MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Irish women’s lacrosse team closed out their 2023 regular season road slate with a statement victory over Robert Morris, 21-6, Sunday afternoon.
Finding goals from 11 individuals in the win, Notre Dame saw four women record hat tricks as the team improved to 11-4 on the season.
For the third consecutive game, Lilly Callahan made seven saves in the crease and picked up her 11th win of the season, allowing just six goals against and holding the opposition to single-digits for the 10th time in 2023.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than three minutes into play with goals coming off the sticks of four individuals Sunday afternoon. Kristen Shanahan got the scoring started for the Irish against the Colonials before Hannah Dorney, Jane McAvoy and Kasey Choma extended the Irish lead.
RMU got one back just under five minutes into the first quarter as Callahan made the initial save but the rebounding ball bounced across the line for the 4-1 score.
The Irish would continue to roll in the opening 15 minutes, adding four goals to their total to take an 8-4 lead into the second set of 15 minutes.
MK Doherty’s natural hat trick, along with Choma’s fourth of the day, gave the Irish the 4-0 period to extend their lead to 12-4 heading into the final half of nonconference regular season play.
Ahern scored twice in the third quarter to record her ninth hat trick of the year and lift the Irish to the 14-5 lead. Moments after Ahern’s third goal of the day, Shanahan net her second of the day and fifth multi-goal game of the season.
The Irish carried the 15-5 lead into the final frame before MK Doherty added to the Irish tally just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter with her fourth of the day.
Kelly Denes scored her first of the day, off the free position, to make it 17-5, Irish, before Shanahan’s free position goal added to the tally and tied her career high with her second hat trick in the last week.
Ava Kristynik and Franny O’Brien continued the Irish scoring late in the fourth quarter as the underclassmen gave ND the 20-6 lead with just over four minutes to play in regulation.
With 27 seconds left in the fourth, Jaclyn Marszal rounded out the scoring with her second collegiate goal, giving the Irish the 21-6 final over the Colonials Sunday afternoon.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kasey Choma and Jackie Wolak combined for their 200th career points with Choma’s hat trick tally in the first quarter. Adding an assist to the goal, Wolak notched her 200th career point, boasting 111 goals and 89 assists over her Irish tenure.
Choma’s team-leading 48th goal of the season was her 200th career point, now owning 174 goals and 26 assists for the Blue and Gold.
ND NOTES
- With four goals against the Colonials, MK Doherty set a new career-best and now boasts 22 goals on the year. Kasey Choma also tallied four goals in the contest, tying Doherty for a game-high.
- Doherty, Choma, Ahern and Shanahan all registered hat tricks in the win, as Shanahan tied her career-best three-goals, previously set last week at Butler
- The Irish allowed less than 10 goals for the 10th time this season as they improved to 11-4 on the year.
- With nine draw controls in the contest, Doherty led all Irish while Denes had one fewer with eight. The duo, along with Ali McHugh, Choma, Grace Wiegand and Anna Kenney gave Notre Dame the 24-6 edge in the draw circle.
- ND caused four turnovers on the day against RMU and recorded 21 ground balls to the Colonials’ 10 in the win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame returns home to celebrate its senior class Thursday in the regular season finale. The Irish are set to host the Louisville Cardinals April 20 at 7 p.m. inside Arlotta Stadium.
Prior the first draw, the Irish will recognize the senior class for all their contributions to the program during their careers. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the pregame ceremony.