How dream season was years in the making for three Notre Dame women’s lacrosse stars

With her second of 5 goals in Notre Dame’s first-round win over Coastal Carolina on Friday, graduate student midfielder Kasey Choma reached 300 career points. She became the fifth player in program history to reach the milestone, and third on the current team alongside graduate student attackers Jackie Wolak and Madison Ahern.

On a day filled with team records, that one stood out above the rest. Only two Fighting Irish reached 300 points in 23 years before Choma, Wolak and Ahern arrived in 2019. Joining the 300-point club together represented what the three of them mean to this program and how they did what they set out to do.

For Choma, it was eight years in the making.

“Me, Jackie, Madison made the decision to come here to Notre Dame and make a difference in 2016,” Choma said after the game. “And I think just seeing them grow and seeing how phenomenal their careers have been.”

Wolak assisted on Choma’s milestone goal, as well as eight others Friday afternoon. That was a single-game program record, and it extended her lead as the top NCAA Tournament point-scorer in team history.

Ranking second and third on that list: Choma and Ahern, respectively.

“Kasey is like my best friend, so whenever I see her succeed, it’s something I feel so proud of and gets me excited, gets me motivated,” Wolak said. “I’m just so happy for her.”

Of Wolak’s 9 assists in Friday’s 24-6 victory over the Chanticleers, five came on goals scored by Choma and Ahern. The three of them have done everything together since entering Notre Dame, and they’ve dominated the stat sheet throughout their fifth and final seasons. Wolak, Ahern and Choma are 1-2-3 in points with 103, 77 and 75, respectively. Next-best is senior midfielder MK Doherty with 44.

Their on-field chemistry, Irish head coach Christine Halfpenny explained, is impeccable. They know what the other two will do and when they’ll do it. That only comes from growing up together on and off the field for five years, and even longer dating back to the time they committed.

“So much fun working together, just being through this whole journey together, it’s so special,” Choma said. “Honestly, I’m just grateful to be doing this with them.”

Regarding team success, the trio led the 2024 Irish to their best regular-season record in program history at 15-3 (not counting 2020, which was cut short by COVID-19 after a 7-0 start). Friday’s final score was historic in and of itself; Notre Dame broke the program record for most goals and largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game.

It also happened to be Notre Dame’s 300th win in women’s lacrosse.

Hosting the first- and second-round games has been a goal for the Irish. As Choma put it, the team’s 17 seniors and graduate students want to end their Arlotta Stadium careers on their own terms. But that was a more conservative goal for a team that entered the season with lofty expectations.

“I think a goal of ours from the beginning of the season — in January, we make our team goals — is to be the best Notre Dame program in history,” Choma said. “And we’ve accomplished many milestones so far, and I think that’s something that’s in the back of our minds, just keep going, keep pushing through and continue to be the best team.”

If Notre Dame beats Michigan, it would be the best team in program history. That’s certainly not a given, as the Wolverines enter with a 15-3 record and handled Mercer 17-6 in the first round. But the Irish have never made it past the NCAA Quarterfinals, so the top regular-season record would win out.

The ultimate goal, though, would still be 14 days and three wins away.

“Won’t be fulfilled until Memorial Day weekend,” Choma said. “That’s for sure.”

If anyone can take Notre Dame women’s lacrosse to its first Final Four and national championship, it would be Ahern, Wolak and Choma.

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