Aldave strained her knee in the first game of 2021 season and played the season on
it, but she simply wasn't the same player on offense, defense or draw controls. That was apparent in the two-game losses to Syracuse and BC, as well as the blowout loss to BC in the NCAA.
She graduated in May, but fully expected her to come back -- particularly with that 2021 season in mind -- and try to pick up on the great 2020 season, which got cut off due to Covid.
Halfpenny hired a new assistant coach to help work on the set offense and was hoping to see some new ideas for ND's underclass players and returners like Aldave.
Hope there's a personal interest at UNC besides lacrosse because, otherwise, this raises question. This was one of the faces of UND lacrosse (Kasey Choma came here, in part, because of Aldave). Will be keeping track of other possible transfers (hopefully, not).
- Andie Aldave chose to move on with her grad year, joing her U.S. National Team Coach Jen Levy at UNC. All-American midde Olivia Dirks -- who has three years remaining -- did the same thing.
- Attacker Maddie Howe will return for a grad year. Hoping Howe can return to 2019-20 form to join Madison Ahearn and Jackie Wolak for a very potent attack.
and
perhaps best of all...
- All-American Goalie Bridget Deehan will return for one more year between the pipes, which is really important because just about every starting defensemen has graduated.
- The ??? is where is Emma Schettig? Remembver her? The All-American defender (as a freshman) who came over from Maryland. Schetting didn't play the first few games, then got in as a defensive middie, then disppeared from sight. Like her fellow McDonough School grads Aldave and Savannah Buchanan (who graduated), she's not on the roster. Can't find any news of her landing place.
Any ideas?
When I wrote that point, it was the week before students returned to class and I could've sworn I didn't see her name. And maybe she was considering/or was in the transfer portal? Or maybe I finally need to get my eyes checked out again?
In any case, she was an All-American her frosh year at Maryland and could help this team big time at defense and/or d-mid, now that a boatload of our defense just graduated.
So she probably wants to go somewhere she can win.
Halfpenny has been a disaster. Horrible post-season record. Middling regular-season record.
Swarbrick took the poor advice of a recently promoted secretary who knew nothing about women's lacrosse when he fired Tracy Coyne, and they pompously and naively thought they could hire a big-time coach to win championships. Instead no one wanted the job, and they were stuck with Halfpenny, who has done less with more than Coyne ever had.
But don't hold your breath waiting for Swarbrick to admit his bungling of the women's lacrosse program.
And transfers to a bitter rival, that raises lots of questions.
Of course there could be legitimate reasons - UNC graduate school offerings, chance to win a NC, change of scenery, etc. - but you don't usually see this occurring with one of your best players.
So, of course, this makes you question the coaching staff and what is going on
are also graduated and decided to come back for an extra year at Notre Dame.
Having an All-American goalie return when most of your defense will be new(er), is good thing. And Howe is so freaking tough: working with Jackie Wolak and Madison Ahearn for another year at attack (and Choma at middie) is a godsend.