Sept. 1, 2011
adidas Invitational – Official Tournament Web Site
2011 Notre Dame Women’s Soccer — Matches 4-5
19th annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational
#10/7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-2-0 / 0-0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-0-0 / 0-0-0 C-USA)
DATE: September 2, 2011
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Alumni Stadium (2,500)
SERIES: ND leads 1-0-0
LAST MTG: ND 2-0 (9/1/00)
WEBCAST: UND.com (live)
STATS/BLOG: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
#10/7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-2-0 / 0-0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (2-1-1 / 0-0-0 Big Ten)
DATE: September 4, 2011
TIME: 1:30 p.m. ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Alumni Stadium (2,500)
SERIES: ND leads 11-1-0
LAST MTG: ND 2-1, ot (9/7/01)
WEBCAST: UND.com (live)
STATS/BLOG: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
Storylines
- Notre Dame has won its home tournament 13 times since it debuted in 1992, posting a 29-5-2 all-time record and a 97-36 scoring edge in the annual event.
- The Fighting Irish will be renewing two dormant series this weekend, facing Tulsa for the first time since 2000 and Indiana for the first time in almost exactly a decade.
No. 10/7 Irish Host Notre Dame Adidas Invitational This Weekend
Following a rocky trip to the East Coast last weekend, No. 10/7 Notre Dame will look to find steadier footing this weekend as the Fighting Irish play host to the 19th annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational at Alumni Stadium. Notre Dame will meet Tulsa on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) and Indiana on Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET), while Western Michigan rounds out this year’s tournament field.
The Fighting Irish (1-2) are in the midst of a rare two-match losing streak — their first since 2009 — after losses to No. 3 North Carolina (2-1 in OT) and No. 21/10 Duke (3-1) last weekend at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Junior defender Jazmin Hall scored the tying goal against UNC in the 71st minute, while senior midfielder Brynn Gerstle gave Notre Dame the lead against Duke in the 26th minute.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is ranked No. 10 in the latest NSCAA poll and No. 7 in the current Soccer America poll.
- Neither Tulsa nor Indiana are ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
No. 10/7 Notre Dame looks to bounce back from a rare two-match losing streak following setbacks on both ends of its trip to the Carolina Classic last weekend. The Fighting Irish had not lost consecutive matches in nearly two years, although it should be noted both defeats came at the hands of top-10 opponents.
Notre Dame dominated in all statistical categories last Friday at No. 3 (and host) North Carolina, but UNC pulled out a 2-1 overtime win. It marked the first time since the 2007 College Cup semifinals that the Fighting Irish lost when outshooting its opponent (they had an 11-9 overall edge and 8-4 on goal lead at UNC).
Two days later, Notre Dame took a 1-0 lead into the second half, but No. 21/10 Duke stunned the Fighting Irish with three goals in a 12-minute span to take the victory.
Two Fighting Irish players netted their first career goals in last weekend’s tournament, with junior defender Jazmin Hall scoring the equalizer against UNC in the 71st minute, and senior midfielder Brynn Gerstle giving Notre Dame the lead against Duke in the 26th minute.
Scouting Tulsa
Tulsa comes into this weekend’s tournament with a 3-0-0 record following three consecutive shutouts to open the season.
The Golden Hurricane will be venturing outside the state of Oklahoma for the first time this year after starting the year on Aug. 19 with a 1-0 win at cross-town rival Oral Roberts, then dispatching Stephen F. Austin (1-0) and Sam Houston State (6-0) last weekend to win the Tulsa Invitational. Sophomore forward Lindsay Kirch and junior forward Stephanie Aitken each scored twice in the victory over Sam Houston State, while sophomore midfielder Bradi Hinch delivered a pair of assists, as the Golden Hurricane outshot the Bearkats, 32-6, putting 22 shots on goal in the process.
TU also worked both ends of the spectrum in the wins over Oral Roberts and Stephen F. Austin, with senior midfielder Danielle Hughes scoring late (77th minute) against ORU, and junior forward Rebecca Handley netting an early goal (third minute) against SFA.
Junior goalkeeper Katie Bykowski went the distance to record all three shutouts, making a combined nine saves in those matches.
Head coach Kyle Cussen is in his fourth season at Tulsa with a 26-28-7 record, and he has an 14-year career record of 136-102-22 (including 10 seasons at Oral Roberts from 1998-2007), with Friday marking the first time he has coached against Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-Tulsa Series
The Fighting Irish and Golden Hurricane will be squaring off for only the second time in series history. Notre Dame won the only prior meeting between the schools, 2-0 on Sept. 1, 2000, at old Alumni Field (see recap in following note).
The Last Time Notre Dame And Tulsa Met
Senior midfielder (and eventual 2000 Hermann Trophy recipient) Anne Makinen scored a pair of second-half goals to secure a 2-0 victory for Notre Dame over visiting Tulsa in non-conference action on Sept. 1, 2000, at old Alumni Field.
Notre Dame — ranked as high as second in the national polls — failed to score on its first 23 shots of the match before sophomore midfielder Ashley Dryer worked the ball to Makinen in the game’s 69th minute. The All-American then found some space and drilled a 15-yard shot into the left corner of the net.
Makinen added an unassisted insurance goal 12 minutes later on a 20-yard blast from the right wing.
Notre Dame outshot Tulsa, 35-2, in the match, including a 13-2 in shots on goal.
Notre Dame vs. Conference USA
Notre Dame is 4-3 (.571) all-time against the current Conference USA alignment, including a 3-0 record at home. The Fighting Irish have not played a C-USA opponent since Sept. 12, 2008, when they defeated SMU, 5-0, at old Alumni Field behind two goals from current senior (and then-rookie) forward Melissa Henderson and the first career goal from current senior defender/midfielder Molly Campbell.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana is off a to a 2-1-1 start this season following a split of last weekend’s matches when the Hoosiers fell at Notre Dame’s BIG EAST Conference sister South Florida, 2-1 on Aug. 26, before rebounding with two days later a 1-0 victory at home over Oakland. IU kicked off its season with a 2-2 home draw against Evansville on Aug. 19 before earning its first win of the season, 6-1 over Butler on Aug. 21, also in Bloomington.
Sophomore midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy rang up a hat trick against Butler (the first three-goal match for an Indiana player since 2007) and currently leads the Hoosiers with four goals this season. Junior forward Orianica Velasquez is second on the squad with three goals, including the match-winner in IU’s most recent match last Sunday against Oakland. Velasquez also is a member of the Colombian National Team that played in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup over in Germany.
Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell has started all four matches between the pipes for Indiana, earning both Hoosier wins thus far with a 0.83 goals-against average (GAA), allowing just three goals and making 16 saves (an .842 save percentage).
Head coach Mick Lyon is in his 10th season at Indiana with an 82-78-20 record with the Hoosiers, and a 189-143-38 record in 19 years on the sidelines (the first nine at Evansville from 1993-2001). Lyon has only coached against Notre Dame once before, that coming back in his very first season at Evansville in 1993 (a 4-0 Fighting Irish victory at old Alumni Field).
The Notre Dame-Indiana Series
Notre Dame and Indiana have squared off 12 times previously, with the Fighting Irish holding an 11-1 series lead over the Hoosiers, including a 6-0 mark in South Bend. It should be noted that the first three matches in the series (two Notre Dame wins and one IU victory) occurred when the Hoosiers were still a club program prior to elevating to varsity status in 1993.
The Fighting Irish have won the past 11 matches in the series by a combined 56-5 margin after Indiana won the first-ever contest between the two in-state foes, 2-0 on Sept. 9, 1988 (the first season of varsity soccer for the Fighting Irish), in Bloomington. Since both teams starting playing as varsity programs, Notre Dame is 9-0 against the Hoosiers with a 47-2 aggregate scoring margin.
Indiana also is the only one of the three participating teams this weekend that has played in Notre Dame’s tournament before — on Sept. 25 & 27, 1998, the Hoosiers dropped a 3-0 decision to the third-ranked Fighting Irish (Anne Makinen scored twice for Notre Dame) before falling by a narrow 3-2 decision to Missouri, with both matches played at old Alumni Field.
The Last Time Notre Dame And Indiana Met
No. 3 Notre Dame set a (then) program record with its 29th consecutive home win (still tied for seventh in NCAA history), but it didn’t come easy, as visiting Indiana forced overtime with a goal in the 75th minute before super-sub Kelly Tulisiak scored the match-winner for the Fighting Irish 7:19 into the first extra period, giving the hosts a 2-1 victory on Sept. 7, 2001, at old Alumni Field.
Notre Dame claimed a 1-0 lead midway through the first half, thanks to a strong individual effort from sophomore midfielder Randi Scheller. After receiving a pass with her back to the goal, Scheller pulled the ball back and completed a 180-degree turn to her right before striking a leftfooted shot from the top of the box-with the ball sailing past a stunned IU goalkeeper Shaunna Daugherty and settling into the upper right corner of the net (28:01).
Indiana (2-1-0) gained the equalizer with 15 minutes left to play. Lisa Tecklenberg poked the ball into the upper right corner of the box and Kim Grodek finished her quickly-developing chance, collecting the loose ball in traffic and sending a crossing shot inside the left post as Figthing Irish ‘keeper Liz Wagner began to charge out on the play (74:16).
Tulisiak then stepped to the forefront, having a hand in the match-winning score for the third consecutive match to open the 2001 season. Senior defender and South Bend native Lindsey Jones set the sequence in motion by taking the ball from an IU player and sending it to sophomore forward Amy Warner, who quickly chipped a 20-yard pass down the center of the field.
Tulisiak beat her defender to the top of the box, with Daugherty charging out to make a play on the ball. However, Tulisiak timed the bounce and headed the ball over Daugherty from 12 yards out to secure the victory.
Notre Dame vs. the Big Ten
Notre Dame is 68-9-3 (.869) all-time against the current Big Ten Conference alignment, including a 44-6-2 (.865) record at home. Since a 2-1 loss to 14th-ranked Penn State on Sept. 23, 2007, at old Alumni Field, the Fighting Irish have won 11 consecutive matches against the Big Ten, including a 2-0 victory over Wisconsin in this year’s season opener (Aug. 19 at Alumni Stadium).
Notre Dame also is 5-0 all-time against Big Ten teams at the Notre Dame adidas Invitational, defeating Wisconsin twice (1-0 in 1992; 3-1 in 1996), and earning single wins over Indiana (3-0 in 1998), Michigan State (3-0 in 1995) and Penn State (2-1 in 2001).
The Notre Dame adidas Invitational
This marks the 19th edition of Notre Dame’s annual home tournament, which has been played almost continuously since 1992. The Fighting Irish have won their own tourney 13 of the previous 18 times and have compiled a 29-5-2 all-time record in the event with a 97-36 scoring edge in those matches.
Notre Dame won last year’s tournament (then known as the Inn at Saint Mary’s Soccer Classic), while North Carolina (1999, 2009), Stanford (1992), Santa Clara (2002) and Washington State (2007) have claimed the other titles at the Notre Dame adidas Invitational.
The tournament champion is determined by overall record, with the first tiebreaker being goal differential — that method was last used to designate the champion in 2002, when Santa Clara and Portland won both of their matches, but SCU had a +6 differential to the Pilots’ +3 margin, giving the title to the Broncos.
There have been just two draws in 72 all-time matches at the Notre Dame adidas Invitational — at the inaugural tournament in 1992, Central Florida and Wisconsin drew 2-2, and more recently in 1997, top-ranked North Carolina and No. 2 Notre Dame played a riveting 2-2 tie that was called in the 72nd minute due to lightning (Notre Dame’s Jenny Heft scored the tying goal three minutes before the stoppage).
Six other tournament matches have gone to overtime, with the last coming on the opening day of the 2008 event when No. 21 Santa Clara edged 11th-ranked West Virginia, 2-1 in double overtime at old Alumni Field.
The Ties That Bind
Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum spent six seasons as the head women’s and men’s coach at Tulsa from 1989-94, compiling a 61-36-9 mark with the women (still the winningest coach in program history), and a 66-33-6 record with the men (second on the TU men’s soccer all-time wins list).
Tulsa also has a Notre Dame connection in its athletic director’s chair, as Bubba Cunningham (’84, MBA ’88) is in his seventh year running the Golden Hurricane athletics department after 15 years in the Fighting Irish athletics department (1987-2002) and three at the helm at Ball State University (2002-05).
Henderson A Trend Setter
If you’re looking to spot a trend in Notre Dame’s success during the past four seasons, look no further than senior forward Melissa Henderson. Since the Garland, Texas, native arrived in South Bend, she has scored 53 goals (second-most among active Division I players, and 11th in school history) and added 19 assists, good for 125 career points (14th in school history).
After piling up eight goals and three assists in two exhibition matches last month (including a 4G-2A blitz of then-No. 10 Virginia on Aug. 12 in Maple City, Mich.), Henderson opened her regular season account on Aug. 19 against Wisconsin with her 18th career multi-point match, netting an insurance goal in the 61st minute after setting up sophomore forward Adriana Leon’s score with less than three minutes left in the first half.
These markers have been particularly valuable to Fighting Irish fortunes. In fact, during Henderson’s career, Notre Dame is 36-0-2 when she scores a goal, something she’s done in 11 of her last 18 outings, dating back to last season. The Fighting Irish also are 45-0-2 all-time when Henderson tallies a point, which she has done in 27 of the past 38 contests, a stretch that carries back to 2009.
As Tough As An Old Schu
Senior defender Jessica Schuveiller has been a mainstay for the Notre Dame defense throughout her career. In fact, the rugged (and still remarkably underrated) center back from Plano, Texas, has started all 81 Fighting Irish matches and played 93.2 percent of her team’s minutes (6,889 of a possible 7,389) since she set foot on campus more than three years ago.
In that time, Schuveiller has helped Notre Dame post 69 wins, 50 shutouts and a 0.58 goals-against average (GAA), with only two teams scoring more than two goals in a single match against the Fighting Irish under her watch (UNC 6-0 on Sept. 4, 2009, at Alumni Stadium; Duke 3-1 on Aug. 28, 2010, in Chapel Hill, N.C.).
A two-time NSCAA all-region pick and the 2010 NCAA Women’s College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Schuveiller was one of 25 players (along with classmate Melissa Henderson) named to this year’s Soccer America Preseason All-America Team.
Barg-ain Shopping
When healthy, senior midfielder Courtney Barg is among the best at her position in the country. A 2009 NSCAA first-team All-American, Hermann Trophy semifinalist and the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, Barg had her value on full display last season, coming back from a preseason injury to play the final six weeks (11 matches) of the season, including starts in all six NCAA Championship contests.
In fact, it was her calm demeanor and poise in the possession game that was a major factor in Notre Dame’s run to its third national championship. Most notably in the title match against top-ranked Stanford, she helped the Fighting Irish control the flow of the contest before ultimately scoring the winning goal in the 63rd minute. Barg went on to be named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team, one of six Notre Dame players on that squad.
As a senior, Barg already has been tapped as one of 45 preseason candidates for the Hermann Trophy (along with classmate Melissa Henderson), and down the road, she could even be in a position to join the U.S. National Team player pool after electing to bypass the U-23 pool the past two summers while taking part in job-related internships (including one in England in the summer of 2010).
Three Best Friends Anyone Could Have
Chemistry is key to the success of any team, but Notre Dame has a unique formula that supports its framework this season. The Fighting Irish are led by three senior captains — midfielder Courtney Barg, forward Melissa Henderson and defender Jessica Schuveiller — who not only form the backbone of their starting lineup, but have been best friends since the fifth grade growing up back in suburban Dallas. In fact, the trio played together on age-group teams for the elite Dallas Texans soccer club starting with the U-11s and continuing through the rest of their pre-college days (although they did move to the newly-formed Sting Dallas club for their final season in 2007-08 before coming to Notre Dame).
Actually, Barg and Schuveiller have known each other even longer, going back nearly 15 years to the second grade before linking up with Henderson three years later.
ND Seniors Among Nation’s Best
The 2011 Notre Dame senior class currently ranks as the third-most successful group in the country on the basis of total victories, with a four-year record to date of 69-9-3 (.870) that includes a national championship (2010), an NCAA runner-up finish (2008) and a trip to the 2009 NCAA Women’s College Cup semifinals.
The .870 winning percentage compiled by the Fighting Irish seniors is fourth-best on the national scene.
Preseason Honors Pour In For Irish
Senior tri-captains Melissa Henderson, Courtney Barg and Jessica Schuveiller each earned preseason national award recognition, it was announced in early August.
Henderson was a double honoree, joining Barg on the 45-player watch list for the 2011 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy (presented annually by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to the nation’s top Division I player), and also appearing with Schuveiller on the 25-person Soccer America Preseason All-America Team.
Notre Dame was one of eight schools to place two players on this year’s Hermann Trophy watch list, with the others being Boston College, Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Texas A&M.
Henderson was the first runner-up for the 2010 Hermann Trophy (and is the lone returnee from among last year’s three finalists), while Barg was a semifinalist for the `09 Hermann Trophy. The BIG EAST Conference had a total of five players named to this year’s Hermann Trophy watch list, tying the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences for the second-most selections from one league behind the Atlantic Coast Conference (9).
Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish also were one of just three teams in the nation with multiple selections to the Soccer America Preseason All-America Team, joining Boston College and Stanford in that select company. The BIG EAST had four honorees on the list, placing second among all conferences behind only the ACC (7).
Our Fearless Leader
Now in his 13th season at Notre Dame, head coach Randy Waldrum ranks third on the NCAA Division I career winning percentage list with a .789 (361-88-23) mark in his 22 years in the women’s game. He also is second among active coaches for career winning percentage, while his 361 career wins rank fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I charts — Waldrum earned his 350th career victory on Oct. 3, 2010, vs. St. John’s at Alumni Stadium.
A two-time National Coach of the Year (2009 by Soccer America, 2010 by NSCAA), Waldrum has led Notre Dame to eight NCAA College Cups, five NCAA finals and two national championships (2004 and 2010). He also is second in NCAA Division I history with eight College Cup appearances and five title-match berths in his storied career.
The 2-0 Guarantee
Notre Dame is 328-0-1 all-time when claiming a 2-0 lead and is unbeaten in its past 305 contests when going ahead 2-0 (dating back to a 3-3 draw with Vanderbilt on Sept. 15, 1991, in Cincinnati).
In fact, just two of the past 217 Fighting Irish opponents to face a 2-0 deficit have forced a draw, something achieved by four opponents in Notre Dame history: Duke on Oct. 17, 1993, in Houston (ND won 3-2), Connecticut on Nov. 10, 1996, in the BIG EAST final at old 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 old Alumni Field (ND won 3-2), and most recently, Villanova on Oct. 12, 2008 in Villanova, Pa. (ND won 3-2 in OT).
Three … Is The Magic Number
Scoring three goals has meant virtually an automatic win in Notre Dame women’s soccer history, with a 296-3-1 (.988) record in those games, including a 198-1-0 (.995) mark since Oct. 6, 1995.
Golden Domers Golden In OT
Overtime has usually been the right time for Notre Dame, as the Fighting Irish are 20-5-11 (.708) all-time in the Randy Waldrum era (since 1999) when going to an extra period or two. Notre Dame also is unbeaten in nine of its last 11 overtime contests.
The Fighting Irish already have gone to extra time once this season, falling at No. 3 North Carolina, 2-1, on a goal 5:25 into overtime.
Two current Notre Dame players have scored “golden goals” in their college careers — senior forward Melissa Henderson (Nov. 9, 2008 vs. Connecticut in the BIG EAST final at old Alumni Field) and senior defender Jessica Schuveiller (Nov. 6, 2009 vs. St. John’s in the BIG EAST semifinals at Storrs, Conn.).
Captains’ Choice
A trio of seniors — midfielder Courtney Barg, forward Melissa Henderson and defender Jessica Schuveiller — were selected to serve as Notre Dame’s captains this year, according to a preseason vote of their teammates.
Schuveiller is making history this season as the first three-year captain in the 24-year history of Fighting Irish women’s soccer. When she first earned the armband in 2009, Schuveiller became Notre Dame’s first non-senior captain since Amy Warner in 2002.
Barg and Henderson are in their first seasons as team captains.
Next Up: Stanford/Santa Clara
Notre Dame heads back on the road next weekend, venturing to northern California for matches at No. 2 Stanford (Sept. 9, 10:30 p.m. ET) and No. 16/15 Santa Clara (Sept. 11, 2 p.m. ET) as part of the joint Stanford Invitational/Santa Clara adidas Classic.
Stanford (2-0-1) returns 19 letterwinners, including nine starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the NCAA Women’s College Cup final before falling to Notre Dame, 1-0, in Cary, N.C. The Cardinal have just one match this weekend, playing host to Northwestern Sunday afternoon.
Santa Clara (3-0-0) reached the second round of last year’s NCAA Championship before being eliminated by Stanford. The Broncos will aim to protect their early unblemished record this season when they head to Eugene, Ore., to take on No. 21/18 Oregon State on Friday and host Oregon on Sunday at the UO Invitational.
— ND —