Dec. 14, 2003
Notre Dame senior women’s soccer player Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) has been named a first team All-American – the first forward ever so honored in the Irish program’s history – while senior defender Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario) has been named to the second team All-America squad, as selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Warner and Tancredi also were named to the NSCAA first team all-Great Lakes Region squad, with junior forward Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio) and sophomore goalkeeper Erika Bohn (Brookfield, Conn.) earning second team all-region honors (both of those players earlier were named second team Academic All-Americans).
Notre Dame women’s soccer players now have combined for NSCAA All-America honors 31 times (by 15 players), with 27 of those selections coming in the last decade. Only North Carolina (34) has totaled more NSCAA All-Americans during the last 10 years (’94-’03), with Portland a distant third on that list (18).
Notre Dame was one of nine schools in the nation with multiple players on the 2003 NSCAA All-America squad (first, second or third team), with only national champion UNC (4) totaling more selections. Notre Dame also joined UCLA and Rutgers as the only schools with both men’s and women’s players on the ’03 NSCAA All-America teams, with ND senior forward Justin Detter earning third-team honors.
The BIG EAST Conference dominated the NSCAA women’s soccer All-America teams, with nine players from six BIG EAST schools earning the nation’s top honors. The Atlantic Coast Conference (7) and the Big-10 (5_were the only other conferences with more than three All-Americans while no conference could claim more than three schools with All-America players (half of the BIG EAST representation).
Warner and Tancredi earlier were among the 15 final candidates for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, the official NSCAA player-of-the-year award for Division I players. Tancredi – who can apply for a fifth year of eligibility in the 2004 season – would be considered one of the favorites for the 2004 award, with just five of the other 14 candidate set to return in ’04.
Warner – who finished 12th in the nation with a career-best 12 assists in 2003 – is a four-time all-Great Lakes Region selection (2nd team in ’02, 3rd team in ’00 and ’01) and became the sixth BIG EAST player ever named to the all-BIG EAST team four times. She was the leader of the nation’s third-ranked scoring offense in 2003 (with ND averaging 3.04 goals per game) and finished her career ranked 12th in the Irish record book for goals (37), 14th in total points (99, including 25 assists) and ninth in game-winning goals (11) while logging 82 career games (74 starts). The speedy forward started 64 consecutive games before an ankle injury sidelined her for the 2003 BIG EAST semifinals, with the second-ranked Irish (20-3-1 final record) losing two of their final three games with their leading scorer (10G-12A) out of the lineup.
Tancredi – the 2003 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year – burst onto the national scene in 2003 while leading Notre Dame’s dominating backline from her central defender spot. The Irish allowed just 12 goals in 24 games, finished fifth in the nation with a 0.49 goals-against average (good for third in ND history) and fourth nationally with 15 shutouts, compiled a 981-minute shutout streak that ranks 5th in NCAA history, totaled 20 more goals (73) than opponent shots on goal allowed (53), set an ND record for consecutive games without facing a deficit (16) and tied another team mark for consecutive games without allowing multiple goals (24). A converted forward, Tancredi also totaled four goals and five assists in 21 games (20 starts) while pushing into the attack in 2003, with her limited late-season play (due to injury) contributing to the Irish losing three of their final five games.
Warner is the fourth Notre Dame forward ever to earn NSCAA All-America honors, joining two-time honoree Jenny Streiffer (third team in ’96 and ’99) as the program’s only All-America forwards since ’94 (when Rosella Guerrero was a second-teamer, with Alison Lester also on the second team in ’93).
Tancredi follows three-time All-American Kate Sobrero (1st team in ’97, 2nd team ’96, 3rd team ’95), four-timer Jen Grubb (1st team ’97, 2nd team ’96, 3rd team ’98 and ’99) and second-teamers Monica Gonzalez (’01) and Candace Chapman (’02) as Notre Dame’s fifth defender to earn NSCAA All-America honors.
Boland joined Warner and Tancredi on the 2003 first team all-BIG EAST squad while leading the Irish in goals (12) and game-winning goals (5), in addition to her 3.87 cumulative GPA and four Dean’s List semesters as a psychology major.
Bohn – a 3.67 student and business major – led the nation in goals-against average for most of the 2003 season, finishing sixth with a 0.49 GAA (good for third in the ND record book).
The other BIG EAST players named to the NSCAA All-America squad include two each from Boston College (senior M Sarah Rahko, sophomore G Kate Taylor) and West Virginia (senior M Lisa Stoia, junior F Chrissy Abbott), Villanova junior D Michelle Biehl, UConn junior F Kristin Graczyk (a former prep teammate of Warner’s) and Rutgers senior M Carli Lloyd.
Here are final bio. notes on Notre Dame’s 2003 women’s soccer All-American and All-Region selections:
Amy Warner (Sr., F; Albuquerque, N.M.) – Top ’03 honors included NSCAA first team All-America (first ND forward ever so honored), first team all-BIG EAST and one of 15 finalists for Hermann Trophy … speedy frontrunner who finished 12th nationally with 12 assists (plus 10G and 2 GWG) … her absence due to an ankle injury played a key role in BC’s 2-1 win over the Irish in the BIG EAST semifinals and then Michigan’s 1-0 win over ND in the NCAA second round … the loss to BC marked her first game missed in three years (70 games) and ended her streak of 64 consecutive games started … ranks 12th in ND history with 37 career goals and 14th with 99 points, plus 9th with 11 game-winning goals … sixth player (ND’s third) ever named all-BIG EAST in each of her four seasons, also becoming the 11th to be named first team all-BIG EAST in three-plus seasons (’00, ’02, ’03; plus 2nd team in ’01) … her ’03 season highlights included 1G-1A in early 3-0 win over Wake Forest and goal that capped 3-1 comeback win over Arizona State. … named all-tournament at the 2003 UConn, ND and SCU Classics … joined junior Mary Boland as first pair of forwards from same team to be named first team all-BIG EAST since 1999, when Jenny Streiffer and Jenny Heft – still the top goalscorers in the ND record book – were so honored.
Melissa Tancredi (Sr., D; Ancaster, Ontario) – Top ’03 honors include NSCAA second team All-America, BIG EAST defensive player of the year and one of 15 finalists for Hermann Trophy … known for her wide array of skills, including dominating play in the air and ability to quickly join the attack … shifted to forward after ND fell behind 2-0 vs. Boston College in ’03 BIG EAST semifinals and promptly sent home a header for her fourth goal of the season (to go along with five assists) … formed the core of ’03 defense that allowed just 12 goals in 24 games, highlighted by a 10-game shutout streak that ranks fifth in NCAA history … led ND defenders with 13 points (4G-5A), starting 21 games (three missed due to injury) with one GWG … her absences in ’03 were significant, with the Irish losing to Michigan (3-2) while struggling in 1-0 wins at Pittsburgh and Seton Hall (just 4-3 scoring edge in those games) … led dominating defensive effort that included: just 53 opponent shots on goal (2.2 per game); a 0.49 team GAA that ranked 5th in nation; a team-record span of 16 games without a deficit; tying another team record by going 24 consecutive games without allowing multiple goals; and allowing just two ’03 opponents to come back and tie the Irish (Santa Clara and Miami, in BE quarterfinal) … first field player ever to earn a top BIG EAST honor despite having no previous all-BIG EAST recognition … ND’s fifth recipient of the BIG EAST defensive player of the year award in the last seven years … a converted forward who missed all of the 2000 season due to injury and played at forward in ’01 before shifting to the defense in the middle of the ’02 season.
Mary Boland (Jr., F; Hudson, OH) – Top ’03 honors included CoSIDA second team Academic All-American and NSCAA second team all-Great Lakes Region … first team all-BIG EAST performer who entered NCAAs ranked 31st nationally and 3rd in the BIG EAST with 12 goals, plus 4 assists and team-best 5 game-winning goals (her 28 points ended up third on the ’03 ND scoring charts) … combined with senior Amy Warner as first pair of forwards from same team to be named first team all-BIG EAST since ND’s 1999 dynamic duo of Jenny Streiffer and Jenny Heft … first player ever named BIG EAST offensive and defensive player of the week at some point during her career … posted an ND-record six goals in the first three games of ’03 … her seven points (3G-A) vs. Hartford are most by an ND player since ’99 … her other ’03 highlights include 2G vs. Arizona State(GWG), 1G-1A in 2-1 win at Santa Clara and the early strike vs. West Virginia (3-0) … named all-tournament at the ’03 UConn, ND and SCU Classics … former member of the U.S. Under-19 National Team … also an Academic All-District V selection in 2002 … four-time Dean’s List student with a 3.87 GPA as a psychology major.
Erika Bohn (So., G; Brookfield, CT) – Top ’03 honors included CoSIDA second team Academic All-American and NSCAA second team all-Great Lakes Region … finished 6th in nation with 0.49 season GAA (4th among ‘keepers with 1,500-plus minutes), also 3rd in ND record book behind LaKeysia Beene’s 0.36 in ’97 and Liz Wagner’s 0.39 in ’00 … posted 12 solo and three shared shutouts in ’03 … fashioned 981-minute shutout streak that ranks 5th in NCAA history … allowed just one goal in stretch of 15-plus games, spanning 1,256 minutes … owns 29-4-1 record with 17 goals allowed in her last 34 starts with the Irish (4-1-0 in ’02 fall, 5-0-0 in ’03 spring, 20-3-1 in ’03 fall), with those 34 games including 20 shutouts and 12 games with one goal allowed … helped set ND record by logging 16 consecutive games without facing a deficit … made key penalty-kick save in early ’03 win over Arizona State (preserving 2-1 lead in 3-1 win) … named all-tournament and ’03 UConn and ND Classics … logged 94% of ND’s minutes in 2003 … in 2002, was first freshman to start in goal for ND since 1993 … her 3.67 GPA includes Dean’s List effort in 2003 spring semester (3.87) … an undeclared business major.