Notre Dame Uses 7-0 Run to Drop Vanderbilt
from press release
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The 12th-ranked Vanderbilt
women's lacrosse team lost its NCAA First Round game at No. 6 Notre
Dame, 19-13, Sunday at Alumni Field.
The Commodores finish the season with a record of 10-7, marking the
third straight year with double-digit victories but also the third
straight year for a first round exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals where the Irish will
face No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday, May 10, in Chapel Hill.
In Sunday's game, VU junior Sarah Downing broke Commodore records
for goals and points in a season. Downing's hat-trick gave her 55
goals to pass past VU great Sue Napolitano's 1996 total of 53 goals
and also helped her to 81 points to best All-American Margie
Curran's 80 points from a year ago.
Downing currently ranks seventh all-time in goals scored at
Vanderbilt with 106. Downing is five tallies ahead of senior Cara
Giordano, who ends her illustrious VU career with 101 goals.
Downing's 160 career points are sixth on Vanderbilt's all-time
list.
The game started evenly with ties and lead changes over the first
17 minutes playing to a 4-4 deadlock. The Irish would score the
game's next four goals to take a 7-4 advantage, and close the half
with three straight to secure a 13-7 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Irish would score the first four goals to
take a 10-goal lead with 23 minutes remaining. The Commodores
continued to fight, but would get no closer than the final six-goal
deficit.
and sophomore Junior Carter Foote's five points led all VU's
scorers, while Downing and freshman Ally Carey tossed in three
goals each. Giordano and junior Allie Frank both scored a pair,
with junior Laura KeenanKatherine Denkler rounding out the
scoring.
Carey's six draw controls on the day give her a total of 61 on the
season, also a record for the Commodores.
For Notre Dame, three players scored three or more goals, including
Tewaaraton finalist Jillian Byers.
