Yes! Shake Down The Thunder Sports is branching out. We will be covering Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse this season. The women’s lacrosse is ranked number seven in the country to start the season. Freshman Kasey Choma is the number one recruit as rated by Inside Lacrosse. Freshman Madison Ahern is the number two ranked recruit in the country. With these two recruits in the country playing alongside each other, great things are going to happen for sure.
First Half
As with any sport setting the tempo is key. Grad student Samantha Lynch didn’t hesitate on putting the ball on net eight seconds in the game/season. That’s how you start the season. But Lynch was not the only one was fast. The team itself was flying up and down the field. The Irish did not let the ball settle of the field nor did they stop scoring. Six different Irish scorers scored eleven goals in the first thirty minutes of play. Maddie Howe was next score after Lynch. The two freshman top recruits Ahern and Choma scored the next two goals to put the Irish up 4-0.
After a turnover by Marquette, Savannah Buchanan put the ball on net. Eleven seconds after Buchanan scored, the Irish won the ensuing draw and Jessi Masinko gets the ball and fires it past Horning to put the Irish up 6-0. The Irish were not letting up on Marquette. Choma scored the next goal, then Howe and Lynch took turns exchanging goals for the Irish, including a buzzer beater by Lynch with 0:01 left in the half. The Irish go into the break up 11-2.
Second Half
The Irish tenacity was not left in the locker room. At 28:20 after Ahern missed a free position shot, Masinko put a shot in goal. Marquette scored their final goal at 23:29, after the draw win Buchanan puts another shot goal to put the Irish up, 13-3. After a team goes up by ten points, the clock goes to continuous run. After a missed shot by Andie Aldave goes wide, Ahern nets her second collegiate goal at 19:42 and then 2:58 later scores her third goal. Jackie Wolak wants in on the scoring action as well. She scores her first collegiate goal at 13:26. The Irish now lead 16-3.
Erin McBride joins in on the scoring at 9:23 on the man-up. To wrap up the afternoon against Marquette, Howe caps off the win with the team’s final goal at 6:02. The final score against Marquette is 18-3. Six different Irish players scored multiple goals and eight different Irish players contributed with eighteen goals.
Irish Keeper Bridget Deehan allowed three goals, on eleven attempts. The Irish had 35 shots, 29 were on goal, 18 found the back of the net. If you are going to start a season strong, this win is a way of sending a message.
Stars Of The Game
🥍🥍🥍 Madison Ahern and Samantha Lynch 3 Goals each
🥍🥍 Maddie Howe 4 Goals, 7 Shots
🥍 Bridget Deehan 3 Goals Allowed, 8 Saves .727 Save Percentage
Next Up
The #7 Irish travel to #3 Northwestern in Evanston Illinois, on Friday February 14th at 8 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on BTN+Stream
Cheers and Go Irish 🍀🥍⚡