Nov. 16, 2012
MICHIGAN STATE (12-9-1)
vs.
#1 NOTRE DAME (16-3-1)
NCAA Championship Second Round
Sunday, Nov. 18 – 2 p.m. (ET)
Alumni Stadium – Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame leads series 12-5-5
INTERNET: UND.com (free video broadcast)
LIVE STATS:
UPDATES: Irish Alert! text messaging
IRISH HOST MICHIGAN STATE IN NCAA SECOND ROUND
– No. 1 seed Notre Dame (16-3-1) will play host to unseeded Michigan State (12-9-1) on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. (ET) at Alumni Stadium.
– The match can be seen live on UND.com (free video broadcast). Live stats also will be available on UND.com.
– This will be the second meeting this season between Notre Dame and Michigan State. The Irish topped the Spartans, 2-0, on Sept. 14 at Alumni Stadium.
– Notre Dame is the overall top seed in the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. The Irish received a first-round bye, while Michigan State defeated Cleveland State, 2-1, on Thursday in opening-round play.
GET YOUR TICKETS
– To purchase tickets for Sunday’s match, visit UND.com/tickets or call the Notre Dame ticket office at 574-631-7356. Tickets will also be available at the Alumni Stadium ticket window on Sunday.
– Prices are $7 for adults, $3 for youth (21 & younger)/senior citizens (55 and older) and $1 for children between the ages of three and five.
– All Notre Dame/Saint Mary’s/Holy Cross students will get in free with a valid student ID.
SOMETHING IN COMMON
– Both the Fighting Irish and Spartans won their respective conference tournaments on golden goals. Notre Dame bested Georgetown, 3-2 in double-overtime, on Ryan Finley’s tally in the 109th minute in the BIG EAST final. In the Big Ten title game, Michigan State defeated Michigan, 2-1 in overtime, on a goal from Sean Conerty in the 98th minute.
– Notre Dame will bring a seven-game unbeaten streak into Sunday’s match. The Irish are 6-1 in those seven matches.
– Michigan State owns a four-game win streak.
IRISH IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
– Notre Dame is making its 15th appearance in the NCAA Championship. The Irish are 10-13-1 all-time in the tournament, including a 9-9-1 record under head coach Bobby Clark. Clark has led the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Championship in 11 of his 12 seasons at Notre Dame. He has guided the Irish to the Round of 16 on four occasions and the quarterfinals twice.
– This signified the seventh time in which the Fighting Irish earned one of the 16 national seeds in the 48-team field. Notre Dame’s best seed prior to this season was No. 5 in 2003 and 2004.
– In their last NCAA Championship appearance, the ninth-seeded Irish fell to Dartmouth, 2-1 in overtime, in the second round of the 2010 tournament.
– Notre Dame is 5-7 all-time in the NCAA Championship Round of 32.
Bobby Clark BOASTS NCAA SUCCESS
– This marks the 17th time that Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark has led a team to the NCAA tournament. Clark boasts an 18-14-3 (.557) career record in the NCAA Championship.
– Clark went 3-2-1 in two NCAA tournament appearances during his tenure at Dartmouth College (1985-93). He led the Big Green to the quarterfinals in 1990 and 1992.
– He posted a 6-3-1 mark over the course of four NCAA tournament trips during his time at Stanford (1996-2000). The Cardinal advanced to the NCAA final in 1998 under Clark’s direction before falling to Indiana, 3-1.
– Clark’s Notre Dame teams have been to the NCAAs 11 times in his 12 seasons in South Bend. The Irish are 9-9-1 in the tournament under Clark with quarterfinal trips in 2006 and 2007.
FIGHTING IRISH AGAINST THE FIELD
– Notre Dame faced 10 schools, including six seeded teams, that qualified for this year’s tournament and the Irish posted a 9-3-1 mark against those opponents.
BIG EAST BIDS
– Eight BIG EAST Conference teams, including five seeded squads, earned berths into the NCAA Championship field. Georgetown (#3 seed), Connecticut (#4), Marquette (#7), Louisville (#10), St. John’s, Syracuse and USF joined Notre Dame in the field.
DRAMA-FILLED FINAL
– A golden goal from Ryan Finley in the 109th minute gave Notre Dame a 3-2 double-overtime win over Georgetown in the final of the BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship last Sunday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. It was Finley’s second goal of the match.
– The Irish had to overcome a one-goal deficit twice in the match. Notre Dame’s Nick Besler tied the game, 2-2, with just 32 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. It was the first career goal for the sophomore midfielder.
– It was the third BIG EAST Championship title for Notre Dame. The Irish also won the tournament in 1996 and 2003.
CONFERENCE CROWNS
– Notre Dame’s 2012 BIG EAST title marked the sixth conference tournament championship in program history. The Fighting Irish captured three Midwestern Collegiate Conference tournament championships (1988, 1993, 1994) and Notre Dame has won the BIG EAST Championship three times (1996, 2003, 2012).
THE SPARTAN SERIES
– Sunday will be the 23rd meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Michigan State. The Fighting Irish lead the series 12-5-5. This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools in the NCAA tournament.
– The Irish produced a 2-0 victory over Michigan State on Sept. 14 at Alumni Stadium. Junior forward Harrison Shipp (28′) and freshman midfielder Patrick Hodan (54′) scored for the Fighting Irish. Senior goalkeeper Will Walsh made two saves in the victory.
– The Spartans are 1-9-1 all-time at Notre Dame. Their lone victory was a 2-0 decision in 2010.
– Irish head coach Bobby Clark is 6-3-1 all-time against Michigan State.
SHIPP SINKS SPARTANS
– Junior forward Harrison Shipp put Notre Dame on the board in the 28th minute in the 2-0 victory over Michigan State on Sept. 14. Shipp also delivered the lone goal (54th minute) in last season’s 1-0 win at Michigan State.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
– Michigan State will bring a 12-9-1 record into Sunday’s match with the Irish. The Spartans defeated Cleveland State, 2-1, on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
– Michigan State claimed the Big Ten Tournament title with wins over Indiana (2-1), Penn State (3-1) and Michigan (2-1 ot).
– The Spartans are averaging 1.27 goals per game, while allowing 1.05 per contest.
– Sophomore forward/midfielder Adam Montague leads the team in goals (8) and points (22). Junior defender Ryan Thelen has a team-best seven assists.
– Junior Bryce Dobbins and freshman Zach Bennett have split time in goal. Dobbins is 2-6-1 with one shutout and a 1.22 goals-against average. Bennett is 9-3-0 with three clean sheets and a 0.83 goals-against average.
– Michigan State went 7-8-4 last season, which included a 2-2-2 mark in Big Ten play.
– Head coach Damon Rensing is in his fourth season at the helm of the Spartan program.
BATTLING THE BIG TEN
– The Fighting Irish are no strangers to Big Ten Conference competition. Notre Dame went 3-1 against Big Ten foes this season. The Irish defeated Michigan State (2-0), Michigan (1-0 in 2ot) and Indiana (1-0) and fell to Northwestern (2-1).
– Notre Dame is 49-47-16 all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten Conference.
FINLEY PUTTING TOGETHER A FINE SEASON
– Senior forward Ryan Finley ranks second nationally in both goals (20) and points (44).
– Finley led the BIG EAST with 12 goals in league play and was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year.
– He has six multiple-goal games this season, including one hat trick.
– Finley’s 20 goals are the fifth-most for an Irish player in a single season and are the most for a Notre Dame player since Joseph Lapira had 22 in 2006.
– Notre Dame has two double-overtime victories this season and Finley netted the golden goal in both matches. He scored in the 104th minute in a 1-0 win at Michigan (Sept. 16) and found the back of the net in the 109th minute in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Georgetown in the BIG EAST final.
GETTING OFFENSIVE
– The Irish rank fourth nationally in goals scored (48) and sixth nationally in goals per game (2.4).
– The 48 goals are the most for the Fighting Irish in their BIG EAST era (since 1995).
– Notre Dame led the BIG EAST with 25 goals (3.12 gpg) in conference play this season.
– The Fighting Irish have scored three or more goals nine times this season, including seven times in the last 10 games.
– Notre Dame’s seven-goal output against Pittsburgh was the largest for the Irish since a 7-1 win over Western Michigan on Oct. 14, 1997. The seven goals were the most ever scored by the Irish against a BIG EAST opponent.
– The six goals in the 6-1 win at Seton Hall were the most ever tallied by the Irish in a BIG EAST road match.
COMEBACK KIDS
– Notre Dame has fallen behind in four of its last five matches, but has gone on to post a 3-0-1 mark in those contests.
– The Fighting Irish had to overcome two one-goal deficits in last Sunday’s BIG EAST final against Georgetown. Notre Dame produced equalizers in the 51st and 90th minutes before winning 3-2 in double-overtime.
– The Irish were down 2-0 to Syracuse (Nov. 3) before going on to win 4-2.
– Notre Dame fell behind 1-0 in both matches with Marquette, yet came back to win the first game (3-1) and tie the second (1-1).
– The Irish are 4-3-1 this season when their opponent scores first.
SCORING IN A HURRY
– The Fighting Irish have had a penchant for scoring goals at a rapid pace. In the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship, Notre Dame reversed a 2-0 second-half deficit at Syracuse with two goals in 19 seconds.
– Notre Dame tallied its final three goals in the 6-1 win at Seton Hall (Oct. 13) in a span of 8:16.
– Senior forward Ryan Finley scored three goals in a span of 9:13 in the 3-0 win over Providence (Oct. 20).
– The Irish overcame a 1-0 deficit against Marquette (Oct. 24) by tallying three goals in just 6:26.
GETTING GOALS
– The Irish have not been shutout this season. This is just the second time in the 36-year history of the Notre Dame program that the Irish have not been shutout in the first 20 contests of a season. The other occurrence was in 1978 when the Irish went 22 straight games without getting blanked.
– Notre Dame is 12-0 this season when scoring first.
– Eleven different Fighting Irish players have scored at least one goal this season.
SECOND HALF SUCCESS
– Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 36-5 in the second half and overtime this season.
OWNING THE STAT SHEET
– Notre Dame has registered more shots on goal in 17 of its 20 matches this season. The Fighting Irish have outshot their competition 384-217 this season, which includes a 163-76 advantage in shots on goal. The Irish also have earned 34 more corner kicks (126-92) than their opponents.
HOME SWEET HOME
– Notre Dame is 8-0 at home this season.
– The Irish are 20-4-5 (.776) at Alumni Stadium over the past three seasons.
WINNING WAYS
– Notre Dame’s 16 victories are tied for the most in its BIG EAST era (since 1995). They are the most wins for the Irish since they went 16-3-4 in 2003.
– The team’s 13 regular-season victories were tied for the most regular-season wins for the Irish in their BIG EAST era. The Irish also notched 13 regular-season victories in 2004.
ROOKIE ON A ROLL
– Freshman midfielder Patrick Hodan has 17 points on six goals and five assists this season. It’s the most goals and points for an Irish freshman since Erich Braun tallied nine goals and 24 points as a rookie in 1999.
– Hodan notched two goals and one assist in the 4-2 win at Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship. With Notre Dame trailing 2-0 in the second half, Hodan sliced the deficit to one in the 63rd minute and then assisted on Kyle Richard’s equalizer just 19 seconds later. The rookie put the Irish up 3-2 in the 77th minute.
– He was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.
IRISH #1 IN RPI
– Notre Dame is No. 1 in the RPI rankings.
– The Fighting Irish are 5-1-1 this season against teams currently in the top 10 of the RPI. Notre Dame defeated #2 Akron (3-1), #4 Georgetown twice (3-0, 3-2 2ot), #7 Connecticut (1-0) and #8 Marquette (3-1). The Irish also tied Marquette (1-1) and fell to Connecticut (2-1).
CLOSE CALLS
– Each of Notre Dame’s three losses this season have been one-goal decisions. The Fighting Irish are 8-3 in one-goal contests this season.
HAT TRICKS
– Senior forward Ryan Finley notched a hat trick in the 3-0 win over Providence on Oct. 20. All three goals came in a span of 9:13 in the second half. It was the fourth career hat trick for Finley and his first since joining the Irish last season after transferring from Duke.
– It was the second straight game that an Irish player produced a hat trick. Junior forward Harrison Shipp tallied a career-high three goals in the 6-1 victory at Seton Hall.
Bobby Clark NOTCHES 300TH CAREER WIN
– Notre Dame’s 6-1 win at Seton Hall on Oct. 13 was the 300th career victory for Bobby Clark as a college head coach. Clark, who is in his 12th season with the Irish, has a 152-67-35 record at Notre Dame. He was 71-21-12 at Stanford (1996-2001) and 82-42-13 at Dartmouth (1985-93).
– Clark is the 14th active Division I men’s soccer head coach to reach the 300-win milestone.
POWERS PERFORMING
– Senior midfielder Dillon Powers had the corner kick that helped set up Ryan Finley’s golden goal in the 3-2 double-overtime victory against Georgetown in the final of the BIG EAST Championship. Powers netted the lone goal in the 1-0 win over Connecticut in the league semifinals.
– Powers, a team co-captain, has posted career-high totals this season in goals (5) and assists (7). The seven assists are a team-high total.
GUARDING THE GOAL
– Fifth-year senior Will Walsh and junior Patrick Wall have split time in goal. Walsh has a 7-2-1 record with five shutouts, a 0.78 goals-against average and a .765 save percentage. Wall is 9-1-0 with three shutouts, a 0.98 goals-against average and a .762 save percentage.
BIG EAST ACCOLADES
– Senior forward Ryan Finley was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and he headlined a group of seven Notre Dame players that earned all-league accolades.
– Senior midfielder Dillon Powers joined Finley on the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Nick Besler (So./M), Harrison Shipp (Jr./F) and Grant Van De Casteele (Sr./D) were third-team selections. Patrick Hodan (Fr./M) and Max Lachowecki (So./D) were named to the All-BIG EAST Rookie Team.
– Besler, Finley, Powers, Van De Casteele and Patrick Wall (Jr./G) were named to the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team. Finley was selected as the tournament’s most outstanding offensive performer and Van De Casteele was tapped as the most outstanding defensive performer.
IRONMEN
– Senior midfielder Dillon Powers has played in a team-best 71 straight games, including 58 consecutive starts. The only five games he has missed during his Fighting Irish career were during his freshman season when he played for the U.S. at the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
– Senior central defender Grant Van De Casteele has started 58 straight matches. He did not play during the 2009 campaign, but has not missed a game since.
– Junior forward Harrison Shipp has appeared in all 58 matches during his Irish career.
POWERS A SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
– Midfielder Dillon Powers has been named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award in the men’s soccer division. The Fighting Irish standout is among 10 student-athletes up for the prestigious honor.
– To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
– An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
– The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates that were announced in September. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through November 19 (once daily per computer). Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.
– The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Men’s College Cup, which will take place December 7 and 9 in Hoover, Ala.
Harrison Shipp NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
– Junior forward Harrison Shipp has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District V first team for men’s soccer. He is one of 11 student-athletes on the squad.
– First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
– Shipp has 15 points on five goals and five assists this season. He boasts a 3.846 cumulative grade-point average as a finance major in the Mendoza College of Business.
HAULING IN THE HARDWARE
– Notre Dame has played in both the Indiana Classic and the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament in each of the last 10 seasons and this year marks the first time the Irish have won both events in the same season. It was Notre Dame’s fifth Berticelli tournament title (11 appearances). The Irish also won in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2010. It was the second time in 13 appearances that Notre Dame won the IU Classic. The Irish also captured the 1993 tournament.