Career Accomplishments

University of Notre Dame 2010 – 2014

Margaret Smith was one of the most decorated defensive players in Notre Dame women’s lacrosse history, capped by being named the 2014 ILWomen co-National Defender of the Year.

National Awards & Honors

Conference & Regional Honors

• All-ACC Second Team: 2014 (She was the program’s first-ever All-ACC selection).
• All-BIG EAST First Team: 2012, 2013.
• IWLCA All-Region (West/Midwest):
  • First Team: 2012, 2013, 2014.
• BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week: March 4, 2013.
• BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll: Multiple selections including March 11, 2012, and April 29, 2013.

Institutional and Team Awards

Margaret Smith played women’s lacrosse for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2011 to 2014. A standout defender and midfielder, she served as a multi-year captain and concluded her career as one of the program’s most decorated defensive players.

Year-by-Year Performance Highlights

• 2014 (Senior): Led the ACC in both caused turnovers (43) and ground balls (64). She also recorded 47 draw controls.
• 2013 (Junior): Named a first-team All-BIG EAST selection.
• 2012 (Sophomore): Named a third-team All-American and a first-team All-BIG EAST selection.
• 2011 (Freshman): Started immediately on the Irish back line and was a key defensive contributor.

Margaret Smith remains one of the most prolific defensive forces in Notre Dame women’s lacrosse history. When she graduated in 2014, she held the all-time school record for caused turnovers.

Career Rankings (All-Time)

• Caused Turnovers: 122 — Ranks 2nd all-time.
  • She held the #1 spot for several years before being surpassed by Barbara Sullivan (188).
• Ground Balls: 168 — Ranks 4th all-time.
  • She held the single-season record (64 in 2014) until it was later broken.
• Draw Controls: 151 — Ranks 7th all-time.
  • Smith was versatile across the field, moving from midfield to a primary defensive role while maintaining elite draw numbers.

Single-Season Records

Smith’s senior campaign in 2014 remains one of the best individual defensive seasons in program history:

• Caused Turnovers (Season): Her 43 caused turnovers in 2014 currently rank 4th in the Irish record books.
• Ground Balls (Season): Her 64 ground balls in 2014 rank 2nd all-time for a single season, just one shy of the current record (65).

Category	Career Total	Current Ranking
Caused Turnovers	122	2nd
Ground Balls	168	4th
Draw Controls	151	7th

Margaret Smith’s pre-collegiate career was established at the McDonogh School and within the nationally recognized M&D Lacrosse Club

High School Career at McDonogh School

At McDonogh, Smith was a versatile three-sport athlete who helped ignite the school’s lacrosse dynasty.

• Championships: She led the McDonogh Eagles to back-to-back IAAM Conference and national championships in 2009 and 2010.
• Top Honors: In 2010, she was awarded the Ensign C. Markland Kelly, Jr. Memorial Trophy, recognizing her as the school’s top female athlete.
• All-American Status: She was a U.S. Lacrosse First Team All-American (2009) and played in the Under Armour All-American Game.
• Other Sports: She also competed at a high level in soccer and basketball, earning all-conference and all-county nods for her defensive contributions across multiple fields.

Under Armour All-American Team 2010

M&D Lacrosse Club

Smith played club lacrosse for six years with the M&D 2010 Black team, which is widely considered one of the top programs in the country.

• National Dominance: She won back-to-back National Championships with M&D in 2007 and 2008.
• Vail Shootout: In 2009, she was named the Most Valuable Player of the prestigious Vail Shootout.
• Recruiting Rank: Her performance with M&D and McDonogh led her to be ranked as the #7 incoming freshman in the nation by Inside Lacrosse before she joined Notre Dame.