Notre Dame shut out East Carolina in a 5 to 0 win on Sunday, August 26th in Alumni Stadium.
NATIONAL TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: Has been a mainstay in the U.S. National Team age-group system since 2009 (currently with U-18s) ... joined sophomores Karin Simonian and Taylor Schneider, and classmates Cari Roccaro and Brittany Von Rueden in the 2011 U-18 and 2010 U-17 National Team player pools ... also was part of 2009 U-15 National Team player pool with Roccaro, Von Rueden and another fellow freshman Stephanie Campo ... started all four matches for U-17 National Team at 2010 U-16 Nordic Cup in Denmark (USA won title, outscoring its four opponents by a combined 13-1 margin).
ODP/CLUB TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: Played extensively with ODP Region II Team from 2009-11 and Illinois State ODP Team from 2007-11 ... competed in ODP Thanksgiving Interregional from 2008-11 ... participated in February 2011 ECNL/id2 National Camp ... was part of Sockers FC Chicago club program for many years, playing for head coach Oleg Vatchev ... played for same club as fellow freshman Crystal Thomas ... three members of the 2004 Notre Dame national championship -- Jen Buczkowski, Jill Krivacek and Kim Lorenzen -- also came out of the Sockers FC Chicago club program ... two-time NSCAA Youth All-American (2010, 2011) ... ranked ninth in 2012 ESPNHS 150 and 10th in 2012 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (five-star ranking; No. 1 in Midwest region).
PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village, Ill., where she played for head coach Daniel Klaus ... four-year starter, registering career totals of 10 goals and 30 assists despite playing almost exclusively in defensive third ... was team captain all four seasons of high school ... had career-high three goals as freshman (2008-09) and junior (2010-11) ... delivered career-high nine assists as both a junior (2010-11) and senior (2011-12) ... led defense to 22 shutouts in final three seasons, despite playing in Mid-Suburban League (widely considered strongest conference in the state) ... runner-up for Illinois Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2010 ... three-time Chicago Tribune all-state choice (second team in 2010 and 2012; first team in 2011) ... four-time Northwest All-Area Team selection (2009-12) ... Mid-Suburban League East Division Player of the Year (2012) ... four-time all-conference pick (2009-12) ... also ran track in junior high school and still holds that school's record for the mile run ... has ridden in a hot-air balloon in New Mexico (home of world-famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta) ... has visited three different continents ... has walked up a waterfall during a family vacation to Jamaica ... full name is Kathleen Naughton ... daughter of Claire and Tom Naughton ... while she is an only child, her mother is the oldest of 11 children ... latest in strong pipeline of talent to come to Notre Dame from the Chicagoland area (and the state of Illinois), including a pair of Elk Grove natives in standout defenders Jen Buczkowski (2003-06) and Elise Weber (2007-08) ... one of three Illinois natives on the 2012 Fighting Irish roster, along with sophomore Sammy Scofield (Geneva) and freshman Crystal Thomas (Elgin) ... enrolled in Notre Dame's unique First Year of Studies program.
