Oct. 13, 2010
Full Notes Package in PDF Format 
2010 ND Women’s Soccer — Matches 15-16
#4/5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1-0 / 7-0-0 BIG EAST)
vs. Connecticut Huskies (7-6-2 / 3-3-1 BIG EAST)
DATE: October 15, 2010
TIME: 4:30 p.m. ET
AT: Storrs, Conn. – Morrone Stadium (8,574)
SERIES: ND leads 20-4-3
1ST MTG: UCONN 5-4, ot (10/6/95)
LAST MTG: ND 6-1 (10/16/09)
AUDIO: uconnhuskies.com (live)
STATS: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
vs. Providence Friars (8-4-2 / 2-3-2 BIG EAST)
DATE: October 17, 2010
TIME: 1:00 p.m. ET
AT: Providence, R.I. – Glay Field (1,500)
SERIES: ND leads 14-0-0
1ST MTG: ND 2-0 (10/22/91)
LAST MTG: ND 2-0 (10/18/09)
STATS: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
Storylines
- Connecticut is Notre Dame’s most frequent opponent, with the Fighting Irish having more wins (20) and more matches played (27) against the Huskies than any other foe.
- UConn and Providence are the lone cross-divisional opponents Notre Dame has faced each season since the BIG EAST expanded and returned to divisional play in 2005.
No. 4/5 Irish Head To New England This Weekend For Pair Of BIG EAST Matches
As the BIG EAST season heads into the homestretch this weekend, No. 4/5 Notre Dame can do much to clear up its postseason picture as it heads out on the road to visit Connecticut (4:30 p.m. ET Friday) and Providence (1 p.m. ET Sunday). Two Fighting Irish wins will secure at least a share of the National Division title, while an added Georgetown loss (at Pittsburgh or West Virginia) would clinch the outright division crown.
Notre Dame (13-1, 7-0 BIG EAST) extended its current winning streak to nine matches with victories over Seton Hall (2-1) and Rutgers (3-2) last weekend. Senior forward Rose Augustin factored into all five Fighting Irish goals (2G-3A), leading to her selection as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and as part of the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is No. 4 in the latest NSCAA poll and No. 5 in the new Soccer America poll.
- Connecticut is not ranked.
- Providence is not ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Like a backyard barbecue, it took a little while for Notre Dame to get its offensive fires stoked, but now it appears the Fighting Irish coals (and goals) are blazing, as Notre Dame has found the back of the net 21 times in the past six matches, surging to a 13-1 record and a 7-0 mark in the BIG EAST. The Fighting Irish also have risen to No. 4 in the NSCAA poll and No. 5 in the Soccer America poll, while also standing third in the latest NCAA RPI rankings released Tuesday.
Junior forward Melissa Henderson (12G-7A) has been the lighter fluid for the Fighting Irish offensive firepower of late, racking up 19 points (eight goals, three assists) in her last five matches. Senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, has added a career-high eight goals this season to go along with six assists and 22 points, all good for second on the team and among the top five in the conference.
On the defensive side, Notre Dame continues to be one of the nation’s best, ranking eighth in the land in shutout percentage (0.64, nine total), and goals-against average (0.50) and 23rd in save percentage (.860) while allowing only seven goals all year (two on own-goals). Co-captains/center backs Lauren Fowlkes and Jessica Schuveiller have teamed with goalkeeper Nikki Weiss to form the core of the Fighting Irish defense, with Weiss having allowed just four goals in 14 BIG EAST regular-season matches since she took over as the full-time starter more than a year ago.
Scouting Connecticut
You probably couldn’t blame longtime Connecticut head coach Len Tsantiris for reaching for the Pepto, as his Huskies (7-6-2, 3-3-1) truly have experienced an up-and-down season. Notable wins over nationally-ranked Illinois (2-1, 2ot) and Penn State (3-2, ot) have been offset by some head-scratching setbacks and leave UConn squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble with less than a month to go before selection day.
The Huskies are coming off their third consecutive BIG EAST weekend split, falling at home to American Division leader (and 23rd-ranked) Marquette, 1-0 in overtime before bouncing back with a 3-0 win over South Florida. Senior midfielder Elise Fugowski had a goal and an assist, and sophomore midfielder Linda Ruutu added a goal against USF.
Swedish graduate student/forward Angelika Johansson leads UConn with six goals this season, and is joined atop the team’s points table by junior forward Jessica Shufelt (5G-3A). Junior Jessica Dulski has started all 15 matches in goal for the Huskies, posting a 0.99 goals-against average with three shutouts.
The dean of BIG EAST coaches, Tsantiris is in his 30th season in Storrs with a 481-150-45 (.745) record to his credit.
The Notre Dame-Connecticut Series
Notre Dame will be facing UConn for the 28th time on Friday afternoon, with the Fighting Irish holding a 20-4-3 lead in the series and riding an active eight-match unbeaten streak against the Huskies (7-0-1, with two wins in overtime). The teams are playing for the 10th time in Storrs, where Notre Dame has a 4-2-3 series edge (along with a 6-0 mark against other teams at Morrone Stadium during BIG EAST Championship play, including 2-1 wins over St. John’s and Marquette in last year’s tournament semifinals and final, respectively).
In their last meeting on Oct. 16, 2009, at Alumni Stadium, the Fighting Irish defeated Connecticut, 6-1, behind two goals each from Rose Augustin, Erica Iantorno and Taylor Knaack. Nikki Weiss went the first 82 minutes in goal, making three saves, before Maddie Fox worked the final eight minutes and was not tested.
Notre Dame last played the Huskies at Morrone Stadium on Oct. 19, 2008, winning 2-0 on a pair of goals by Kerri Hanks.
Scouting Providence
Providence (8-4-2, 2-3-2) already has matched its overall win total from last season and is one victory shy of equaling its 2009 conference total. The Friars, who play host to DePaul Friday before welcoming Notre Dame to town on Sunday, opened their season with a 6-1-1 mark and six shutouts, but are aiming to get back on the winning track this weekend following a three-match winless streak.
Last weekend at home, PC earned a 1-1 draw with South Florida before a hard-fought 2-1 double-overtime loss to No. 23 Marquette. A pair of midfielders — sophomore Amanda Webster and junior Laura DiClemente — netted the two Friar goals.
Webster has a team-high six goals for Providence, while graduate student/forward Jill Camburn has logged a team-best 13 points (4G-5A). Senior Jill Schott and junior Caitlin Walker have split starting duties in the Friar goal this season –Schott is 3-1-1 with a 0.45 GAA and one shutout, while Walker is 5-3-1 with a 1.40 GAA and two shutouts (they also have shared five clean sheets).
Head coach Jim McGirr is in his sixth season at Providence with a 34-53-16 (.408) record entering this weekend’s action.
The Notre Dame-Providence Series
Notre Dame and Providence are set to tangle for the 15th time on Sunday, with the Fighting Irish having won all 14 prior matches, including the previous six at Glay Field. Notre Dame also maintains a 73-1 all-time scoring edge in the series against the Friars, with the lone goal coming in 2000 (a 5-1 Fighting Irish win at old Alumni Field).
In their most recent matchup on Oct. 18, 2009, at Alumni Stadium, Notre Dame posted an efficient 2-0 win over Providence, thanks to goals from Taylor Knaack and Amanda Clark in the opening 27 minutes of play. Nikki Weiss made three saves to record the solo shutout.
The last time the teams played at Glay Field was on Oct. 17, 2008, with the Fighting Irish notching a 5-0 victory, courtesy of two goals by Melissa Henderson and a goal and two assists from Brittany Bock.
Match #14 Recap: Rutgers
Senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin chalked up a goal and two assists, and senior forward/midfielder Erica Iantorno added her first career game-winning score in the 67th minute as the No. 5/7 Notre Dame women’s soccer team celebrated Senior Day on Oct. 10 with a hard-fought 3-2 BIG EAST Conference victory over Rutgers on a sun-splashed afternoon before a crowd of 1,166 fans at Alumni Stadium and a national cable television audience on ESPNU.
Junior forward Melissa Henderson sparked a two-goal flurry by the Fighting Irish midway through the second half, netting her team-high 12th goal of the season and eighth in the past five matches. Freshman midfielder Elizabeth Tucker also got into the scorebook with an assist on Augustin’s first-half goal, which was her career-high eighth of the year (to go along with six assists).
The Fighting Irish (13-1, 7-0 BIG EAST) collected their ninth consecutive win behind a strong second half that saw the hosts outshoot Rutgers, 12-2, including a 5-1 spread in shots on goal. Notre Dame finished the day with a 15-6 shot edge (8-4 in shots on goal) and earned a 4-2 advantage on corner kicks, while the Scarlet Knights were called for 11 of the 18 fouls in the match.
Karla Schacher pulled the Scarlet Knights (8-7, 3-4) back within a goal with her score in the 77th minute, after setting up Rutgers’ first goal with a cross that deflected in off a Notre Dame defender for an own-goal.
Senior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss earned the victory in the Fighting Irish net, making two saves. Meanwhile, Emmy Simpkins was credited with five saves in the Scarlet Knights’ goal.
Match #13 Recap: Seton Hall
Junior forward Melissa Henderson and senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin each registered a goal and an assist as No. 5/7 Notre Dame showered Seton Hall with a season-high 32 shots on the way to a 2-1 BIG EAST Conference victory on Oct. 8 before an enthusiastic crowd of 1,513 fans at Alumni Stadium.
Henderson had a career-high 11 shots, including seven on goal, logging the most shots by one Notre Dame individual in a match since 2005, when Kerri Hanks took 12 shots in three different contests. (the last on Oct. 21, 2005 in a 4-0 win over Villanova at old Alumni Field). As a team, the Fighting Irish rang up their highest shot total since Nov. 14, 2008, when they squeezed off 34 shots in a 5-2 win over Toledo in the opening round of the NCAA Championship, also at old Alumni Field.
Notre Dame not only outshot Seton Hall, 32-4, but also held a 15-2 edge in shots on goal, just one off its season high in that category (16 at Louisville on Sept. 26). The Fighting Irish added a season-high 14-0 margin in corner kicks.
Senior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss got the victory in the Notre Dame net, making one save. Seton Hall goalkeeper Jennifer Pettigrew was the story of the night, doing everything she could to keep the match from turning into a blowout with 12 saves, while also benefiting from a team save and several kind caroms from the woodwork during the night.
Augustin Nabs Pair Of Weekly Honors
On Monday, senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin received two weekly awards in recognition for her play in two Fighting Irish victories last weekend. The veteran striker was selected to the 11-player Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week, in addition to being named the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week. It was the first time in Augustin’s career she received either award.
It marked the third consecutive week that a Fighting Irish player earned both a place on the Top Drawer Soccer team and garnered the BIG EAST’s top weekly offensive award, with junior forward Melissa Henderson collecting both accolades the previous two weeks as well as the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week citation last week.
Augustin had a hand in all five Notre Dame goals last weekend, scoring twice and dishing out three assists as the Fighting Irish defeated BIG EAST foes Seton Hall (2-1) and Rutgers (3-2) at Alumni Stadium. Against SHU, Augustin opened the scoring just 1:21 into the match, then assisted on Henderson’s vital insurance goal in the 58th minute. Two days later against Rutgers, Augustin posted a goal and two assists, again scoring the opening goal and then assisting on goals by Henderson and senior forward/midfielder Erica Iantorno in a span of 1:57 midway through the second half that gave the Fighting Irish the lead for good.
For the season, Augustin ranks among the top five in the BIG EAST in points (22 – 3rd), points per match (1.57 – 3rd), goals (career-high 8 – tie/4th), goals per match (0.57 – 4th), assists (6 – tie/5th) and assists per match (0.43 – 5th). During conference play, she is tied for the BIG EAST lead in assists (5) and assists per match (0.71), while ranking second in points (13) and points per match (1.86), and tying for fifth in goals (4) and goals per match (0.57).
Mel-Rose Place
No signs of Billy, Jane, Michael or Sydney, but so far this season, Notre Dame has taken on the look of Mel-Rose Place. Specifically, the offensive duo of junior forward Melissa Henderson and senior forward Rose Augustin have combined for more than half (20) of the 34 Fighting Irish goals and 53 of 95 points through 14 matches this season.
Henderson A Trend Setter
If you’re looking to spot a trend in Notre Dame’s success during the past three seasons, look no further than junior forward Melissa Henderson. Since the Garland, Texas, native arrived in South Bend, she has scored 47 goals (third-most among active Division I players, and 12th in school history) and added 14 assists, good for 108 career points (17th in school history).
This season, Henderson is once again among the national offensive leaders, ranking fourth nationally in points (31) and sixth in goals (12), including eight scores in her last five matches. She also has distributed a career-high seven assists in 2010, matching her combined total from her first two seasons at Notre Dame and putting her 21st in the land.
These markers have been particularly valuable to Fighting Irish fortunes. In fact, during Henderson’s career, Notre Dame is 32-0 when she scores a goal, something she’s done in nine matches this year, including the past five outings. The Fighting Irish also are 39-0 all-time when Henderson tallies a point, which she has done in 12 matches this year and 19 of the past 24 contests, dating back to last season.
Quickstrike Offense, Part I
Junior forward Melissa Henderson and senior forward Rose Augustin scored 47 seconds apart (at 23:51 and 24:38) midway through the first half of the Sept. 5 win over Texas Tech at Alumni Stadium. It was the fastest two-goal flurry for Notre Dame since Sept. 28, 2008, at Cincinnati, when Henderson scored 33 seconds after Courtney Rosen found the back of the net.
Quickstrike Offense, Part II
Junior forward Melissa Henderson’s goal just 1:11 in Notre Dame’s win at Loyola Marymount on Sept. 12 was the fastest opening tally by the Fighting Irish since Dec. 7, 2008, when Kerri Hanks scored only 16 seconds into the NCAA national championship match against North Carolina in Cary, N.C. (setting an NCAA College Cup record in the process).
Henderson’s goal against LMU also was the sixth-fastest opening score in the 12-year Randy Waldrum era (1999-present).
Getting The Jump On The Opposition
In eight matches this season (including six of the past seven matches), Notre Dame has scored the opening goal inside the first 15 minutes of play.
In addition, the Fighting Irish have scored within the opening 30 minutes in 11 of their last 12 matches, after waiting until the second half to find the back of the net in their first two contests of the year.
Lead, Follow Or Get Out Of The Way
With the potency of the Notre Dame offensive attack, most opponents have chosen the third option. In fact, the Fighting Irish have led or been tied for 1,238:56 of 1,264:02 minutes this season (98% of the elapsed game time). The only time Notre Dame has trailed this season was for a grand total of 25:06 (19:09-44:15) at No. 13 UCLA on Sept. 10.
Department of Defense
Notre Dame opened this season with four consecutive shutouts, marking the second time in three years (but just the third time in school history) that the Fighting Irish have started with four clean sheets. The other instances occurred in 1995 (eight in a row) and 2008 (four in a row).
This season, Notre Dame has allowed just seven goals (two of which were own-goals) and ranks eighth in the nation in both goals-against average (0.50) and shutout percentage (0.64/match).
In fact, the Fighting Irish actually have taken more shots on goal (121) through 14 matches than their opponents have total shots (112).
Looking at the larger picture, Notre Dame has allowed 0-1 goals in 27 of its last 29 matches, dating back to Oct. 4, 2009, at Pittsburgh. Prior to a 2-1 overtime loss at 13th-ranked UCLA on Sept. 10, the Fighting Irish had a 19-match streak of allowing one goal or fewer, the fifth-longest streak in school history and their longest since Oct. 25, 2002-Oct. 26, 2003, when the Fighting Irish yielded a goal or fewer in 24 consecutive matches.
During this current 29-match defensive run (which coincided with the installation of senior Nikki Weiss as Notre Dame’s full-time starting goalkeeper), the Fighting Irish are 26-2-1 with 19 shutouts (13 solo and six shared by Weiss), a 72-14 scoring margin and a 0.48 goals-against average (GAA).
In the program’s 23-year history, Notre Dame is 402-10-15 (.959) when holding the opposition to 0-1 goals.
ND Seniors Among Nation’s Best
The 2010 Notre Dame senior class currently ranks as the most successful group in the country on the basis of total victories, with a four-year record to date of 79-11-3 (.866) that includes three consecutive trips to the NCAA College Cup and an appearance in the 2008 national title match.
The .866 winning percentage compiled by the Fighting Irish seniors is fourth-best on the national scene.
And Juniors Aren’t Half Bad Either
Like their senior teammates, the Fighting Irish juniors lead the nation in total wins by the Class of 2011, with a three-year record to date of 60-6-1 (.903), including two trips to the NCAA College Cup and a berth in the 2008 title match. The Notre Dame junior class also currently ranks third in the nation with a .903 winning percentage.
That record could be even more impressive when one considers that three of those six losses occurred in a nine-day span (Sept. 4-13) last season. The only other losses were late-game one-goal setbacks to North Carolina in the past two College Cups (2-1 in the ’08 final, 1-0 in the ’09 semifinals) and earlier this season at 13th-ranked UCLA (2-1 in OT on Sept. 10), along with a 0-0 draw at Pittsburgh last year (a match in which Notre Dame outshot the Panthers, 25-7).
Fresh-Faced Contributors
Part of Notre Dame’s success this season can be traced to the poised and rapidly maturing play of its freshmen, four of whom are now among the starting XI for the Fighting Irish.
Midfielders Mandy Laddish and Elizabeth Tucker wasted little time in getting their feet wet at the college level, having earned starting nods in virtually every match this season (Laddish all 14, Tucker 13). Laddish ranks third on the team in total minutes (1,171) by a field player, while Tucker (a two-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week selection) is third on the team with six goals, three assists and 15 points, while standing second on the team with four game-winning goals (all of those marks are among the top 10 in the BIG EAST).
Last month, defender Kecia Morway became the third rookie in the starting lineup, while forward Adriana Leon got her first starting nod on Oct. 1 vs. Syracuse, with Leon potting her first career goal on Sept. 24 against Cincinnati.
One other Notre Dame freshman note: during the final 10 minutes of the first half at Northwestern on Sept. 19, the Fighting Irish had five freshmen on the pitch at the same time, as starters Laddish, Tucker and Morway were joined by Leon and midfielder Rebecca Twining, the latter of whom was making her college debut.
Sunday School
Notre Dame is unbeaten in its last 15 matches on Sunday (14-0-1) and owns a 33-2-2 (.919) record in the past 37 contests when closing out the weekend, dating back to September 2007 (when the Fighting Irish lost three consecutive Sunday matches to nationally-ranked Stanford, Oklahoma State and Penn State, all by 2-1 scores and the first two in overtime).
Irish Thinking Pink In October
Following the success of this past spring’s jersey auction at the Mexico exhibition match to benefit Camp Whatcha-Wanna-Do (which raised nearly $3,000 for the Fort Wayne camp for children with cancer), the Notre Dame women’s soccer team once again gave fans the shirts off their backs.
During its home matches against Seton Hall and Rutgers on the weekend of Oct. 8-10, the Fighting Irish wore special white/pink uniforms to support Kicks Against Breast Cancer, a national soccer initiative to raise funds for breast cancer research. From Sept. 24-Oct. 11, fans had the opportunity to bid on these autographed, game-worn jerseys by going to the official Notre Dame athletics auction web site at www.UND.com/auctions.
Proceeds from this auction (which are still being tallied, but are expected to top $4,000) will go directly to Kicks Against Breast Cancer. For more information on this worthwhile cause, visit www.kicksagainstbreastcancer.org.
We Love The New Digs
Alumni Stadium is quickly earning a reputation as not only one of the nation’s finest college facilities, but also a truly intimidating place for visiting teams. In fact, following Notre Dame’s loss to top-ranked North Carolina in its first match at the new stadium (Sept. 4, 2009), the Fighting Irish have reeled off 23 consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents, 62-6 in that span while recording 18 shutouts.
Beasts Of The BIG EAST
With a 3-2 win over Rutgers on Oct. 10, Notre Dame now owns an NCAA Division I-record 73-match unbeaten streak (70-0-3) against BIG EAST opposition, dating back to a 4-1 loss at No. 15 Marquette on Sept. 30, 2005. In that time, the only ties were scoreless draws at Connecticut (Oct. 13, 2006) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 4, 2009), and a 1-1 deadlock at No. 12 West Virginia in the 2007 BIG EAST final (won by the Mountaineers on penalties, 5-3, but the result is recorded as a tie).
Not only is Notre Dame’s current conference unbeaten streak an ongoing NCAA Division I record, but it also is threatening some other marks in other NCAA divisions. The present Fighting Irish string is the fourth-longest in NCAA history across all divisions, with Notre Dame passing both Division II record holder Metro State (Colo.) and Division III entity Wisconsin-Stevens Point on the all-divisions chart last weekend.
Another Division III member, Hardin-Simmons University (Texas), is the current all-division record holder with a 107-match unbeaten streak against conference opponents, dating back to 2003 (the Cowgirls also have an active 126-match unbeaten run in regular season league play).
Since joining the BIG EAST 15 years ago, the Fighting Irish are 141-8-5 (.932) all-time in regular-season conference matches, 35-2-1 (.934) in the BIG EAST Championship, and hold a 736-89 scoring edge dating back to that first league season in 1995.
What’s more, Notre Dame maintains a 15-year, 99-match home unbeaten streak (98-0-1) against BIG EAST teams, with Connecticut the lone conference team ever to defeat the Fighting Irish at home (5-4 in overtime on Oct. 6, 1995, at old Alumni Field). The only result separating Notre Dame from a 99-match conference home winning streak has been a 0-0 draw with Rutgers on Oct. 22, 2004, also at old Alumni Field.
Our Fearless Leader
Now in his 12th season at Notre Dame, head coach Randy Waldrum ranks fourth on the NCAA Division I all-time winning percentage list with a .791 (352-85-21) mark in his 21 years in the women’s game. He also is third among active coaches for career winning percentage, while his 352 career wins rank fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I charts — Waldrum earned his 350th career victory on Oct. 3 vs. St. John’s at Alumni Stadium.
A two-time National Coach of the Year (2008 by the NSCAA, 2009 by Soccer America), Waldrum has led Notre Dame to seven NCAA College Cups, four NCAA finals and the 2004 national championship. He is second in NCAA Division I history with seven College Cup appearances and four title-game berths in his storied career.
The 2-0 Guarantee
Notre Dame is 324-0-1 all-time when claiming a 2-0 lead and is unbeaten in its past 301 contests when going ahead 2-0 (dating back to a 3-3 tie with Vanderbilt on Sept. 15, 1991, in Cincinnati).
In fact, just two of the past 213 Fighting 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 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 (Irish 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 292-3-1 (.988) record in those games, including a 194-1-0 (.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 20-4-9 (.742) all-time in the Randy Waldrum era (since 1999) when going to an extra period or two, with the Sept. 10 loss at 13th-ranked UCLA snapping a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) in added time, dating back to the 2007 season.
Last year, Notre Dame went to overtime on three occasions, defeating West Virginia (3-2 on Oct. 2) and St. John’s (2-1 on Nov. 6 in the BIG EAST semifinal in Storrs, Conn.) and ending in a scoreless draw at Pittsburgh (Oct. 4).
Three current Fighting Irish players have scored “golden goals” in their college careers — senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin (Oct. 12, 2008 at Villanova), junior forward Melissa Henderson (Nov. 9, 2008 vs. Connecticut in BIG EAST final) and junior defender Jessica Schuveiller (Nov. 6, 2009 vs. St. John’s in BIG EAST semifinal).
Captains’ Choice
Senior defender/midfielder Lauren Fowlkes and junior defender Jessica Schuveiller have been selected to serve as Notre Dame’s captains this year, according to a preseason vote of their teammates. Fowlkes is in her first season as a team captain, while Schuveiller is a second-year captain after becoming the first non-senior to wear the armband for the Fighting Irish since Amy Warner in 2002.
New Ways To Follow The Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame women’s soccer program has expanded its reach this season through a number of media outlets. Most notably, the Fighting Irish have created three Twitter accounts for fans to follow the team on a daily basis — one is operated by head coach Randy Waldrum (@NDCoachWaldrum), a second by assistant coach Ken Nuber (@NDSoccer) and a third by associate media relations director Chris Masters (@NDsoccernews).
In addition, the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.UND.com) is featuring live in-game blogs for all Fighting Irish home matches this season, allowing fans to ask questions, make comments and share in the excitement of Notre Dame women’s soccer right from their own computers.
These blogs, along with live in-game stats (courtesy of the CBSSports.com College Gametracker) and other special features, are available through the UND.com Women’s Soccer Gameday Central page, which is posted on-line within 24 hours of each home contest.
ND Supporters Group Debuts In 2010
Fans are encouraged to be a part of the new Notre Dame soccer supporters’ group, The Rakes of Mallow. This student-based organization is attending all Fighting Irish home games this year and aims to create a special home pitch atmosphere unlike any in college soccer. To learn more, visit The Rakes of Mallow web site (www.rakesofmallow.net).
Next Up: Villanova/Georgetown
Notre Dame winds up the regular season next weekend with a two-game road trip to BIG EAST National Division foes Villanova (3 p.m. ET, Oct. 22) and Georgetown (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 24). That pair will be on the road this weekend to take on Pittsburgh and West Virginia.
Villanova (6-9, 1-6) currently is on the outside looking in at the BIG EAST Championship field in eighth place in the National Division, while Georgetown (11-4, 5-2) — which is in prime position for an NCAA tourney spot, let alone a BIG EAST postseason berth — is tied with DePaul for second in the division, six points back of Notre Dame heading into the weekend.
— ND —