Sept. 21, 2003
Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (9/21/03) - Junior forward Mary Boland scored six minutes
into the game and added the shot that led to Katie Thorlakson's game-winning
rebound goal as the Notre Dame women's soccer team proved its worth as the
nation's No. 2-ranked squad, overcoming 95-degree heat and the talent of
10th-ranked Santa Clara to defeat the host Broncos, 2-1, in Sunday-afternoon
action at the SCU Adidas Classic.
Notre Dame (7-0-1) - which next plays eight straight games at home - put steady
pressure on Santa Clara (3-2-3) while racking up a 14-5 overall shot edge,
including an 8-1 advantage in a dominant first half while SCU converted its
only shot on goal (in the second half).
Thorlakson - who earned the tournament's offensive MVP award - lofted a 30-yard pass from the left sideline to set up the first
goal, with the cross kicking through the box and Boland in place to sweep the
ball into the far right side of the net (5:03). It marked Boland's seventh goal
of the season, matching her combined total from 2001 and '02, but was her first
goal since finding the net six times in the first three games (a Notre Dame
record).
The Notre Dame coaching staff made a key tactical decision by making timely
substitutions throughout lineup, capitalizing on the team's tremendous depth
(despite having five players out with injuries) while also minimizing the
effect of the brutal heat on the blue-clad Irish squad.
That strategy paid dividends in the second half, as the Irish answered SCU's
equalizer in the 63rd minute by scoring with a fresh group of players on the
field. Senior forward Amy Warner - who was one of four Irish players to
re-enter the game in the 65th minute - chased down a ball in the right corner
and continued to harass the Broncos defenders before regaining possession near
the right side of the box.
Warner then played a short pass to fellow all-tournament pick Boland and the
Academic All-America candidate took the pass with her back to the goal before
deftly turning to her left to shake free of a SCU player. Boland then struck a
low shot to the far left side of the goal and 'keeper Julie Ryder was able to
make the save - but Thorlakson pounced on the deflection and deposited her
third goal of the season into the left side of the net (75:14).
Santa Clara converted its only shot on goal in the game, as Veronica Zepeda's
pass found freshman Marian Dalmy open near the top of the box, with Dalmy
drilling a shot into the upper right corner for her fourth goal of the season
(62:47) - ending Notre Dame's shutout streak at 418 minutes and marking just
the fourth goal allowed by the Irish all season. It also was the first time the
Irish have allowed a second-half goal in 2003.
NOTES: Freshman central D Christie Shaner was ND's fourth all-tournament
selection and was named the tournament's defensive MVP ...Thorlakson was a
streaky player in 2002 (all 4 of her goals and 2 of 3 assists came in the final
9 games) and she appears to be at it again, with 3G-1A and a breakaway that led
to an Annie Schefter PK score during the last 4 games (after totaling just 1A
in the first 4) ... ND continues to avoid the slumps that have haunted the Irish
during second games of a weekend, as ND now is 4-0-0 with a 15-2 scoring edge
when playing two days after a previous game (compared to the '02 team that was
4-4 and outscored 14-12 in those games during the regular season) ... ND's season
stats now include a 29-4 scoring edge, a 148-50 shot edge and an 80-22 edge in
shots on goal ...just three previous ND teams have allowed fewer goals during the
first eight games of a season (8 in '93, 0 in '95, 3 in '97, also 4 in 2000) ...
sophomore G Erika Bohn now is 16-1-1 in her last 17 games with the Irish,
allowing just 10 goals in those games ... ND is 22-10-3 vs. teams ranked in the
NSCAA top-25 poll during the five-year Randy Waldrum era ... the Irish now have
posted solid results in their last seven regular-season tournament games on the
road (5-0 vs. Washington and 1-0 vs. Portland at the 2000 UP Invitational, 2-1
vs. Hartford and 5-2 vs. Maryland at the '02 Maryland Classic, 9-1 vs. Hartford
and 3-0 vs. Wake Forest at the '03 UConn Classic and this weekend's 0-0 tie
with Stanford and 2-1 win over SCU ... ND now leads the SCU series 5-3-0.
1 2 F
#2 NOTRE DAME 1 1 - 2
#10 SANTA CLARA 0 1 - 1
ND 1.
Mary Boland 7 (
Katie Thorlakson) 5:03
SCU 1. Marian Dalmy 4 (Veronica Zepeda) 62:47;
ND 2.
Katie Thorlakson 3 (Boland) 75:14.
Shots: ND 8-6 - 14, SCU 2-3 - 5.
Corner Kicks: ND 6-0 - 6, SCU 1-0 - 1.
Saves: ND 0-0 - 0 (
Erika Bohn), SCU 3-2 - 5 (Julie Ryder).
Fouls: ND 7-4 - 11, SCU 3-7 - 10.
Offsides: ND 0-7 - 7, SCU 0-0 - 0.
