Marquette Women's Lacrosse Falls to No. 6/7 Notre Dame

Golden Eagles unable to overcome early deficit against ranked Irish squad

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Marquette University women's lacrosse team (0-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) fell to the No. 6/7 University of Notre Dame (1-0, 0-0 ACC) by a score of 16-11 on Saturday afternoon at Valley Fields. Carsen Brandt led the Golden Eagles with a hat trick and an assist, while Tucker Mullen added a career-high four points. Beau Westphal also recorded a hat trick for Marquette, but it wasn't enough to overcome Notre Dame's early lead and strong second-half performance.

Why it matters

This loss drops Marquette to 0-2 on the season as they continue to search for their first win. The Golden Eagles are looking to build on last year's campaign and compete in the BIG EAST, but this defeat against a highly ranked opponent shows they still have work to do to reach that level.

The details

Notre Dame jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the game. Marquette responded with three unanswered goals to tie it at 3-3, but the Irish carried an 8-6 advantage into halftime. The Golden Eagles opened the second half with two quick goals to even the score, but Notre Dame took control in the third quarter with four unanswered goals and maintained that lead through the fourth quarter.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026.
  • Notre Dame scored three quick goals in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the opening quarter.
  • Marquette scored three unanswered goals to tie the game at 3-3 in the first quarter.
  • Notre Dame led 8-6 at halftime.
  • Marquette scored two unanswered goals to start the second half and tie the game at 8-8.

The players

Carsen Brandt

A Marquette player who recorded a hat trick and an assist in the game.

Tucker Mullen

A Marquette player who added a career-high four points in the loss.

Beau Westphal

A Marquette player who also notched a hat trick in the game.

Ethan Salvia

A Marquette player who scored his first career goal in the first quarter.

Matt Caputo

A Marquette player who scored a goal in the third quarter.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

This loss highlights the continued challenges facing the Marquette women's lacrosse team as they look to compete with top-ranked programs in the BIG EAST. While the Golden Eagles showed fight in tying the game in the second half, they were ultimately unable to overcome Notre Dame's early advantage and strong finish. Marquette will need to regroup and find ways to start games stronger if they hope to earn more wins against elite competition this season.