Feb. 28, 2018
By Matt Paras
NOTRE DAME, Indiana – Playing their third game in six days, the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team (4-2) got off to a fast start against Marquette (3-3) and posted an 10-3 halftime advantage. The Irish used that strong first half to claim a 15-10 win Wednesday night at Arlotta Stadium.
Coach Halfpenny’s Thoughts
On Andie Aldave‘s performance:
“Yeah, she is a monster on the draw, back in double-digits and she is giving us everything she’s got. Really proud of what she did today, outstanding shooting day for her as well. She has been getting great looks in all of our games but to see her put it away today was exciting to see from start to finish.”
On playing their third game in six days:
“I think it was very exciting to set the tone early and often in our first game at Arlotta. We expected and prepared for a response from Marquette because they are a very well coached team. They continue to get better every single year and that was a great second half. It was a second half we needed and I was very excited about was our ability to respond even when adversity hit. We were able to respond and we were able to finish with the ball in our hand. Three games in six days is tough but to get this experience early in the season is fantastic for this group because we will absolutely need it down the stretch.”
How it Happened
Notre Dame opened the game by scoring the first four goals in a seven-minute span. The opening two came from Andie Aldave with Nikki Ortega and Savannah Buchanan adding the others.
Marquette got on the board with a goal from Allison Lane but the Irish would respond by scoring the next two. Aldave got her third of the game in just the first 15 minutes. Molly Cobb followed with her first of the night to give the Irish a 6-1 lead.
Notre Dame finished the half on a 4-2 run with goals coming from Maddie Howe, Abi Cullinan, Jessi Masinko and Aldave. Going into the break, the Irish held a 10-3 lead and Marquette came into tonight’s contest allowing just 11 goals per game.
The game slowed down a bit in the second half and Marquette started to chip away at the Irish lead. The Golden Eagles scored five of the first seven goals in the second half and brought the deficit down to 12-8 with 10 minutes to play.
Notre Dame answered with Cullinan’s second goal of the night but Marquette had one last push in them. The Golden Eagles scored the next two goals to make it a 13-10 game with 4:06 remaining.
A yellow card was called on the Golden Eagles and the Irish made sure to take advantage of being a player up. Buchanan found Aldave in the eight-meter and she put home her fifth goal of the night to put the game out of reach. Cullinan added one more for her hat trick and sealed a 15-10 win for the Irish.
Samantha Giacolone had a strong night in the cage for the Irish. She tallied 12 saves on 21 shots for a .571 save percentage. Giacolone also scooped up seven ground balls.
Stat Leaders
- Andie Aldave led the way for the Irish Wednesday night, scoring five goals and winning 10 draw controls. It is the most goals in a game by an Irish player this season and her second game with double-digit draw controls this season.
- Molly Cobb tallied a hat trick with three goals and an assist to tie a career high with four points. She also scooped up three ground balls and has had multiple ground balls in five of six games this year.
- Abi Cullinan recorded the first hat trick of her career Wednesday against Marquette. She also set a career high with three points.
- Samantha Giacolone set a career high with seven ground balls. She also recorded 12 saves, her third game this season with 10 or more.
Up Next
The Irish will head on the road to face conference-foe Louisville this weekend. The Cardinals and Irish will face off on Sunday with opening draw set for 1 p.m.
–ND–
Matt Paras, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since January 2018. In his role, he coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track & field programs. A native of Warwick, Rhode Island, Paras is a graduate of the University of Louisville where he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Administration. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, he worked at Vanderbilt University as the sports information contact for the women’s soccer and lacrosse programs.