Notre Dame, Ind. - Notre Dame women's lacrosse coach Tracy Coyne, who begins her 13th season as the only coach of the Notre Dame women's lacrosse program, announced the signing of nine high school lacrosse players to national letters of intent. They will attend the University beginning in the fall of 2009. Signing in the early signing period were McKenzie Brown (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Emily Conner (Alexandria, Va.), Francie Crowell (Seal Beach, Calif.), Louise Fauth (Alexandria, Va.), Jenny Granger (East Setauket, N.Y.), Ellie Hilling (Rochester, N.Y.), Betsy Mastropieri (Richmond, Va.), Jaimie Morrison (Yorktown, N.Y.) and Michelle Tremblay (Tonka Bay, Minn.).

In making the announcement, Coyne said, "We are very excited to be bringing in such a talented class to Notre Dame. "This is definitely one of our best recruiting classes. They will compliment the team with their skill and athletic ability. This is a very accomplished group athletically - we felt individually they were each a perfect fit for Notre Dame."

The nine-player class consists of three players from New York, three from Virginia and one each from Colorado, California and Minnesota. The group includes two goalkeepers, one defender and six midfield and attack players.

McKenzie Brown is a two-sport athlete from Greenwood Village, Colo., and plays lacrosse and field hockey at Cherry Creek High School. A 5-10 midfielder, she was the Colorado Player of the Year as selected by the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. An all-state and all-league selection, she has helped Cherry Creek to three consecutive state championships and led the state with 64 goals in 2008. An all-state selection in field hockey, she was a member of the 2007 Colorado field hockey championship team and was selected most valuable player of the state championship game by the Denver Post.

Coyne on Brown: "McKenzie is tall and athletic with plenty of championship-game experience. She has been instrumental in her high school team winning four state titles in field hockey and lacrosse. She knows what it takes to win. She understands the work ethic and the mental edge necessary to be a winner. It's exciting to have another Cherry Creek standout on the team."

Emily Conner is a 5-9 defensive standout from Alexandria, Va., and plays lacrosse and field hockey for St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, the top-ranked women's lacrosse high school program in the country. An extremely intelligent player with great defensive instincts, she plays a tenacious defensive style and has great stick skills that will help Notre Dame's transition game. Conner is an impact player who should step right into the regular lineup in the 2010 campaign. She has been the leading scorer in field hockey in each of the last two seasons and is a member of the Mid-Atlantic I team that won the US Lacrosse high school national championship in 2008.

Coyne on Conner: "Emily is the total package - athleticism, game sense and winning attitude. She also has the intangible of understanding about what it takes to win championships. She has played on five state championship teams in both lacrosse and field hockey. She has such great instincts for the game and makes big plays at crucial times. She will be an impact player on our defense."

Francie Crowell becomes the first Notre Dame women's lacrosse player from California as she hails from Seal Beach and plays at Los Alamitos High School at midfield/attack. Her team's offensive player of the year, she set school records for goals (46) and points (63) in a season as she helped Los Alamitos to a 3-2 record in 2007. An all-league and all-county first team selection as a junior, Crowell is a natural leader with an eagerness to improve her game.

1 2 3    Next  »

2008-12-02