The last time Notre Dame women's lacrosse took the field, it served as a marquee moment for the team as a whole. The Irish beat No. 3 North Carolina, easily their most impressive win of their season. But in doing so, they also elevated a pair of their players into the national spotlight.
The North Carolina game was the second straight that senior attacker Madison Ahern tallied five goals. Ahern is no stranger to awards, as she has racked up all kinds of them throughout her Irish career, including being named a member of last year's All-ACC Second Team. This time, the ACC named her the conference's Offensive Player of the Week. Ahern came through huge for the Irish in both the quantity and magnitude of her scoring. She tallied the game-winning goal against both Brown and the Tar Heels, scoring three times in the fourth quarter against UNC. Ahern took 14 shots across the two games and also added an assist against North Carolina.
The Irish defense also came through in the clutch as well. Notre Dame allowed just two second-half goals to Brown and held North Carolina to three goals or fewer in three of four quarters on Saturday. Graduate student midfield Hannah Dorney was at the center of those efforts. As a result, she was named co-conference Defensive Player of the Week with Virginia Tech's Jocelyn Torres. Dorney, too, has received honors for her play before, most notably being named to last year's ACC All-Tournament Team. The Port Jefferson Station, New York, native racked up four ground balls and forced three turnovers during Notre Dame's last two games. She was particularly impactful at the start of the North Carolina game, helping the Irish jump out to a tone-setting 4-1 lead by scoring her fifth goal of the year.
The Irish will need Ahern, Dorney and company to stay in elite form to stay in the win column. Things don't get any easier for the Irish, as they host No. 7 Boston College. It is a massive advantage for the Irish that the game is at Notre Dame, the final contest of a season-long three-game home stretch. Both teams are 7-0 at home but have struggled on the road. The Irish are 0-3 when playing as the visitor, while Boston College is 2-2.
Boston College's 9-3 record is especially impressive considering how difficult their schedule has been. The Eagles began the season with five straight games against ranked opponents, including No. 1 North Carolina and a one-goal loss to then-No. 5 Northwestern. Like the Irish, they also have wins over Duke and Clemson on their resume. Their game against Notre Dame will be their eighth against a ranked team in 2023, and their fifth against a top-10 team.
Like Notre Dame, Boston College also enters this heavyweight matchup on a hot streak. The Eagles have won three straight and six of their last seven. They have held their opponent to eight goals or fewer four times in that stretch, including a season-best two goals against in their last contest against Pitt. The Irish will test that defensive prowess, however. Notre Dame boasts two of the conference's top-six goal scorers in Ahern and senior midfielder Kasey Choma. The Irish have won four of their last five, scoring 15 goals or more three times.
Boston College has some firepower of their own, however. Jenn Medjid is seventh in the entire country with 45 goals and was named Co-ACC Offensive Player of the Week herself earlier this season. Kayla Martello is top-ten in the ACC in goals as well. The duo scored five times combined when the teams met last year, a 16-10 Boston College win in Newton, Massachusetts on April 9. The Eagles also have a pair of strong goaltenders in Shea Dolce and Rachel Hall. Hall got the start against the Irish last year, making nine saves in the win.
The Irish will look to get revenge for that defeat and notch another impressive win on Saturday. Boston College has won four straight meetings against the Irish, including eliminating the Irish in the 2021 NCAA Quarterfinals. None of those games were played in South Bend, however Saturday's will be. The game will be at 12 p.m. It is available to watch on ESPNU.
