The Fighting Irish Women’s Lacrosse team will return to Arlotta Stadium this Saturday to face the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils following their 17-10 win against the Yale Bulldogs in Naples, Florida, last weekend.
Yale opened last week’s game with the first goal, but the Irish responded quickly and dominated for the rest of the match. Notre Dame’s Maddie Howe led the Irish in goals, tallying seven, allowing her to establish a new career high. Howe also added four assists for an impressive total of 11 points. Senior captain and midfielder Hannah Dorney dominated on defense, tying her career high with five caused turnovers. Goalie Bridget Deehan collected 10 saves, obtaining a save percentage of .526.
The Blue Devils currently hold a 10-1 record, and they lead the nation in goals per game due to their dominant offensive approach. The Irish will match the energy, however, as the area around the draw circle has become a point of strength for their offense, allowing them to rack up possessions throughout their recent games.
The Blue Devils returned 10 starters and 6 graduate students this year, including Attack Catriona Barry who received Preseason All-ACC recognition and Katie Cronin who held the title of Duke’s lead goal-scorer last season. While the Irish will have to be on the lookout for creativity in plays led by these veteran players, the Irish defense also boasts a lot of experienced players, allowing them to make some big stops. The Irish defense caused four turnovers just in the second quarter of their game against Yale last weekend.
These two teams last faced each other at the ACC quarterfinal game in April 2021 with a close win of 17-16 by the Irish. With the Blue Devils hungry for redemption and the Irish ready to build on their victory, this should be an exciting game.
The game will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium.
