Shaylyn Blaney Class: Sophomore Hometown: Stony Brook, NY High School: Ward Melville Height: 5-4 Position: Midfield/Attack Birthdate: 06/11/1989

Recognized as one of the top freshmen lacrosse players in the country ... highly skilled player with a tremendous work ethic ... dominant player who will play a key role with the Irish defense in 2008 ... has outstanding stick skills ... can set up plays as well as put the ball in the cage ... will team up with senior Caitlin McKinney and junior Jillian Byers to give Notre Dame one of the top scoring trios in the nation ... three-time U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American ... member of the U.S. Lacrosse Under-19 team, helping team to gold medal in July of 2007 ... was fourth in scoring with 16 goals and one assist for 17 points ... first Notre Dame player to play in the Under-19 tournament since Kelly McCardell '03 in 1999 ... joined incoming freshmen Kailene Abt and Jackie Doherty as Under Armour All-Americans in 2007 and played in Under Armour All-America Classic in May ... member of Notre Dame's seven-player freshman class that has been ranked among the best in the nation ... one of seven New Yorkers along with Abt (Huntington), Byers (Northport), Lauren deMello (Manlius), Julie Foote (Suffern), Erin Goodman (Cortlandt Manor) and Rachel Guerrera (Wantagh) on the Irish roster.

PREP AND PERSONAL: Two-sport athlete at Ward Melville High School in Setauket, N.Y. ... four-time letter winner in field hockey and lacrosse ... began high school lacrosse career in seventh grade and joined varsity field hockey team in eighth grade .... high school lacrosse coach was her mother, Erin Blaney ... two-time team captain of lacrosse and field hockey teams ... helped Ward Melville to three conference championships in field hockey (2003, 2004, 2005) and two regional titles (2003, 2004) ... helped Ward Melville lacrosse team to an 18-2 record in '07 and its first Suffolk County Class A title since 1994 ... four-time all-County selection in both sports and the '07 Suffolk County player of the year in lacrosse ... finished high school career with 299 goals and 80 assists for 379 points ... member of the Long Island Express Club team ... a three-time member of the New York Region team that participated in the U.S. Lacrosse national championships ... along with freshman teammate, Kailene Abt, was a member of the 2006 U.S. Lacrosse national championship team ... played on three Empire State teams, winning the gold medal in '06 and silver medals in '04 and '05 ... full name is Shaylyn Margaret Blaney ... daughter of Keith and Erin Blaney ... has two brothers and two sisters ... brothers, Ryan and Keegan, played lacrosse at Marist College ... sister, Kelly, played lacrosse at New Hampshire ... born June