Sept. 29, 2010
Full Notes Package in PDF Format 
2010 ND Women’s Soccer — Matches 11-12
#5/7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1-0 / 3-0-0 BIG EAST)
vs. Syracuse Orange (5-4-3 / 2-1-0 BIG EAST)
DATE: October 1, 2010
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Alumni Stadium (2,500)
SERIES: ND leads 7-0-0
1ST MTG: ND 8-0 (10/19/97)
LAST MTG: ND 4-1 (10/5/07)
WEBCAST: UND.com (live)
STATS/BLOG: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
vs. St. John’s Red Storm (4-5-1 / 1-2-0 BIG EAST)
DATE: October 3, 2010
TIME: Noon ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Alumni Stadium (2,500)
SERIES: ND leads 12-0-0
1ST MTG: ND 9-0 (9/3/95)
LAST MTG: ND 2-1, ot (11/6/09)
TV: CBS College Sports (live) (Brent Stover, p-b-p / Richard Broad, color)
STATS/BLOG: UND.com (live)
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
Storylines
- Notre Dame is 19-0 all-time against New York schools with an 89-4 scoring margin.
- Sunday’s match is the first of two nationally-televised regular-season contests for the Fighting Irish this season.
No. 5/7 Fighting Irish Kick Off Four-Match Homestand This Weekend
As the calendar flips to the month of October, No. 5/7 Notre Dame enters the heart of BIG EAST Conference play, with the Fighting Irish kicking off a four-match homestand this weekend against Syracuse (7:30 p.m. ET, Friday) and St. John’s (noon ET, Sunday, CBS College Sports) at Alumni Stadium.
Notre Dame (9-1, 3-0 BIG EAST) sits firmly atop the BIG EAST National Division with the maximum nine points after stretching its current win streak to five matches with convincing shutouts of Cincinnati (4-0) and No. 24/18 Louisville (5-0) last weekend.
Junior forward Melissa Henderson claimed BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors after tallying five points (2G-1A) in last Sunday’s win over Louisville. However, she was just one of eight different goalscorers for the Fighting Irish last weekend, with five of the other seven finding the net for the first time this season (and two for the first time in their careers).
Rankings
- Notre Dame is No. 5 in the latest NSCAA poll and No. 7 in the new Soccer America poll.
- Syracuse is not ranked.
- St. John’s is not ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Challenged by both a rugged schedule (eight opponents have either been ranked or receiving votes at some point this year) and a youthful lineup necessitated by injuries, Notre Dame has passed these tests largely with flying colors, posting a 9-1 record, including a 3-0 BIG EAST mark and ranking fifth in the latest NSCAA poll (seventh by Soccer America).
The one constant for the Fighting Irish this season has been its defensive muscle, with Notre Dame allowing only three goals thus far (two in an overtime loss at No. 13 UCLA on Sept. 10). Led by co-captains/center backs Lauren Fowlkes and Jessica Schuveiller, and goalkeeper Nikki Weiss, the Fighting Irish have been especially stingy during conference play, not allowing a goal and giving up just 16 total shots (six on goal) to date.
Notre Dame’s offense appeared to turn a corner last weekend with a nine-goal eruption in wins over Cincinnati (4-0) and Louisville (5-0). Junior forward Melissa Henderson (6G-5A) and senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin (5G-2A) set the pace, but five of the nine scores last weekend actually were netted by first-time goalscorers, adding a hint of further diversity to the Fighting Irish attack.
Scouting Syracuse
Syracuse currently holds down second place in the BIG EAST’s American Division (2-1-0, six points), three points behind division leader Marquette. The Orange had their five-match unbeaten streak snapped last Sunday with a 3-0 home loss to Connecticut. SU’s two BIG EAST wins have been 1-0 margins at home over St. John’s (Sept. 17) and at Providence (Sept. 23), the latter on a 90th-minute goal.
Senior forward Megan Bellingham has a team-high nine points (3G-3A), while sophomore transfer Brielle Heitman has a team-high four goals. In addition, freshman goalkeeper Brittany Anghel was named to Monday’s BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and has appeared in 10 matches for the Orange this year, posting four solo shutouts.
Head coach Phil Wheddon is in his third season at Syracuse with a 15-26-8 record — Friday will mark his first-ever matchup against Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-Syracuse Series
Notre Dame holds a 7-0 series lead against Syracuse, including a 2-0 mark in South Bend.
The teams have not met since Oct. 5, 2007, when the Fighting Irish registered a 4-1 victory at SU Soccer Stadium behind a natural hat trick from Brittany Bock in an eight-minute span crossing over halftime, and a clinching score (the second goal of her career) by then-freshman (and current senior) Rose Augustin.
The Orange have not played in South Bend since Oct. 25, 2002, when Notre Dame posted a 5-0 win at old Alumni Field on the strength of two goals by Randi Scheller in the first 4:30 of the match, and two later scores by Mary Boland, as well as second-half goals by Katie Thorlakson and Amy Warner.
Other Notre Dame-Syracuse Series Tidbits
- While none of the current Syracuse players were on the roster the last time the Orange visited Notre Dame in 2002, SU sophomores Brielle Heitman and Skylar Sabbag should be familiar with Alumni Stadium. Last season, the pair played at Central Michigan when the Chippewas came to Notre Dame for the second round of the NCAA Championship on Nov. 15. Both players came off the bench (Heitman for 30 minutes, Sabbag for five minutes) in a 6-1 Fighting Irish win.
- Syracuse and St. John’s are the only two schools from the state of New York that Notre Dame has played in its women’s soccer history. The Fighting Irish are 19-0-0 all-time against the Empire State with a combined goal margin of 89-4.
Scouting St. John’s
St. John’s came into this weekend in sixth place in the BIG EAST American Division (1-2, three points). The Red Storm have lost three of their last four entering Friday’s match at DePaul, although that one win was a 2-1 victory at Connecticut on Sept. 23.
Notre Dame is the second ranked opponent on the road for St. John’s, which dropped a 3-0 decision at #8 Texas A&M on Aug. 22.
The Red Storm have scored six goals and allowed nine this season. They are led by freshman midfielder/forward Amy Marron and sophomore forward/defender Runa Stefansdottir, who have five points (2G-1A) apiece. Junior goalkeeper Kristin Russell also is one of the BIG EAST’s best with an 0.93 goals-against average and four shutouts.
Head coach Ian Stone is in his 17th season at St. John’s with a 153-127-35 record (prior to Friday’s match at DePaul), including an 0-12 record against Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-St. John’s Series
Notre Dame has won all 12 meetings with St. John’s, with each match coming since the Fighting Irish joined the BIG EAST in 1995.
Notre Dame also has outscored the Red Storm, 55-1 in the series, although that lone St. John’s score came in their most recent series matchup, a 2-1 overtime victory for the Fighting Irish in last year’s BIG EAST Championship semifinals in Storrs, Conn. (Jessica Schuveiller won it for Notre Dame in the 99th minute off a corner kick by Rose Augustin).
St. John’s is visiting South Bend for the first time since the 2006 BIG EAST quarterfinals (a 3-0 Fighting Irish win at old Alumni Field).
Other Notre Dame-St. John’s Series Tidbits
- Nicole Doran’s 69th-minute goal in last year’s BIG EAST semifinal was the first ever scored by St. John’s in 12 career matches against Notre Dame. However, video replays seemed to show the goal actually resulted from Courtney Lane’s corner kick deflecting in off a Fighting Irish player.
- Notre Dame freshman defender Elizabeth Wilson and St. John’s freshman Kerry Cummings were high school teammates at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, also the alma mater of three other Fighting Irish players — senior defender/co-captain Lauren Fowlkes, and junior midfielders Molly Campbell and Ellen Jantsch. Cummings also was a club teammate of Notre Dame freshman midfielder Mandy Laddish with the Blue Valley Stars, based in the Kansas City area.
Match #10 Recap: Louisville
Junior forward Melissa Henderson turned in a five-point day with two goals and an assist, leading No. 5/9 Notre Dame to an impressive 5-0 victory at No. 24/18 Louisville last Sunday afternoon at Cardinal Park. It was the largest margin of victory ever recorded by a Fighting Irish team against a ranked opponent on its home field, while the win also extended Notre Dame’s NCAA Division I record unbeaten streak against BIG EAST foes to 69 matches (66-0-3).
It was a milestone afternoon for Henderson, whose two scores made her the 15th Fighting Irish player to gain admission into the 40-goal club. Senior forward Taylor Knaack and junior midfielder Ellen Jantsch both opened their seasonal goal accounts by bookending the Notre Dame offensive output, while senior forward Erica Iantorno added her second goal of the season for the Fighting Irish, and freshman forward Adriana Leon capped a strong weekend with two exceptional plays (although uncredited assists) to create the final two Notre Dame scores.
Senior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss made three saves in the Fighting Irish net during the first 79-plus minutes before giving way to sophomore Maddie Fox, who was not officially credited with a stop, but did have to clear away some loose change in the late going to maintain her team’s eighth shutout in 10 matches this season (and second consecutive split clean sheet).
Match #9 Recap: Cincinnati
Four different Notre Dame players scored goals, and senior defender/co-captain Lauren Fowlkes dished out a pair of assists as the No. 5/9 Fighting Irish put together a dominating 4-0 win over Cincinnati in BIG EAST Conference action on Sept. 24 before a crowd of 1,200 fans at Alumni Stadium.
Senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin netted her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 12th minute, before three other Notre Dame players tallied their first scores of the season. Freshman midfielder Mandy Laddish started the goal parade with her first career tally in the 37th minute, before rookie forward Adriana Leon did likewise in the 42nd minute. Senior defender Julie Scheidler capped the Fighting Irish offensive outburst with the second goal of her career in the 62nd minute.
That firepower would prove to be more than enough for senior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss, who worked the first 60 minutes in the Notre Dame nets before giving way to sophomore Maddie Fox, who made her season debut over the final half-hour. The Fighting Irish goalkeepers each made one save in combining for Notre Dame’s seventh shutout this season, including all five home contests.
Henderson Earns Trio Of Weekly Honors
Junior forward Melissa Henderson was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. In addition, Henderson also was named to the 11-player Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week and was one of 11 players chosen as one of CollegeSoccer360.com’s Primetime Performers of the Week, according to releases by both media outlets on Monday.
Senior defender/co-captain Lauren Fowlkes also earned recognition for her play last week, garnering her second mention of the season on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, which recognizes notable performances by conference players outside those chosen for the BIG EAST’s weekly individual awards. Fowlkes made the list for the first time — along with senior forward/midfielder Rose Augustin — on Sept. 6, while Henderson was a BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll choice last week.
Henderson is Notre Dame’s first BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honoree this season after tallying five points (2G-1A) in last Sunday’s 5-0 win at #24/18 Louisville. Henderson scored goals in the 24th and 72nd minute, and earned the secondary assist on a 10th-minute score by senior forward Taylor Knaack as the Fighting Irish posted their largest margin of victory ever on the home field of a ranked opponent.
Henderson’s five points against Louisville were the most by a Notre Dame player against a ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2007, when Michele Weissenhofer had a similar two-goal, one-assist day in a 3-2 win at fourth-ranked North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Championship. Henderson’s two goals also gave her 41 career tallies, good for 15th in school history, while her five points boosted her all-time total to 94 points (41G-12A) and 19th place in the Fighting Irish record books.
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 half (11) of the 22 Fighting Irish goals and 29 of 59 points through eight matches this season. What’s more, two of Henderson’s team-high five assists this year have set up Augustin scores (vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Aug. 22, and vs. Santa Clara on Sept. 3).
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 five matches this season (including four of the past five matches and the last three in a row), Notre Dame has scored the opening goal inside the first 12 minutes of play. The current run started with junior forward Melissa Henderson’s first goal at Loyola Marymount on Sept. 12, which came 1:11 into the contest (see previous note).
In addition, the Fighting Irish have scored within the opening 30 minutes of play in seven of their last eight matches this season, 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 878:56 of 904:02 minutes this season (97.2% 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.
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 41 goals (fourth-most among active Division I players, and 15th in school history) and added 12 assists, good for 94 career points (19th in school history).
Those markers have been particularly valuable to Fighting Irish fortunes. In fact, during Henderson’s career, Notre Dame is 28-0 when she scores a goal and 35-0 when she tallies a point, the latter of which she has done in eight of 10 matches this year and 15 of the past 20 contests, dating back to last season.
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).
Looking at the larger picture, Notre Dame has allowed 0-1 goals in 24 of its last 25 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-game streak of allowing one goal or fewer, the fifth-longest streak in the program’s 23-year history and its longest since Oct. 25, 2002-Oct. 26, 2003, when the Fighting Irish yielded a goal or fewer in 24 consecutive matches.
During this current 25-match defensive run (which coincided with the installation of senior Nikki Weiss as Notre Dame’s full-time starting goalkeeper), the Fighting Irish are 22-2-1 with 18 shutouts (13 solo and five shared by Weiss), a 60-10 scoring margin and a 0.39 goals-against average (GAA).
In the program’s 23-year history, Notre Dame is 399-10-15 (.959) when holding the opposition to 0-1 goals.
Sunday School
Notre Dame is unbeaten in its last 13 matches on Sunday (12-0-1) and owns a 31-2-2 (.914) record in the past 35 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).
ND Seniors Among Nation’s Best
The 2010 Notre Dame senior class is second only to North Carolina as the most successful group in the country on the basis of total victories, with a four-year record to date of 75-11-3 (.860) that includes three consecutive trips to the NCAA College Cup and an appearance in the 2008 national title match.
The .860 winning percentage compiled by the Fighting Irish seniors is fifth-best on the national scene.
And Juniors Aren’t Half Bad Either
Like their senior teammates, the Fighting Irish juniors have the second-most wins among all junior classes, with a three-year record to date of 56-6-1 (.897), 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 .897 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.
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 10, Tucker nine). Laddish ranks third on the team in total minutes (839) by a field player, while Tucker is third on the team with four goals and nine points, including the game-winning goals against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Aug. 22) and DePaul (Sept. 17). The UWM score marked the first time a Fighting Irish rookie tallied a game-winner within her first two college matches since two-time Hermann Trophy recipient Kerri Hanks pulled off that feat on Aug. 28, 2005, as part of a four-goal outburst in a 6-0 win at Vermont.
Tucker, a former BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, also enjoyed a two-goal afternoon at DePaul, the first by a Notre Dame freshman since Oct. 26, 2008, when Melissa Henderson scored twice in a win over Seton Hall at old Alumni Field.
Recently, defender Kecia Morway has given the Fighting Irish a third rookie in the starting lineup, as Morway has taken over the left back role in the past five matches for the injured Jazmin Hall. In addition, both forward Adriana Leon and midfielder Rebecca Twining have moved up the Notre Dame substitute rotation in recent weeks, 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 Twining, the latter of whom was making her college debut.
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 is prepared to give fans the shirts off their backs.
During the final home weekend of the regular season (Oct. 8-10), the Fighting Irish will wear special white/pink uniforms to support Kicks Against Breast Cancer, a national soccer initiative to raise funds for breast cancer research. From now through Oct. 11, fans will have 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 will go directly to Kicks Against Breast Cancer. For more information on Kicks Against Breast Cancer, 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 19 consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents, 50-2 in that span while recording 17 shutouts.
The only opposing players to find the back of the Notre Dame net at Alumni Stadium since Opening Night have been Connecticut’s Linda Ruutu (Oct. 16, 2009) and Central Michigan’s Molly Gerst (Nov. 15, 2009 – NCAA second round), both being the lone scores in 6-1 Fighting Irish victories.
Beasts Of The BIG EAST
With a 5-0 win at Louisville on Sept. 26, Notre Dame now owns an NCAA Division I-record 69-match unbeaten streak (66-0-3) 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 sixth-longest in NCAA history across all divisions, with Notre Dame in position to move two spots up that ladder within the next two weeks. Division III member Hardin-Simmons (Texas) is the current record holder with a 103-match unbeaten streak against conference opponents, dating back to 2003 (the Cowgirls also have an active 122-match unbeaten run in regular season league play).
Since joining the BIG EAST 15 years ago, the Fighting Irish are 137-8-5 (.930) all-time in regular-season conference matches, 35-2-1 (.934) in the BIG EAST Championship, and hold a 724-85 scoring edge dating back to that first league season in 1995.
What’s more, Notre Dame maintains a 15-year, 95-match home unbeaten streak (94-0-1) 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 95-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 .790 (348-85-21) mark in his 21 years in the women’s game. He also is third among active coaches for career winning percentage, while his 348 career wins rank fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I charts.
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 321-0-1 all-time when claiming a 2-0 lead and is unbeaten in its past 298 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 210 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 289-3-1 (.988) record in those games, including a 191-1-0 (.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).
Four current Fighting Irish players have scored “golden goals” in their college careers — senior midfielder Rose Augustin (Oct. 12, 2008 at Villanova), junior forward Melissa Henderson (Nov. 9, 2008 vs. Connecticut in BIG EAST final), senior forward Taylor Knaack (Oct. 2, 2009 at West Virginia) 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 (), a second by assistant coach Ken Nuber () and a third by associate media relations director Chris Masters ().
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: Seton Hall/Rutgers
Notre Dame wraps up its regular season home schedule next weekend with BIG EAST matches against Seton Hall (7:30 p.m. ET, Oct. 8) and Rutgers (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 10) at Alumni Stadium.
The RU match not only will be televised live to a national cable audience by ESPNU, but it also will serve as the Fighting Irish Senior Day, with the team’s six senior players and senior manager Aaron Gutierrez honored in a pre-match ceremony.
In addition, Notre Dame players will wear special white and pink jerseys in support of Kicks Against Breast Cancer. Those jerseys then will be autographed and auctioned off, with bids currently accepted at und.com/auctions.
— ND —