2023 Women's Top 30: How Notre Dame Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: 14/7
2023 record: 15-6 (6-3 AAC)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Playing in arguably the nation’s toughest conference, the Irish produced a 6-3 record. One of those six wins came against defending national champion North Carolina on April 1. It wasn’t any old win, either. Fueled by a five-goal performance by Madison Ahern, the Irish snapped the Tar Heels’ 27-game conference winning streak that dated back to March 31, 2019 (UNC’s previous ACC loss also came against Notre Dame).

But the Irish’s biggest win came in May against Florida. For the last several years, Notre Dame clearly had the talent — Kasey Choma and Ahern came in as two of the top recruits in their class and showed they had the skills. But often, the Irish struggled to prove it had someone ready to take the game over or come through in a clutch spot. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, Chome was finally that person. With the score tied and 10 seconds left on the clock, Choma scored her fourth of the day, sending Notre Dame to the quarterfinals as the only unseeded team to advance.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Boston College. Three times. After beating UNC, Notre Dame played the eventual national runner-up and ACC champions tight in a 12-11 loss on April 8. But the next two games came in the postseason and were less competitive. First, the Eagles stifled Notre Dame’s offense in a 9-4 result in the ACC semifinals. In the NCAA quarters, Boston College dominated from start to finish, and Notre Dame’s season ended in a 20-6 loss.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Undoubtedly the performance by Choma against Florida in the NCAA tournament. That could be the type of game that unlocks even more from Choma in 2024.

VERDICT

It’s often forgotten how good Notre Dame looked in 2020. Choma and Ahern were shining in their rookie seasons. Andie Aldave was dominating the draw. Bridget Deehan looked stellar in net, and a 12-player senior class was hungry to send Notre Dame to the Final Four for the first time since 2006. The Irish were 7-0 heading into a clash of the undefeateds with UNC in March and looked like it could crack the top tier of the ACC, especially with Boston College struggling post-Big 3. The pandemic canceled that and everything else. Notre Dame has struggled to find its groove for the last two seasons. A chaotic 2021 that saw the Irish unable to compete for the better part of three weeks also ultimately ended in the quarterfinals to BC. But the Irish finished 9-10 last season and bowed out in the first round. So, 2023 was a solid rebound, and Notre Dame picked up some big wins at the right time. But most notably, Choma will be back in 2024 — perhaps with the knowledge that she can come through in the biggest moments.