Nov. 11, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the second time in as many days, Notre Dame senior defender and co-captain Carrie Dew (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) has earned national recognition with a place on this week’s Soccer America National Team of the Week, it was announced Tuesday. Dew becomes the third Irish player to receive that honor this season, following senior All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks’ three selections (Sept. 2, Sept. 30, Oct. 21) and senior All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Brittany Bock’s citation on Sept. 8.
On Monday, Dew was named the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week, the second time in her career that she has been named the national player of the week. She also garnered consensus honors on Sept. 25, 2006 after scoring a goal and helping hold Louisville to four shots (none on goal) in a 2-0 win at Alumni Field.
The two-time BIG EAST Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2006, 2008), Dew was named the 2008 BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player after anchoring a Notre Dame defense that shut out all three opponents in the conference tournament en route to the program’s 10th BIG EAST title. The Irish also held their three postseason foes to a combined four shots on goal, with Connecticut notching half of those in Sunday’s title game, won by Notre Dame in overtime, 1-0. Dew played a pivotal role in that victory, coming up with several timely defensive stops from all parts of the field, including a perfectly-timed open-field tackle on UConn’s Erin Clark midway through the first half, preventing a potential breakaway chance.
For the season, Dew and her Notre Dame defensive mates have posted a 0.38 goals-against average, allowing just eight goals in 21 games with 14 shutouts to their credit (six in the past seven games). The Irish also have limited opponents to a total of 48 shots on goal all season, and have not allowed more than six shots on frame in any game thus far (Oct. 5 by Marquette).
Top-ranked Notre Dame (21-0-0) has earned the No. 1 overall seed for this year’s NCAA Championship and will open its 16th consecutive tournament appearance Friday at 7:30 p.m. (ET) when it faces Mid-American Conference champion Toledo at Alumni Field. No. 16/17 Wisconsin-Milwaukee will tangle with Michigan State in Friday’s other NCAA first-round match at Alumni Field, beginning at 5 p.m. (ET). The two winners then will square off Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) in a second-round contest.
Tickets for the NCAA first- and second-round matches at Notre Dame are available through the Irish Athletics Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone (574-631-7356) or by visiting the ticket windows on the second floor of the Joyce Center via the Gate 1 entrance. In addition, NCAA tickets can be purchased on-line by going to the tickets page on the Notre Dame athletics web site.
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