Nov. 7, 2004
Three Notre Dame women’s soccer players – junior goalkeeper Erika Bohn (Brookfield, Conn.), junior midfielder Annie Schefter (Yakima, Wash.) and sophomore midfielder Jen Buczkowski (Elk Grove, Ill.) – have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District V first team and now advance to the ballot for the official Academic All-America team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America). Sophomore defender Christie Shaner (Ambler, Pa.) was a second team Academic All-District V selection.
Bohn – a second team Academic All-American in 2003 – carries a 3.63 cumulative GPA as an art studio major and currently ranks second in the nation with a 0.34 goals-against average. Schefter owns a 3.73 GPA as a double major in pre-professional studies and psychology and ranks fifth on the Irish squad with 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists). Buczkowski (3.37 GPA, business) just earned first team all-BIG EAST honors and is tied for second on the team with 26 points (8 goals, 10 assists), including four gamewinning goals in the last six games. Shaner (3.42, design) was a third team all-BIG EAST selection and is considered by Irish head coach Randy Waldrum to be the “most consistent defender” among a talented 2004 Irish backline.
The above four players have led the way for an Irish team that ranks 11th in the nation in scoring (2.82 goals per game) and 8th in goals-against average (0.49). The Irish own a 57-10 scoring edge and once again have totaled more goals than opponent shots on goal (54). Notre Dame also owns an average shot edge of 22-6 (10-3 in shots on goal) and is averaging six corner kicks per game while allowing just 34 all season (1.7 per game). The Irish have posted 12 shutouts (8th in the nation), have held 18 opponents to 0-1 goals (16 straight) and have not allowed more than two goals in a game all season (after allowing just one three-goal game in ’03).
Notre Dame heads into Sunday’s BIG EAST title game having scored 16 straight unanswered goals and – dating back to a rare deficit vs. Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, the Irish have outscored the opposition 33-3 (2 GA in last nine-plus games). The Irish have trailed just for times all season, for a total of only 85 minutes.
The Notre Dame women’s soccer program’s stellar scholar-athlete tradition includes two Academic All-Americans of the Year (goalkeeper Jen Renola in ’96, defender Vanessa Pruzinsky in ’03) and 13 total Academic All-America selections in the past 10 seasons (most from any school in that span). Notre Dame’s 2003 team became the first in Division I women’s soccer history ever to produce three Academic All-Americans in the same season: Pruzinsky (1st team), Bohn (2nd team) and current senior forward Mary Boland (2nd team), who is not eligible in ’04 after suffering a broken leg in the fourth game of the season.
Boland would have been a strong contender for Academic All-America of the Year this season, with a 3.90 cumulative GPA as a psychology major (including a 4.0 in the fall of ’03). Pruzinsky became the first Division I player ever to be named first team Academic All-America three times (also ’00 and ’01, injured in ’02).
Here are additional updated bio. notes on the four Academic All-District honorees:
Erika Bohn – riding 967-minute shutout streak while surging to 2nd in the nation with a 0.34 goals-against avg. (trailing only the 0.27 owned by Loyola’s Kate Gilfillan … also ranks 3rd among BIG EAST players in save pct. (.848) and 5th in solo shutouts (6, plus 6 shared shutouts) … has not allowed a goal since the 2-1 win at Georgetown on Oct. 10 … her 0.34 season GAA would best the ND record of 0.36 set by LaKeysia Beene in ’97 … her 0.70 career GAA is just shy of Jen Renola’s 0.69 for 3rd in ND history (also behind Liz Wagner’s 0.57 and Beene’s 0.62) … owns 46-4-2 record in her last 52 overall decisions with the Irish (since 3-2 loss to BYU on 10/19/02), allowing just 24 goals in that 52-game stretch (32 with 0 GA, 16 with 1 GA) … prior to the first ’03 loss to Michigan, she logged 29 consecutive games with the Irish (24 fall, 5 spring) without allowing multiple goals (previously by BYU in ’02) … since the BYU game, she has limited the opponent to 0-1 goals in 44 of her last 47 fall games (33 with 0 GA, 11 with 1 GA) … set ND record with 967-minute shutout streak in 2004 (5th NCAA history) … also ranked 5th in nation with 0.49 GAA in ’03 … member of Academic Honors faculty mentoring program and actively involved in Life Skills community service activities … earned NSCAA 2nd team all-Great Lakes Region honor in ’03 … called into U.S. Under-21 training camps during the summer of ’04.
Annie Schefter – unsung hero for team’s 2004 success, appearing in all 20 games and starting 15 while ranking 5th on team with 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists) … scored early gamewinning goals vs. Eastern Illinois and #13 Stanford (1-0) … registered assist in 5-2 win over #4 Santa Clara … also has scored vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay and Providence … has played all 44 games with the Irish in past two seasons, after missing ’02 season due to injury … totaled 4G-5A in ’03 … former member of U.S. Under-19 National Team … involved in Academic Honors faculty mentoring program.
Jen Buczkowski – first team all-BIG EAST selection who has registered four gamewinning goals in last six games (after having none in her first 37 games with the Irish) … scored in final minute for 2-1 win at Georgetown before scoring in 80th minute to beat Boston College (1-0) … also picked up GWG at Michigan (4-0) and vs. BC in BIG EAST semifinal (2-0) … ranks 19th in nation and 2nd in BIG EAST with 10 assists … also ranks 12th in the BIG EAST with 8 goals and 5th with 26 points (tied for 2nd on team) … follows in the footsteps of three all-time greats – Cindy Daws (`95, ’96), Anne Makinen (`97-’00) and Holly Manthei (`95-’97) – as fourth ND midfielder to earn 1st team all-BIG EAST honors … her other ’04 scoring highlights include 1G-2A vs. Baylor, 1G-1A in 5-2 win over #4 Santa Clara and 2A vs. both Seton Hall and St. John’s … earned Freshman All-American honors in 2003 … member of U.S. Under-19 National Team … has appeared in all 44 games with the Irish during past two seasons … totaled 4G-6A in ’03.
Christie Shaner – picked up third team all-BIG EAST honors after earning 2nd team in 2003 … ranks 2nd on ’04 team with 1,670 minutes played (84/gm) … has appeared in 43 of 44 games during her ND career (41 straight) … has appeared in all 20 games (18 starts) in ’04, scoring header goal to open scoring at #20 West Virginia (3-1) and adding another header score in BIG EAST quarterfinal vs. St. John’s (7-0) … also was the BIG EAST rookie of the year in ’03 … called into U.S. Under-21 National Team training camps in summer of ’04.