May 12, 2017
By Megan Golden
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association announced on Friday that three University of Notre Dame women’s lacrosse players have been selected to the West/Midwest All-Region team. Seniors Cortney Fortunato and Casey Pearsall were named to the All-Region First Team, and senior Alex Dalton received All-Region Second Team honors.
For Fortunato, the honor is the fourth of her remarkable Irish career. Pearsall has received three All-Region selections, while Dalton has been named to the All-Region team in each of her four years.
Fortunato has started all 18 games this season, totaling 78 points on 57 goals and 21 assists.
A Tewaaraton Award Nominee and First Team All-ACC selection, Fortunato is tied for 14th nationally in goals (57) and tied for 15th in points (78). She also ranks second in the ACC in points per game (4.33), fourth in goals per game (3.17) and ninth in assists per game (1.17).
Fortunato has scored at least one goal in 17 games and contributed 14 multi-goal performances. She also has recorded 11 hat tricks in 2017 (42 career), and the Irish have gone 7-4 in those games.
Fortunato averaged 2.71 points per game in ACC play. She recorded two different 2017 ACC single-game-highs with 11 points and eight goals on April 6.
Pearsall has 56 points on 27 goals and 29 assists and has collected a team-high 59 draws and 35 ground balls so far this season.
Pearsall, who was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List and the All-ACC First Team, ranks second in the ACC with 1.71 assists per game and ninth in points per game (3.29).
She set the Irish single-game record with 10 draw controls on April 6 and tallied seven points with six assists against Towson on March 15.
In 14 games this season, Dalton has tallied 14 points, nine goals and five assists and has picked up 30 ground balls, 25 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers.
Dalton collected at least one point and one ground ball in seven of her 14 games and picked up two or more ground balls eight times.
She gathered eight ground balls and totaled two points (one goal and one assist) on Feb. 23 and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 28.
The IWLCA selected 128 total Division I student-athletes to one of the All-Region teams for 2017. All-Region selections are eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA All-American teams, which will be announced on May 17. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American Banquet on June 3 at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Complete West/Midwest All-Region Teams
West/Midwest All-Region First Team
Sarah Brown, University of Colorado, Defense
Madison Carter, Pennsylvania State University, Attack
Erica Evans, Canisius College, Midfield
Cortney Fortunato, University of Notre Dame, Attack
Darby Kiernan, University of Colorado, Attack
Hannah Koloski, University of Louisville, Attack
Stephanie Lazo, Pennsylvania State University, Attack
Michaela Michael, University of Southern California, Attack
Katie O’Donnell, Pennsylvania State University, Midfield
Casey Pearsall, University of Notre Dame, Midfield
Claire Quinn, Northwestern University, Defense
Brittany Read, University of Louisville, Goalkeeper
Meghan Siverson, University of Louisville, Midfield
Paige Soenksen, University of Colorado, Goalkeeper
Lydia Sutton, University of Southern California, Defense
Layne Voorhees, University of Denver, Defense
West/Midwest All-Region Second Team
Alex Dalton, University of Notre Dame, Midfield
Christina Esposito, Northwestern University, Attack
Shelby Fredericks, Northwestern University, Attack
Johnna Fusco, University of Colorado, Attack
Grace Gabriel, Marquette University, Midfield
Gussie Johns, University of Southern California, Goalkeeper
Kendra Lanuza, University of Denver, Attack
Gabby McMahon, University of Southern California, Midfield
Stephanie McNamara, University of Louisville, Defense
Kerrigan Miller, University of Southern California, Midfield
Kelsey Murray, Stanford University, Attack
Madison O’Leary, Stanford University, Defense
Natalie Schmitt, Pennsylvania State University, Defense
Julianna Shearer, Marquette University, Attack
Abigail Smucker, Pennsylvania State University, Midfield
Miranda Stinson, University of Colorado, Midfield
Coming Up Next
The Irish open NCAA Championship play against Cornell at 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Princeton’s Class of ’52 Stadium.
Friday’s game will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network and will be free of charge. To visit Notre Dame’s Tournament Central page, click here.
For a closer, behind-the-scenes look at the Irish women’s lacrosse program, follow @NDWomensLax on Twitter and ndwlax on Snapchat.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.