Maura Irish’s tenacity highlights standout freshman campaign
Notre Dame’s Maura Irish has blossomed into a cornerstone as a freshman, ranking top-5 in goals, assists, ground balls and caused turnovers. Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
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In Christine Halfpenny’s 15 years helming Notre Dame women’s lacrosse, she’s never seen a player like Maura Irish. When the Fighting Irish faced Clemson on March 18, Maura showed exactly why.
She came away with two assists in Notre Dame’s 13-9 loss to the Tigers, all while sustaining a scar from taking a stick to the face in the first quarter. Days later, the small mark had grown into a black eye. But Maura didn’t even consider taking time off.
“I’ve never had a young woman who gets pummeled in the face and says, ‘It looks tough,’” Halfpenny said. “That’s Maura Irish in a nutshell.”
Maura has excelled in the physical Atlantic Coast Conference all season. She’s ND’s only player who ranks in the team’s top five in goals, assists, ground balls and caused turnovers, making her one of the most complete midfielders in the ACC.
When Maura and No. 15 Notre Dame (11-3, 5-3 ACC) enter the JMA Wireless Dome to face No. 3 Syracuse (11-3, 6-2 ACC) Saturday, the freshman midfielder will look to run rogue against one of the nation’s top defenses.
Now, Maura is a do-it-all midfielder for the Fighting Irish. Yes, that’s correct — Maura Irish plays for the Fighting Irish, which she jokes is a match made in heaven. She promised her decision to join ND had nothing to do with her name. She was confused hearing so many “Go Irish” chants early in the season, but she’s now grown accustomed to it.
Maura’s first time suiting up for Notre Dame was during a preseason bout with Ohio State. The scoreboard lit up, and the lights turned on.
“It really hit me,” Maura said. “Wow, this is it. This is my moment.”
Maura made an immediate impact. She forced multiple turnovers and generated many scoring opportunities in the back-and-forth affair.
“When we saw what her response was to those moments, we knew this kid’s going to be a player this year. She’s good,” Halfpenny said.
It was the latest example she’s willing to take a hit or block a shot. Halfpenny said she’s seen scars on Maura’s face multiple times this season.
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That physicality doesn’t show up on the statsheet, but it defined Maura long before her collegiate career began.
In a high school matchup against rival William Penn Charter last year, Episcopal Academy (Pennsylvania) head coach Josie Tomaino noticed Maura limping after sustaining an injury. She refused to leave the field until she was helped off by others.
Maura’s younger sister, Maeve, didn’t get a clear look from the bench at what happened. But it was later revealed Maura severely rolled her ankle and would miss the next two games.
Once the games passed, she remained on the sideline and faced a difficult decision. Episcopal was set to take on the McDonogh School, marking a matchup between two of the nation’s top 15 teams. Should Maura play while not being 100%? Or would Maeve, a freshman at the time, take her place?
Maeve ended up taking her spot. Maeve felt very nervous before stepping on the field, knowing she’d be depended on. But as she prepared for the larger role, Maura was with her at every step.
The night before the game, Maura sat down with her sister to discuss every possible outcome and play, guiding Maeve on where to be and how to react.
On the way to the game, Maura kept reassuring the anxious Maeve, saying, “You’re gonna be great. Everything’s gonna be fine. I really want to play right now, but I need you to go be strong for me.”
After the first quarter, Maeve was constantly second-guessing herself. She wondered if she was where she was supposed to be. When she turned to the sideline, she regained confidence after hearing a simple “Just have fun” from her older sister.
Maeve went on to score four goals, matching McDonogh alone in Episcopal’s 12-4 victory. Although it pained Maura that she couldn’t play, she was overjoyed to see her sister have a standout game as a freshman.
“That was so special because I’ve always looked up to her,” Maeve said. “To see how she leads by example, it was something amazing to be a part of.”
Off the field, Maura is the complete opposite of the relentless competitor Syracuse will see Saturday. Tomaino said she’s funny and incredibly caring, which she’s demonstrated when babysitting Tomaino’s two daughters, Kacie and Taylor. Although she’s left for college this season, the two girls continue to ask their mother if “No. 4” would be coming over.
Unfortunately for them, she’s too busy carving up the best defenses in college lacrosse.
