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Women's Soccer
#5/7 Irish Kick Off Postseason Sunday Against South Florida
Oct. 30, 2009
Full Notes Package in PDF Format
BIG EAST Championship -- Quarterfinals #5/7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-3-1 / 10-0-1 BIG EAST) vs. South Florida Bulls (9-7-3 / 5-2-2 BIG EAST) DATE: November 1, 2009 Storylines #5/7 Irish Kick Off Postseason Sunday Against South Florida The Fighting Irish (14-3-1, 10-0-1 BIG EAST) stretched their unbeaten streak to 12 games, and their current winning streak to six games with a 2-0 victory over No. rv/22 Georgetown last Sunday night (Oct. 25) at Alumni Stadium. Junior forward Taylor Knaack scored in the 11th minute and classmate Lauren Fowlkes added an insurance goal in the 59th minute, as Notre Dame posted its third consecutive shutout and sixth in seven games. USF (9-7-3, 5-2-2) booked its place in Sunday's quarterfinal with a 1-0 win over DePaul in a BIG EAST first-round game on Thursday night in Tampa. Rankings A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish Injuries have been the primary albatross for Notre Dame this season, with senior midfielder/tri-captain Courtney Rosen (broken foot), senior midfielder Micaela Alvarez (torn ACL) and freshman forward Tereza Stastny (torn ACL) all likely sidelined for the year -- Rosen's injury occurred in the preseason. Add to that extended downtime for senior forward Michele Weissenhofer (hamstring), senior center back Haley Ford (hamstring) and freshman left back Jazmin Hall (quad), and you can understand why Irish trainer Dave Ludwig has more than earned his paycheck in 2009. Notre Dame also battled through a brutal non-conference schedule that included top-three opponents North Carolina and Stanford, as well as perennial power Santa Clara and up-and-coming programs Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. However, following a 3-3-0 start, the Irish have been among the nation's hottest teams, going unbeaten in their last 12 outings (11-0-1) and outscoring the opposition, 27-4 in that span. Sophomore forward Melissa Henderson (8G-2A) leads the Irish in scoring, while junior forward Lauren Fowlkes (7G-2A) is enjoying a breakout season, fueled in part by her move to the front line at the start of the current Notre Dame unbeaten streak. Junior forward Taylor Knaack (6G-4A) and junior midfielder Rose Augustin (5G-6A) also have played a significant role in the recent Irish resurgence, as has junior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss (7-1-1, 0.46 GAA, 5 ShO), who has allowed just one goal in her last 618:08 of action. Scouting The Bulls To advance to the 2009 BIG EAST quarterfinals and a showdown with Notre Dame, the Bulls downed fifth-seeded DePaul, 1-0 on Thursday night in their first home BIG EAST tournament game. Sophomore Chelsea Klotz scored a late winner at 83:50 to send the Bulls to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. For the season, Klotz leads the Bulls with eight goals and an assist for 19 points. Five of her nine goals proved to be game winners. Sophomore Noelle Pineiro has 17 points on six goals and five assists. Mallori Lofton-Malachi has started all 19 games in goal for USF with six shutouts, a 0.88 GAA and 93 saves. The Notre Dame-USF Series In last season's matchup, Melissa Henderson scored her ninth goal of the season in the 20th minute and Notre Dame's defense did the rest, holding USF without a shot en route to a 3-0 win. Rose Augustin added her second goal of the year in the 34th minute on a splendid blast from long distance, and Kerri Hanks punctuated the victory with a penalty kick goal in the 52nd minute. Kelsey Lysander went the first 85 minutes between the Irish pipes before giving way to Nikki Weiss, who preserved the shutout. As a team, Notre Dame outshot South Florida, 27-0, including a 13-0 edge in shots on goal. Notre Dame also held a decisive 7-0 advantage in corner kicks against USF. BIG EAST Championship Quick Kicks Beasts Of The BIG EAST Since joining the BIG EAST, the Irish are 133-8-5 (.928) all-time in regular-season conference games, 32-2-1 (.929) in the BIG EAST Championship, and hold a 704-83 scoring edge dating back to that first league season in '95. What's more, Notre Dame maintains a 14-year, 93-game home unbeaten streak (92-0-1) versus BIG EAST teams, with Connecticut the lone conference team ever to defeat the Irish at home (5-4 in OT on Oct. 6, 1995 at old Alumni Field). 12 And Counting... The streak is tied for the sixth longest in Division I (through Oct. 29) and Notre Dame's lone tie in that stretch came at Pittsburgh when the Panthers and Irish played to a 0-0 stalemate on Oct. 4. During the 12-game unbeaten streak (which includes an active six-game winning streak), the Irish have outscored their opponents by a 27-4 margin and have shutout their opponents on nine occasions. Senior Moments The .878 winning percentage compiled by the Notre Dame seniors is second best on the national scene behind North Carolina. Game #18 Recap: Georgetown Julie Scheidler and Rose Augustin each carded their second assist of the weekend with helpers on Sunday night's goals. Not to be outdone, midfielder Amanda Clark represented the departing veterans in the points column, earning the primary assist on Knaack's game-winner early in the first half. Goalkeeper Nikki Weiss started and did not record a save during the opening 45 minutes while earning the victory in the nets. Kelsey Lysander came on to begin the second half and made one save to help preserve Notre Dame's 12th shutout of the season and sixth in the past seven games. The Fighting Irish held an 18-15 shot advantage over Georgetown, including a sizeable 7-2 edge in shots on goal. The Hoyas had the upper hand in corner kicks (4-1). GU netminder Elizabeth Hanna went the distance for the visitors, collecting five saves. Scheidler Cops Double Honors This marks the first time in Scheidler's career that she has earned either a conference or national team award, and she is the second Notre Dame defender this season to collect the honors for the first time. Back on Sept. 28, sophomore center back/tri-captain Jessica Schuveiller pulled off the same double as Scheidler, being named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week before going on to secure a place on the Soccer America National Team of the Week one day later. Last weekend, Scheidler played an important role in a pair of 2-0 wins for Notre Dame over conference foes Villanova and No. 22 (Soccer America) Georgetown at Alumni Stadium. In the victory over Villanova, the Fighting Irish right back not only helped anchor a defensive unit that held the Wildcats to just two shots on goal through the first 75 minutes, but also assisted on the game-clinching goal by junior forward Erica Iantorno in the 71st minute. Two nights later against Georgetown, Scheidler started the sequence that led to the game-winning goal by junior forward Taylor Knaack in the 11th minute, registering her second assist of the weekend in the process. Scheidler and the Notre Dame back line then clamped down on the BIG EAST's highest-scoring offense, limiting the Hoyas to only two shots on goal and handing GU just its second shutout all season. Scheidler has tied her career high with five points (1G-3A) this season, while appearing in all 18 Notre Dame games and making 16 starts. What's more, she has been an integral part of a Fighting Irish defensive unit that has allowed only one goal in its last seven-plus games (a span of 691:50, dating back to an Oct. 2 overtime win at West Virginia) and has recorded six shutouts in that time. It's Academic For This Irish Duo Both student-athletes are first-time academic all-district honorees and now will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. The Notre Dame women's soccer program has produced 22 Academic All-Americans, while its 14 selections since 2002 are the most in the nation (2002 was when women's soccer earned its own ballot separate from the at-large category). Fowlkes has blossomed as a primary offensive threat for Notre Dame, appearing in all 18 games and starting 16 times after moving back to the forward line three weeks into the season (a position she initially started at in her college career, before moving to holding midfielder and central defender last season and earlier this year). Enjoying career-high statistical production across the board, she leads the team with 55 shots, ranks second in goals (7) and shots on goal (22), and is tied for second in points (16) and game-winning goals (3). Fowlkes currently is enrolled in the College of Science, where she has compiled a 3.657 cumulative GPA as a science-business major and was named to the dean's list in the fall of 2007 (3.804 semester GPA). Campbell is one of the more improved players on the Notre Dame roster this season, having seen time primarily at left back, a position she had almost never played prior to the spring of 2009. Mixed with her stints as an attacking midfielder, she has started all 18 games for the Fighting Irish this year, amassing one goal (an insurance tally vs. Loyola-Chicago on Aug. 28) and two assists, and she ranks fifth on the team in both total shots (24) and shots on goal (15). Campbell is presently studying in the College of Arts and Letters, where she has recorded a 3.667 cumulative GPA as a double major in psychology and American studies. Taylor Made For Goal Scoring Knaack's offensive explosion versus UConn and Providence earned the Arlington, Texas native several national awards. She was named to the Soccer America and to the Top Drawer Soccer National Teams of the Week while also being chosen as the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer. Entering the year, Knaack had five goals and two assists in 27 games played. Through 18 games this season, Knaack has already totaled six goals and four assists for 16 points. Nikki In The Irish Net The Henderson Effect In fact, through her first 43 games, Notre Dame is 19-0 when Henderson scores a goal and 21-0 when she picks up a point. Clean Sheets Nikki Weiss has posted five solo shutouts in Notre Dame's last seven games, while she shared the shutout win over Georgetown with senior Kelsey Lysander. Lysander also has three solo shutouts on the year. The 2-0 Guarantee In fact, just two of the past 196 Irish opponents to face a 2-0 deficit have forced a tie, something achieved by four opponents in Notre Dame history: Duke on Oct. 17, 1993, in Houston (Irish won 3-2), Connecticut on Nov. 10, 1996, in the BIG EAST final at Alumni Field (ND led 2-0, later tied 2-2 and 3-3, ND won 4-3), Duke on Nov. 30, 2007, in the NCAA quarterfinals at Alumni Field (Irish won 3-2), and most recently, Villanova on Oct. 12, 2008 in Villanova, Pa. (Irish won 3-2 in OT). Three ... Is The Magic Number Golden Domers Golden In OT Notre Dame went to overtime in back-to-back contests in early October. On Oct. 2 at West Virginia, Taylor Knaack scored 41 seconds into the first extra period to give the Fighting Irish a 3-2 victory over the Mountaineers. It was the fastest OT goal in the 11-year tenure of head coach Randy Waldrum, and it's believed to be the quickest overtime score in the program's 22-year history (further research pending). Two days later, Notre Dame went to double overtime at Pittsburgh and wound up finishing in a 0-0 tie. It was only the eighth scoreless draw in school history and the first since Aug. 31, 2007 vs. Michigan at old Alumni Field. It also was the first time the Fighting Irish played a 0-0 contest in BIG EAST play since Oct. 13, 2006 at Connecticut. Our Fearless Leader Waldrum is also one of eight active women's Division I head coaches to record 300 career wins. He now has a record of 332-83-21 (.786) in 20 seasons (including six at Tulsa and three at Baylor). His winning percentage ranks fourth among active coaches, while his 332 wins are fifth on the NCAA Division I career list. Pick Three For The Hermann Watch The Hermann Trophy is presented annually to the nation's top Division I women's soccer player, with Notre Dame's Kerri Hanks earning the prestigious crystal ball trophy last year. In the process, Hanks became the fourth Fighting Irish player to collect the award, not to mention just the fourth two-time Hermann Trophy honoree since the award debuted in 1988, as well as the first two-time national player of the year (in any sport) in the 122-year history of Notre Dame athletics. Your 2009 Captains Schuveiller's selection is noteworthy, in that she is the first non-senior to serve as a team captain since Amy Warner was one of Notre Dame's three captains in 2002 (her junior season). This year's triumvirate also marks the first time since 2004 (Mary Boland, Gudrun Gunnarsdottir and Melissa Tancredi) that the Irish have named three captains. The M*A*S*H Unit Freshman forward Tereza Stastny and senior midfielder Micaela Alvarez are out for the season with a torn ACL. Stastny's injury (right knee) occurred on Oct. 13, while Alvarez (left knee) went down one week later -- both injuries were suffered during training. Media Guide Correction Our New Digs A state-of-the-art facility built at a cost of $5.7 million, Alumni Stadium has a permanent seating capacity of approximately 2,500 fans, along with grass berm seating on the east end of the grounds. The stadium also offers upgraded and expanded restroom and concession areas, elevator access to the main concourse level, as well as numerous amenities for both Fighting Irish soccer programs (expansive locker rooms with custom-made wood lockers, spacious team lounges with flat-screen plasma TVs and high-speed Internet access, and a fully-equipped athletic training center). What's more, Alumni Stadium features an LED scoreboard (installed by industry leader Daktronics), enhanced lighting structures and top-of-the-line sod for the pitch (cultivated in Fort Morgan, Colo., at Graff's Turf Farms, which also has provided the turf for numerous facilities including Notre Dame Stadium, Wrigley Field, Busch Stadium and the new MLS grounds outside Denver and Salt Lake City). In addition, media members will enjoy the spacious new air-conditioned press box, which includes power and high-speed Internet portals at every seat (along with wireless Internet capability), three individually-wired broadcast booths and an expansive, unblocked midfield vantage point, all of which make Alumni Stadium unlike any other on-campus facility in college soccer. The construction of Alumni Stadium was made possible because of numerous generous donations, including those by lead benefactors Tom Crotty and Rob Snyder, both former Fighting Irish men's soccer players. Crotty was a three-year monogram winner from 1977-79, earning team MVP honors in 1979 before graduating the following spring with a degree in finance. He currently is general partner at Battery Ventures LP in Wellesley, Mass., while he and his wife, Shari, live in Southborough, Mass. Snyder earned two monograms from 1980-83, piling up 23 goals and 22 assists (the latter figure ranking seventh in school history). He also potted a team-high 12 goals in 1981. A 1984 graduate of Notre Dame, Snyder went on to become founder and CEO of Stream Energy in Dallas, Texas. Taking It To The Next Level That quartet was joined by: Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Jen Buczkowski and Christie Shaner (Sky Blue FC), Candace Chapman (Boston Breakers), and Amanda Cinalli and Melissa Tancredi (Saint Louis Athletica). In addition, Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf was assigned to the Chicago Red Stars as part of the U.S. National Team draft, but sat out the '09 season while on maternity leave (she gave birth to twins in June). Kelly Lindsey began the season as an assistant coach at Sky Blue FC, then took over as interim head coach at midseason before resigning late in the year. Midseason trades saw Hanks sent to Sky Blue FC, while Shaner went out to Los Angeles. Shaner subsequently was sidelined for the season with a broken leg. Of the 10 active Notre Dame alums in WPS, eight saw their teams advance to the league playoffs (all but Chapman and Dew). Led by arguably the world's top defensive midfielder in Boxx and one of WPS' top rookies in Bock (who played center back after never playing that position at Notre Dame), Los Angeles won the regular season title and the right to host the first-ever WPS Championship Game. In the end, five Fighting Irish alums (tying North Carolina for the most representatives from one college) worked their way into the WPS final -- Bock, Boxx and Shaner for L.A., along with Hanks and Buczkowski for Sky Blue FC. The New Jersey-based club then capped an amazing string of three playoff road wins in eight days with a 1-0 upset of Los Angeles to win the inaugural WPS Championship. Boxx was subsequently named a starter for the first WPS All-Star Game, which took place at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis on Aug. 30. On Sept. 16, Buczkowski was chosen by the Philadelphia Independence with the third overall pick in the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft, with Cinalli going one selection later to the Atlanta Beat. Offseason personnel moves at the end of September have seen Chapman released by Boston and Shaner released by Los Angeles, while Tancredi was declared a free agent by Saint Louis. Schuveiller Goes To Camp Schuveiller made her first appearance at a U.S. National Team training camp, joining an extensive list of Notre Dame players who have competed for Team USA at the U-23 level. Most recently, three current Irish players -- senior forward Michele Weissenhofer, junior defender/midfielder Lauren Fowlkes and sophomore forward Melissa Henderson -- were part of the U-23 player pool, along with two recent Notre Dame graduates and current WPS players Brittany Bock (now with the Los Angeles Sol) and defender Elise Weber (competing for Saint Louis Athletica). Fowlkes also struck gold with the U.S. U-20 National Team at last December's FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Chile. Bock Tapped For U.S. National Team Next Game: BIG EAST Semifinals
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