 13 saves for the win. Olivia Knotts led Cornell with five points. The Fighting Irish are under the direction of first-year head coach Christine Halfpenny, who previously held a 43-44 record in five seasons at William & Mary. The Fighting Irish were picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Brosco and Tamasitis, a 2012 Tewaaraton Award Watch List member, were all-league first team selections. |
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