March 30, 2010
Northwestern Lacrosse Weekly Release - March 30 
Opening Draw
Top-ranked Northwestern returns to the friendly confines of Lakeside Field for an early week showdown against 14th-ranked Notre Dame at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 30.
Wildcats on the Web
Wildcat fans unable to make it to Lakeside Field Tuesday have a number of options to keep up to date with every Northwestern goal. The showdown with the Irish will be streamed live at BigTenNetwork.com, and will then be re-aired on the Network at 4 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 31, and again at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, April 1, followed by the BTN's emmy-nominated Friends of Jaclyn documentary. live stats will be available and the game will be broadcast live on-the-air and online at WNUR 89.3 FM.
Scouting the Fighting Irish
14th-ranked Notre Dame is 5-2 on the year coming off a 10-9 loss to Vanderbilt on Wednesday and an 11-9 victory over Louisville Saturday. The Irish have had a balanced offensive attack thus far with sophomore Maggie Tamasitis' 22 points (8G, 14A) leading the way. Junior Shaylyn Blaney has been perhaps Notre Dame's top all-around player, leading the Irish in goals (16) and draw controls (17) while ranking second in caused turnovers (10) and third in points (17). Junior Kailene Abt ranks second on the team in goals (14), points (19) and draws (14) with five assists and 12 ground balls to her credit. Senior Gina Scioscia is the only other Irish to record double-digit goal totals (12) while winning 11 draw controls. Junior Jackie Doherty is Notre Dame's top defensive threat, leading the team with 21 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers while sophomore Katie Newall has added 10 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Freshman goalkeeper Ellie Hilling has started all seven games in net, recording 50 saves with a .413 save percentage and a 9.74 goals against average. Tracy Coyne is 131-84 (.609) in her 14th season in South Bend and has compiled an overall record of 245-111 (.688) in her 23rd year as a head coach.
Series Information
Midwestern rivals Northwestern and Notre Dame meet for the 11th time Tuesday evening with the Wildcats holding an 8-2 edge in the all-time series, including an eight-game winning streak over the Irish. Northwestern roared past Notre Dame 21-5 in South Bend last season thanks in part to four goals and three assists from Danielle Spencer and a hat trick from Katrina Dowd. The Wildcats are 5-1 all-time against the Irish in Evanston, including a pair of victories in 2008 as Northwestern took a 16-2 regular season decision and then handed Notre Dame a 15-7 defeat in the NCAA first round.
Milestone Watch
Seniors Katrina Dowd and Danielle Spencer continue to make up one of the most feared offensive tandems in the country while moving up the program's all-time scoring chart. Spencer sits in seventh-place with 158 career goals with Dowd right on her heels with 157 tallies in her career. Dowd also extended her consecutive point streak to 35 games, which is tied for the 11th-longest active streak in the country, while taking over sole possession of eighth-place all-time with 47 career caused turnovers. With her six draw controls against the Buckeyes, Spencer moved into fifth-place in Wildcat history as she currently has won 127 career draw controls.
Looking Ahead
Northwestern faces perhaps its toughest test of the season, hitting the road for three-straight games against teams ranked among the IWLCA top-15. The Wildcats first head to Durham, N.C., for a showdown with fifth-ranked Duke Saturday, April 3 at 11 a.m. CT. The game against the Blue Devils will mark the 2010 Friends of Jaclyn Brain Tumor Awareness Challenge, with proceeds from the game benefitting the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.