Championship Central
Box Score
May 3, 2012
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 12/10 Loyola beat No. 6/6 Notre Dame 11-9 in the semifinals of the 2012 BIG EAST women’s lacrosse championship held at the Carrier Dome. Loyola sophomore and BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Marlee Paton scored four goals and totaled six points, while the Greyhounds’ defense held the Irish to just three scores in the second half.
Loyola junior Joanna Dalton also got in on the scoring as she tied her career high with four goals. The Greyhounds, who trailed 6-5 at halftime, outscored the Irish 6-3 over the final 20 minutes. Senior goalkeeper Kerry Stoothoff made eight saves and grabbed six ground balls to preserve the win for the Greyhounds.
“I’m very proud of our girls for being able to stick it out and fight it out against a very athletic and tough Notre Dame side,” said weary Loyola head coach Jen Adams. “We showed a lot of true character and I’m really proud of the effort they put in today.”
The Irish entered the game 11-0 when leading at the half.
Notre Dame senior Maggie Tamasitis had three points, including two goals, while junior teammate Jenny Granger led the team with four points. Goalkeeper Ellie Hilling had eight saves for the Irish, along with four ground balls.
With the win, Loyola (12-5) advanced to the title game of the BIG EAST tournament for the second straight year. The Greyhounds will face No. 2/2 Syracuse on Saturday, May 5 at 1 p.m. ET on the CBS Sports Network.
Notre Dame (13-4) will await word on a possible NCAA berth which will be announced on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on www.ncaa.com. The Irish have beaten five ranked opponents this season and hold an RPI of 7 in the April 30 NCAA rankings.
