Nov. 14, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – With two goals, Rose Augustin (Silver Lake, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) led the top-ranked Irish to a 5-2 win over Toledo in NCAA tournament first round play at Alumni Field; but it was senior All-American/Herman Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks (Allen Texas/Allen HS) who stole the headlines as her two assists not only helped overcome a pesky Toledo squad, but placed her firmly atop the record books as she became just the third player in Division I women’s soccer history to reach the 70-goals, 70-assists plateau.
Aside from Augustin, whose second goal proved to be the game winner, senior co-captain Carrie Dew (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon), freshman standout Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas/Berkner HS) and sophomore forward Erica Iantorno (Hinsdale, Ill.) also scored for the Irish. With the win, Notre Dame improves to 22-0-0 on the season and advances to face Michigan State in second round play in a 1:00 p.m. tilt at Alumni Field on Sunday, November 16. The Spartans upset the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukeee in Friday’s first game at Alumni Field, 2-1.
After a two-game layoff, Hanks announced her intent early as she had the game’s first scoring opportunity, testing Toledo’s goalkeeper, Vicki Traven, with a drive from ten-yards out that the reigning MAC freshman of the Year turned aside for her first of 12 saves.
But the Irish were still able to strike early as Dew, the 2008 BIG EAST Defensive player of the Year, gave the Irish a 1-0 lead just 7:14 into the contest when she poked home a loose ball from just outside of the Toledo net. Dew had been situated in the box as Hanks sent in a free-kick shot from 30-yards out that Traven was unable to hold onto, and the lurking Dew netted her first goal of the year, becoming Notre Dame’s 18th different player to score a goal this season.
About a minute later junior forward Michele Weissenhofer (Napperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS) had a great opportunity to extend the Irish lead as she drove a shot that bounced back off the crossbar, only to see Elise Weber (Elk Grove, Ill./St. Viator Acad.) knock the rebound just inches over the bar.
Notre Dame did achieve a two-goal cushion at 13:05 when Augustin forced a turnover in Toledo’s defensive third. She gathered the loose ball and sent in a shot that beat Traven low and to the freshman ‘keeper’s left side. But Augustin was not finished. Just over three minutes later, Hanks played the ball to Weissenhofer, who the found Augustin. The sophomore midfielder promptly chipped in her second of the night, and sixth of the season, to give the Irish a commanding 3-0 lead. Hanks thus earned the 70th assist of her career, joining UNC’s Mia Hamm and Notre Dame’s Jenny Streiffer as the only players in Division I women’s soccer history to reach the 70 career goals and 70 career assists mark.
“It was a great night for Rose [Augustin], and her first goal I thought was fantastic; she really just went and pressured the team and kind of sold her body out to block the clearance and to pick up the loose ball and be composed enough to tuck it away, she had great night,” commented 10-year head coach Randy Waldrum.
But Toledo then proved it would not go quietly into the night as their leading scorer, Molly Cornwell, stepped up to take a free kick from 25-yards out. Cornwell sent a blast past the Irish defensive wall at 22:59 that sent junior goalkeeper Kelsey Lysander (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernado HS) diving to her left. The ball tailed away from the Irish ‘keeper and put Toledo on the board as Corwell scored her eighth goal of the season.
Notre Dame answered with increased pressure and at 29:25 Weber earned a penalty kick when she gained possession on the left flank and burst into the box, forcing the Rocket defense to drag her down. With usual penalty kick taker Hanks getting a breather, Weber stepped up to the spot to try her luck. She elected to go with a slow run-up and proceeded to shoot the ball just wide of Traven’s right post.
The relentless Irish attack regained a three-goal cushion at 36:20 when Henderson snapped a header in off a Courtney Barg (Plano, Texas/Plano West) cross from six-yards, for her 17th of the season, and first off of a header.
“It was a good start and really we were able to put the game away in the first half and that was nice and it gave us a chance to play all of our players and get some young players NCAA experience. We scored some great goals, I was a little disappointed in the foul we committed to give them their first goal, but outside of that we were really good defensively,” added Waldrum.
Trailing 4-1 to start the second half, the Rockets attempted to get back in the game as they took three shots in the first six minutes of the second half, after taking only four in the first 45 minutes. Lysander was forced to make her best save of the evening when she snagged a powerful drive by Toledo’s Ana Reynolds in the 51st minute.
The Irish regained the dominant share of possession after the first ten minutes of the second half, and Junior midfielder Courtney Rosen (Brecksville, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) came close to giving Notre Dame a four-goal lead at 58:39 when she unleashed a shot from 30-yards out that Traven did well to push over the cross bar for an Irish corner. For the game, Notre Dame earned seven corner kicks, while holding Toledo to one corner kick.
As both coaches went to their benches and inserted more substitutes, much of the next 20 minutes were played in the midfield. But the Irish were able to net their fifth goal of the contest when Taylor Knaack (Arkington, Texas/Martin HS) emerged from the midfield with possession and played in a cross from the right side that Iantorno knocked home for a 5-1 Irish lead at 77:28. It was her fifth goal of the season.
The Rockets netted a late goal at 89:26 when Tara Witt played in cross that skipped across the top of the box and fell to Kristen Lynn, who bounced a shot past Irish goalkeeper Nikki Weiss. Weiss played the last 4:30 of the game in net for Notre Dame, making one save. Lysander finished with five saves for the Irish.