Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse: Irish Upset #5 Virginia, Remain Undefeated

Facing their first legitimate test of the season, the 20th ranked Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team erased a three goal deficit and upended fifth-ranked Virginia, 10-9, at Klockner Stadium Saturday.

Andie Aldave ripped a sidearm shot past junior goalkeeper Charlie Campbell for the deciding goal with just 90 seconds remaining.

The Irish (8-0, 2-0 ACC) were led by their sophomore midfielders. Aldave had five points on the afternoon, including three goals. Maddie Howe had a hat trick of her own and Katie Enrietto had two goals on the only two shots she attempted.

Senior goaltender Samantha Giacolone, who leads the nation in goals against average, saved 10 of the 19 shots on goal from Virginia (7-3, 0-3 ACC).

A game between two high powered offenses was a defensive duel for the first half. The Irish, who led the country in scoring offense, managed just four goals against Campbell. Virginia, the 19th best scoring offense in the nation, could only manage to slip two past Giacolone — both from junior midfielder Sammy Mueller, the team’s leading scorer.

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While both goaltenders ultimately cooled off in the second period, Campbell stopped six consecutive shots and held the Irish without a goal for 14 minutes and 13 seconds after the break.

The Cavaliers, who had erased a three-goal halftime deficit in a win against Loyola Wednesday, appeared poised to do the same to Notre Dame. After trading goals to open the second period, the Cavaliers ripped off five unanswered goals to take a 8-5 lead with 14:29 remaining in the game.

The Irish, who had trailed just 3:14 all year, found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Goals by senior attack Samantha Lynch, Howe and Enrietto subsequently wiped out the Cavaliers’ advantage and the score was tied with just 6:27 left.

Junior midfielder Savannah Buchanan helped the Irish regain its first lead in 15 ¹⁄₂ minutes, but Mueller responded just sixteen seconds later with her fourth goal of the game to even the score at 9.

The Irish survived a turnover in the game’s final 65 seconds as well as a shot by senior midfielder Maggie Jackson that hit the post and likely would have sent the game into overtime.

The Irish outshot the Cavaliers, 28-24 (20-19 on attempts on goal), scooped up 19 ground balls to Virginia’s 11 and caused eight of their opponent’s 14 turnovers. Virginia dominated draw controls, 13-8, while Notre Dame was a perfect 20 for 20 in clearing the ball out of their own defensive zone.

The Irish return home for a 4 p.m. game Wednesday against the Vanderbilt Commodores (7-1), with a road game against No. 4 Syracuse on Saturday. Notre Dame will host No. 3 North Carolina on Sunday, March 31 and travel to Chestnut Hill to play No. 1 Boston College on Wednesday, April 3.