Entering last season’s regular season game against Northwestern, Notre Dame midfielder Caitlin McKinney and attacker Jillian Byers were on a roll.
Then-senior McKinney had scored a goal or dished out an assist in 51 straight games, the second-longest stretch in the nation at the time, and then-junior Byers had a 29-game run of her own.
That’s when they into a ferocious Wildcat defense.
NU snapped both those streaks in a 16-2 win, preventing either player from registering a point. McKinney and Byers combined to take just four shots, only one of which was on goal.
“We could faceguard them, and that definitely caused some trouble,” junior defender Sara Harrington said. “We made an emphasis to keep an eye on McKinney and really, really pressure them whenever (she or Byers) had the ball.”
The Cats repeated the feat in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year, again holding McKinney and Byers to four shots and no points.
McKinney graduated last year, but the Cats still have Byers to worry about during Friday’s game in South Bend, Ind. And while she will get plenty of attention, Notre Dame has other threats that need to be shut down.
“Our strategy this game is going to be a more unified defense and not necessarily a faceguard,” Harrington said.
NU’s defense has remained stout this season despite losing top defender Christy Finch to graduation.
The team caused 15 turnovers in each of its first two contests, against then-No.18 Denver and Duquesne. Going up against a high-powered offense like that of the Irish will give the Cats a good idea where they stand against premiere competition.
In the past few years against Notre Dame, with the exception of last season’s first-round playoff game, NU has jumped out to early leads and never looked back. Winning the draw controls will be especially vital to starting strong on Friday.
“Between any two really good teams, it’s always about the draw controls – who gets it, who’s in control of the ball,” Bremer said.
Before the Cats became a national powerhouse, the Irish were arguably the best women’s lacrosse program in the Midwest. As a result, the game against No. 11 Notre Dame (1-0) is one of the most anticipated of the season for No. 1 NU (2-0).
“Everyone’s always on the east coast,” junior defender Maggie Bremer said. We play them two, three times a year, so just seeing them that often (creates a rivalry).”
NU has won seven in a row against Notre Dame by a combined margin of 107-45.
The Irish and Cats are also familiar with each other from facing off in the fall exhibition season. While not necessarily the best barometer of the outcome when the games count, it familiarizes the teams even more.
“Fall is always a good chance to kind of get a preview of what teams you’re going to play in the spring,” Harrington said. “Everyone is trying new things… so it’s not necessarily what’s going to happen in the spring.”
Another important cog in NU’s recent domination of Notre Dame has been senior goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop. She gave up just eight goals in the two games last year, saving 17 shots.
“As a goalie she’s able to see the field so well,” Bremer said. “So her being able to direct us, tell us where to go and especially know where Jill is – it’s just really important that she’s out there.”
