Aug. 25, 2007
Notre Dame, Ind. – One of the newest members of the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team had a busy month of August. Incoming freshman attack standout Shaylyn Blaney (Stony Brook, N.Y.) was a member of the U.S. Under-19 women’s lacrosse team that won the gold medal at the International Lacrosse Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA) Under-19 World Championship on August 11 in Peterborough, Ont.
Blaney, who is considered the top high school player in the country, helped the U.S. squad to a 6-0 record by finishing fourth in scoring on the team with 16 goals and one assist for 17 points. Her totals tied her for 11th overall in points in the 11-team tournament while her 16 goals were seventh best overall. Blaney also had five ground balls, five draw controls and 10 caused turnovers in the tournament.
Irish head coach Tracy Coyne, was pleased with what she saw of her top recruit.
“We’re proud of Shay and her contributions in helping the U.S. team win the gold medal at the Under-19 World Championship. It’s great to have a player of Shaylyn’s caliber represent Notre Dame at the international level. Her exposure to this high level of competition has prepared her for her first fall of Division I lacrosse.
The IFLWA Under-19 World Championship opened on August 4th at Trent University in Peterborough with the U.S. team taking an 18-4 victory against England. In that game, Blaney was held off the scoresheet but she made up for it over the rest of the week.
The following day, the former Ward Melville High School standout scored three times in a 17-7 win over the host team Canada in front of a crowd of over 1,400 fans.
Her biggest scoring outburst of the tournament came on August 6 as she scored five goals and added an assist for six points in an 18-6 win over Australia to give the U.S. team a 3-0 record in pool play.
In the quarterfinals, the United States faced Scotland and Blaney only scored once, but it was the game-winning goal, coming just over two minutes into the game as the U.S. took a 19-1 decision over the Scots. In this game, all 16 members of the U.S. team scored at least one goal.
On August 10, the U.S. met England in a rematch of the opening game of the tournament. Blaney led the U.S. team to an 18-3 victory with four goals in the game, including the game-winner early in the first half.
She followed that performance with three more goals in the title game versus Australia in front of a crowd of 1,400 as the U.S. handed the Aussies an 18-3 loss. The championship marked the third straight Under-19 World Championship for the United States.
Blaney is just the second Notre Dame player to play in the Under-19 World Championships. Former defender Kelly McCardell `03 played in the 1999 Under-19 World Championships in Perth, Australia, helping that team to a gold medal. Blaney is one of six freshmen that join the Fighting Irish for the 2007-08 school year. Fellow freshmen Kailene Abt (Huntington, N.Y.) and Lauren Fenlon (Dayton, Md.) were alternates on this year’s U.S. Under-19 squad.