March 27, 2001

ATHENS, Ohio – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team won its fifth straight on Tuesday to improve to 5-1 with its 18-9 win at Ohio. Junior Natalie Loftus lead the Irish with four goals and two assists, while junior Lael O’Shaughnessy added three goals and an assist for the Irish, who return to action this weekend with a pair of games vs. Delaware and at Vanderbilt. The win marked a successful return to Irish head coach Tracy Coyne, a 1983 graduate of Ohio University. The five-game winning streak matches the longest the program’s five-year history, while the 5-1 start equals the 5-1 of the first varsity program in 1997.

The Irish got on the board first less than a minute into the contest and never trailed. Notre Dame led 10-3 with less than six minutes to play in the first half, but Ohio countered with a 3-1 run that cut the margin to 11-6 at intermission. Notre Dame tallied seven goals in the second half and held the Bobcats scoreless for the final 13 minutes to preserve the victory.

Sophomore Anne Riley scored three goals, while freshman Meredith Simon had two goals and an assist. Senior Maura Doyle, junior Alissa Moser and sophomore Angela Dixon each scored a goal and added an assist. Sophomores Kelly McCardell and Danielle Shearer and freshman Kristen Gaudreau each added a goal, while junior Kate Scarola had an assists. Sophomore goaltender Jen White had four saves, while senior Tara Durkin saved a pair of shots.