April 29, 1997
Notre Dame Women's Soccer Adds Finnish Star to Class of 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Notre Dame women's soccer coach Chris
Petrucelli has announced that Finnish national team member Anne Makinen
will attend Notre Dame next fall. A native of Helsinki, Finland,
Makinen has played six years of international soccer with the Finnish
national team. She most recently trained with Kai Haaskivi at the
adidas Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and is expected to compete for
the center midfielder spot left by 1996 Hermann Trophy winner Cindy
Daws, who graduates in May and leaves as Notre Dame's all-time leading
scorer.
"Anne is exactly what we need in a dominant central midfielder who
can come in and replace Cindy Daws," said Petrucelli. "She is one of
the most talented incoming players that I have seen in a long time. She
will team with Holly Manthei, Shannon Boxx and Kara Brown and allow us
to maintain the quality midfield that we have had the past few years.
With Anne, our midfield should be as strong as ever."
At 15 years old, the United European Football Association did not
allow her to participate on the Finnish national team, stating that she
was too young. She was finally cleared to play at the age of 16 and was
named Finnish player of the year at 17. She has played in 40
international games with Finland and has scored 10 goals in those
contests.
"Few people know how great of a player Notre Dame has landed," said
Haaskivi. "She makes things happens and is one of the top ten
playmakers in the world. Anne will have a major impact on college
soccer with her maturity and ability to control the flow of the game.
With the way that Notre Dame plays, Anne will more than fit in with
them."
Makinen joins Kristin Danielson, Meotis Erikson, Monica Gonzalez,
Kelly Lindsey and Stacey Tullock as members of Notre Dame's class of
2001. Notre Dame is coming off a 24-2 record in 1996, the most wins in
the school history. The Irish advanced to their third straight NCAA
finals appearance, the longest current streak in the nation, and
finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the country for
the second time in three years.
