thanks to Nicholas Petrone, Associate Director of Athletic Media Relations – Jacksonville University for this press release   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two women’s lacrosse heavyweights kick off their 2016 campaigns Saturday at D.B. Milne Field, as three-time reigning Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) champion Jacksonville hosts No. 11/11 Notre Dame out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at 4 p.m ET with the action being aired live on ESPN3 and JUDolphins.com. Game 1/No. 11/11 Notre Dame (0-0) at Jacksonville (0-0) Jacksonville, Fla. – D.B. Milne Field – 4 p.m. ET Live Video (ESPN3), Audio and Stats: JUDolphins.com Talent: Brian Freshley (play-by-play), Christy Turner (analyst) Twitter: @JUwomenslax   JU ND Women Game Notes 2014   About Jacksonville   For the fourth-straight season, Jacksonville has been picked to win the A-Sun crown in a vote of the league’s nine head coaches. The Dolphins, who have won the conference regular-season and tournament titles three-straight years and recorded a program-record 17 wins in 2015, earned 80 points and eight of nine first-place votes in the 2016 A-Sun Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll and are seeking a fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship. Two Dolphins also swept the conference’s top individual preseason awards, as Danielle Della Rocca<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/della_rocca_danielle_urdo> was voted Player of the Year, and Erika Brager<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/brager_erika_rgqy> was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Della Rocca and Brager on the Preseason All A-Sun Team were Sam Bauer<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/bauer_sam_srvn> and Hannah Wilcox<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/wilcox_hannah_6jo5>.  Kristin Ridenour<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/ridenour_kristin_lbxy> and Ashtyn Hiron<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/hiron_ashtyn_kv7q> were named to the Preseason All A-Sun Watch List.   About Notre Dame   The Fighting Irish, who posted an 11-9 overall record in 2015 and advanced to the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship second round, were picked to finish third in the ACC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and are ranked 11th in two preseason polls (officially recognized by NCAA) put out by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and Inside Lacrosse (IL). Notre Dame is ranked as high as seventh in the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20. Notre Dame returns 11 of 12 starters from a season ago, including its top six producers on the offensive end and four consensus preseason All-Americans – Cortney Fortunato, Barbara Sullivan, Alex Dalton and Casey Pearsall. In 2015, Sullivan was named one of five Tewaaraton Award finalists and the ILWomen Defender of the Year after setting a Notre Dame single-season record with 85 draw controls. Joining the four Irish returnees is the No. 3-ranked freshman class according to Inside Lacrosse. Ranked on Inside Lacrosse’s Top 80 recruits were: Nikki Ortega (No. 6), Samantha Giacolone (No. 9; No. 1 GK), Hannah Proctor (No. 22), Samantha Lynch (No. 47), Jennifer Cassadonte (Watch List) and Makenna Pearsall (Watch List). Notre Dame faces six foes, including five in league play, this year ranked in the preseason Top 25 of multiple publications.   ‘Fin Facts   Jacksonville’s Hiron and Notre Dame’s Ortega each earned an All-World honor at the Under-19 Championship last summer. Hiron played for Australia, while Ortega represented the USA. The Dolphins are 50-15 all-time at home and won a program-record 11 games at D.B.  Milne Field in 2015. Jacksonville has won six of its last seven non-conference games at D.B. Milne Field. In 2015, Della Rocca led the Atlantic Sun Conference in points (84) and goals (55) and was second in assists (27). She ranked 10th, 22nd and 31st nationally in each respective category. Della Rocca is tied for first in program history with six man up goals and ranks sixth all-time in goals (79) and assists (36) and seventh in shots on goal (124) and ninth in free-position goals (16). The Dolphins led the A-Sun and country in assists per game (7.8) and scoring margin (8.3) in 2015 and led the A-Sun while ranking second nationally in scoring offense per game (15.6). The Dolphins’ Sally Holbert<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/holbert_sally_iq9l> (21G, 18A) and Rachel Aus<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/aus_rachel_v6l7> (28G, 5A) return after 30-point campaigns in 2015. Ten of 13 players that had 10 or more points for Jacksonville last season return this year. On the defensive end, Jacksonville returns a load of experience. Ridenour and Brager each started all 20 games in 2015, with Megan Curley<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/curley_megan_gtpv> and Emily Barton<http://www.judolphins.com/sports/wlax/2015-16/bios/barton_emily_cars> starting 12 and eight games, respectively.     Nicholas Petrone Associate Director of Athletic Media Relations Jacksonville University