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Women's Soccer
#4/7 Irish Off To New England For BIG EAST Championship Weekend
Nov. 4, 2009
Full Notes Package in PDF Format
DATE: November 6, 2009 Storylines #4/7 Irish Off To New England For BIG EAST Championship Weekend The Irish advanced to the conference semifinals for the 14th time in their 15-year BIG EAST membership last Sunday with a crisp 5-0 quarterfinal win over South Florida at Alumni Stadium. Notre Dame effectively ended the game well before halftime, potting five goals in the first 39 minutes of play, three by sophomore forward Melissa Henderson, in the program's biggest single-half offensive display since 2006. For Henderson, it was her second career hat trick, and the third three-goal game ever posted by an Irish player in BIG EAST tourney play. 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 13 outings (12-0-1) and outscoring the opposition, 32-4 in that span. Sophomore forward Melissa Henderson (11G-2A) leads the Irish in scoring, while junior forward Lauren Fowlkes (8G-3A) 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-7A) also have played a significant role in the recent Irish resurgence, as has junior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss (8-1-1, 0.44 GAA, 5 ShO), who has allowed just one goal in her last 663:08 of action. Scouting The Red Storm For the season, senior midfielder/forward C.J. Ludemann has led the Red Storm offense with two goals and seven assists for 11 points. Senior forward/midfielder Kaitlin Haas leads the team with four goals, while 12 STJ players have netted at least one goal and 14 have registered at least one point. Russell has played every minute of the 2009 season in the Red Storm net. She has recorded nine shutouts on the year while making 77 saves and posting a 0.56 goals-against average. St. John's is coached by Ian Stone, who is in his 16th season leading the Red Storm. He has now guided SJU to four consecutive BIG EAST tournament appearances. He carries an all-time record of 149-121-33 (.546) with the Red Storm into the BIG EAST semifinal match with the Irish. The Notre Dame-St. John's Series Notre Dame and St. John's have never met in the BIG EAST semifinals (or finals). The Irish have earned three BIG EAST quarterfinal wins over the Red Storm -- 2001 (2-0), 2004 (7-0) and 2006 (3-0). In each of those three seasons, the Irish went on to the BIG EAST Championship match, winning the title in 2001 and 2006. The teams last met on Oct. 7, 2007, in Jamaica, N.Y. with the Irish earning a 3-0 win on that day. Brittany Bock, Kerri Hanks and Ashley Jones each factored into two Notre Dame goals in that contest with Bock and Hanks each scoring a goal and adding an assist while Jones assisted on the game's first two goals. A goal from Susan Pinnick provided the final margin. The Irish defense allowed only two shots on goal and one corner kick in the game. Current Irish players Amanda Clark, Michele Weissenhofer and Julie Scheidler all started for the Irish in that contest. 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, 33-2-1 (.931) in the BIG EAST Championship, and hold a 709-83 scoring edge dating back to that first league season in '95. What's more, Notre Dame maintains a 14-year, 94-game home unbeaten streak (93-0-1) 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). 13 And Counting... The streak is tied for the fifth-longest in Division I (through Nov. 4) 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 13-game unbeaten streak (which includes an active seven-game winning streak), the Irish have logged a 32-4 margin and have shut out their opponents on 10 occasions (including the past four and seven of eight). Senior Moments The .879 winning percentage compiled by the Notre Dame seniors is second best on the national scene behind North Carolina. Game #19 Recap: South Florida Henderson did all her damage in the first 28:03 of the game, carving up a Bulls' defense that had only allowed three goals in a game once all season, and converting on all three of her shots on goal in the contest. Midfielder Ellen Jantsch netted her first goal of the season, and second of her career, in the 39th minute, as the Fighting Irish blitzed USF for all five of their scores in the opening 38:59 of play. In addition to Fowlkes' assist, Julie Scheidler, Jazmin Hall and Rose Augustin also picked up assists. All three Notre Dame goalkeepers saw action in Sunday's win, with neither Nikki Weiss, Kelsey Lysander or Maddie Fox asked to make a save as the Fighting Irish recorded their 13th shutout of the season, and seventh in the past eight games. USF starting netminder Mallori Lofton-Malachi went the first 33:43 in goal, making one save and allowing four goals before giving way to Gaby Garton, who had four saves and one goal allowed during the remainder of the contest (the Bulls also were credited with a team save in the second half). Notre Dame held a decisive 25-4 shot advantage, including an 11-0 edge in shots on goal. The Fighting Irish also earned the upper hand in corner kicks by a 4-1 count. Henderson: Hat Trick Hero It also marked the first Notre Dame hat trick in the BIG EAST Championship in almost exactly five years (Oct. 31, 2004 - Katie Thorlakson four goals in a 7-0 quarterfinal victory over St. John's at Alumni Field), and just the third in the program's 15-year conference affiliation (Anne Makinen also pulled off the feat in the 1997 BIG EAST final vs. fourth-ranked Connecticut in Piscataway, N.J.). 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 19 games and starting 17 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 59 shots, ranks second in goals (8), points (19) and shots on goal (25), and is tied for second in 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 19 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 sixth on the team in total shots (24) and fifth in 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 19 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 44 games, Notre Dame is 20-0 when Henderson scores a goal and 22-0 when she picks up a point. Clean Sheets Nikki Weiss has posted five solo shutouts in Notre Dame's last eight games, while she shared the shutout win over Georgetown with senior Kelsey Lysander and then shared the shutout over USF with Lysader and Maddie Fox. Lysander also has three solo shutouts on the year. The 2-0 Guarantee In fact, just two of the past 197 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. 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 333-83-21 (.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 (then signed by FC Gold Pride) 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/forward 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 Final The Irish visited WVU back on Oct. 2, pulling out a 3-2 win in overtime on Taylor Knaack's golden goal 41 seconds into the first extra period. Notre Dame has not played Marquette since last year's BIG EAST Championship semifinals (a 2-0 Irish win at old Alumni Field).
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