May 10, 2002
Philadelphia, Pa. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team had four players selected to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Mid-Atlantic Region Team for the 2002 season. The Irish placed two players on the first team and two on the second team.
The four players are the most the Irish have ever had on the all-region team. Named first team was defensive standout Kathryn Lam (Sr., Plainsboro, N.J.) and junior midfielder Danielle Shearer (Hampstead, Md.). Joining them on the second team are defender Tina Fedarcyk (Sr., Millersville, Md.) and midfielder Natalie Loftus (Baltimore, Md.).
For Lam, this marks the third consecutive season she has been an all-region pick. A first team selection in 2000, Lam was a second team choice in 2001. She joins Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer Lael O’Shaughnessy (a 2001 graduate) as the only Irish players to be named to the team three times. Lam leads the Irish in ground balls with 55 and is third in caused turnovers with 17. A four-year starter and a three-year captain, Lam has been the backbone of a Notre Dame defense that has given up just 7.28 goals per game – fourth best in the nation.
Shearer makes her first appearance on the all-region team as she leads the Irish in goals (37), assists (20) and points (57). A unanimous first team all-BIG EAST selection and the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, Shearer is third on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list with 93 goals and 40 assists for 133 points. She is second all-time to O’Shaughnessy with 93 goals.
Fedarcyk joins defensive teammate Lam to form one of the top defensive duos in the nation. A second team all-region choice, she was also named second team all-BIG EAST selection in 2002. A four-year starter on defense, she served as one of the team’s captains this season. Fedarcyk is second on the team with 42 ground balls and leads the squad with 24 caused turnovers. She also ranks third with 19 draw controls.
Loftus joins Fedarcyk on the second team after having a career-best year at midfield. One of the catalysts of the Irish attack, Loftus was a first team all-BIG EAST selection in 2002. She is currently second on the team with 26 goals and 12 assists for 38 points. She has recorded 38 ground balls and 18 draw controls in her stellar season. She became the fourth player in the program’s history to go over 100 points in her career as she now has 75 goals and 32 assists for 107 career points.
The four players have helped lead the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team to its best record ever (13-4), to its highest ranking (7th) and its first NCAA appearance. The Irish travel to Princeton for their NCAA Quarterfinal game versus the top-ranked Tigers on Sunday, May 12. The opening draw is set for 2:00 p.m. (EDT).