LaKeysia Beene Staff

LaKeysia Beene, All-America goalkeeper at Notre Dame from 1996-99, comes out of the net and onto the sidelines for the 2000 season as she serves as volunteer assistant coach. Beene will work closely with the goalkeepers, enabling head coach Randy Waldrum to focus on the field players.

In May Beene was chosen as one of 24 players allocated to the eight teams that will begin play in April 2001 in the Women[apos]s United Soccer Association professional women[apos]s soccer league. She has been assigned to the San Francisco Bay Area team. Beene is one of only four college players from the 1999 season among the 24 players chosen.

Beene wrapped up her four-year career at Notre Dame in 1999 by being named to the NCAA all-tournament team after leading the Irish to the NCAA Women[apos]s College Cup final. She shut out eighth-ranked Stanford in the NCAA third round with five saves, held fourth-ranked Nebraska to one goal in a four-overtime NCAA quarterfinals game with eight saves and blanked top-ranked Santa Clara in the NCAA semifinals with seven saves to lead the Irish to their four NCAA championship game appearance in the last six years. In 240 minutes against Nebraska and Santa Clara — the two highest scoring teams in the country in [apos]99 — Beene allowed just one goal and made two saves in a shootout with Nebraska to secure Notre Dame[apos]s place in the NCAA Women[apos]s College Cup.

She learned behind Irish All-American Jen Renola (1993-96) as a freshman, playing 542 minutes in reserve. As a sophomore Beene went from a backup to the team[apos]s only goalkeeper as she played every minute of every game, a total of 2231 minutes. She posted school records with 18 shutouts and a 0.36 goals against average.

As a junior Beene started every game once again and recorded 10 solo and six shared shutouts. The 1998 BIG EAST goalkeeper of the year finished her career by setting the Irish record for goals-against average with a 0.63 mark.

Born March 9, 1978, the Gold River, Calif., native will complete her coursework for a bachelor[apos]s degree in environmental engineering from the College of Engineering while serving as volunteer assistant coach.