Nov. 8, 2008
Full Notes Package in PDF Format 
2008 ND Women’s Soccer — Game 21
BIG EAST Championship — Final
#1/1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-0-0 / 11-0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Connecticut Huskies (7-8-6 / 4-3-4 BIG EAST)
DATE: Nov. 9, 2008
TIME: Noon ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Alumni Field (2,500)
SERIES: ND leads 18-4-3
1ST MTG: UConn 5-4 (10/6/95)
LAST MTG: ND 2-0 (10/19/08)
TV: CBS College Sports/BIG EAST TV (live) (Ann Schatz, p-b-p / Tammy Blackburn, color)
LIVE STATS: UND.com/bigeast.org
TEXT ALERT: Sign up at UND.com
TICKETS: (574) 631-7356
Storylines
- While Notre Dame and Connecticut will meet for the ninth time in the BIG EAST title game (ND leads 7-1 in those games), there have been no other rematches in the BIG EAST final since the tournament debuted in 1993.
- The Irish are 15-0 all-time at home in BIG EAST tournament games with a 57-4 scoring margin in those contests.
Familiar Foes Collide As #1 Irish Meet Connecticut In Sunday’s BIG EAST Final
Realizing that much work still lies ahead, top-ranked Notre Dame keeps a firm focus on the task at hand as it prepares to take on Connecticut in the BIG EAST Conference Championship final on Sunday at noon (ET) at Alumni Field. The game will be televised to a national audience on CBS College Sports, as well as several regional affiliates nationwide.
The Irish (20-0-0) turned in an efficient, and often dominating, performance against Marquette on Friday at Alumni Field, winning 2-0 to advance to the championship game.
Junior forward Michele Weissenhofer latched onto the end of a Melissa Henderson cross 27 minutes into the contest to knock home her fourth goal of the season and give the Irish a 1-0 lead. Sophomore forward Taylor Knaack came off the bench to register her third goal in as many games with a strike less than five minutes into the second half, securing Notre Dame’s 12th title game berth in 14 years.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 in the latest NSCAA and Soccer America polls.
- Connecticut is not ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame rolls out one of its deepest teams in years, with 19 monogram winners (including nine starters) back from last season’s squad that went 19-5-2 (11-0-0 in the BIG EAST) and advanced to the NCAA College Cup semifinals for the ninth time in the past 14 years. The Irish also bring back a powerful offensive punch, with 83.3 percent of their goalscoring (55 of 66) returning.
As if that weren’t enough, Notre Dame welcomes a highly-regarded nine-player freshman class to campus, with three of those incoming players having earned multiple national All-America honors during their prep or club careers.
Leading the way for Notre Dame this season are two of the country’s premier front-line players (and ’07 NSCAA first-team All-Americans) in senior forward Kerri Hanks and senior forward/midfielder Brittany Bock.
A three-time All-American and the ’06 Hermann Trophy recipient, Hanks (18G-10A) continues to blaze new trails through the NCAA and Irish record books, sitting just off the national lead in goals and points this year after setting the NCAA pace in assists the past two seasons. Recently named the 2008 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year (after also earning that honor in 2006), Hanks is aiming to become the third Division I player to log 70 goals and 70 assists in her career (82G-68A entering Sunday’s game). She has earned national honors from Soccer America (Team of the Week) and Top Drawer Soccer (Player/Team of the Week) a combined seven times, as well as garnering four BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors. She was the only unanimous selection on the 2008 All-BIG EAST First Team.
Bock (6G-9A), one of the Irish co-captains in 2008, emerged as a genuine offensive threat last season, leading the team in goals and finishing second with 36 points (16G-4A). A 2008 All-BIG EAST First Team selection, Bock earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 8, as well as a spot on the Soccer America National Team of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at No. 3/2 North Carolina on Sept. 5. More recently, she was tapped for the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week on Oct. 21 after registering a goal and four assists in shutout wins at Providence and Connecticut.
Another key player for the Irish this season is senior center back and co-captain Carrie Dew (0G-1A), the 2006 and 2008 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year who made a successful recovery from an ACL injury late in the ’06 regular season with a solid ’07 campaign. She is a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week honoree, and a BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection. She earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the second timne in her career while leading Notre Dame to 13 shutouts and a 0.40 GAA, including four consecutive clean sheets to open this season (the first time the Irish have done that since ’95).
A Quick Look At Connecticut
Connecticut (7-8-6, 4-3-4 BIG EAST) is making its 11th appearance in the BIG EAST Championship game and first since 2005, when Notre Dame defeated the Huskies, 5-0. UConn holds an all-time record of 2-8 in the title game, with its most recent victory coming in 2004 as the Huskies defeated Notre Dame by a 2-1 score in Storrs, Conn.
Connecticut earned a place in the finals with a thrilling 1-1 tie versus West Virginia on Friday, eventually advancing on penalty kicks, 4-2. Junior Annie Yi came off the bench to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead early in the second half, but West Virginia tied the game in the 58th minute to ultimately force PK’s. In the PK round, Connecticut’s senior goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe was the hero, not only making a save but also scoring the second UConn PK.
Yi also owns the team lead with 12 points (6G), while senior forward/midfielder Brittany Tegeler is second with 10 points (5G). In goal, Labbe has posted a 1.02 goals-against-average and six shutouts to earn 2008 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
Head coach Len Tsantiris is in his 28th season at UConn. His career record at Connecticut stands at 463-136-41 (.755). He has led the Huskies to 26 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including four visits to the NCAA Championship game, most recently in 2003. Tsantiris holds a 4-18-3 all-time record against Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-Connecticut Series
Notre Dame holds an 18-4-3 series lead against Connecticut, including a 7-1 series lead when facing the Huskies in the BIG EAST Championship final. The Irish have not lost to UConn since falling 2-1 at Storrs, Conn., in the 2004 conference final, posting a 4-0-2 record since then. In its last 10 meetings, Notre Dame has posted a 8-1-1 record versus UConn.
At Alumni Field, Notre Dame holds a 10-1 record aginst UConn, with the Huskies only win coming in the first game of the all-time series, as Connecticut defeated the Irish, 5-4 (10/6/95). For a complete series breakdown, see page 98 in the 2008 Notre Dame women’s soccer media guide.
The Last Time ND And Connecticut Met
Senior All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks scored twice as the top-ranked Irish clinched the 2008 BIG EAST Conference National Division title with a 2-0 victory over Connecticut on Oct. 19 at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn.
With goals in each half, Hanks reached 81 career goals to top Jenny Heft’s old school record of 80 tallies set from 1996-99. Hanks’ classmate and fellow All-American Brittany Bock registered two assists in the contest as well. Freshman midfielder Courtney Barg also notched an assist, as she started the sequence that led to the first goal, netted at 8:38. On Notre Dame’s second goal, scored at 70:14, senior midfielder Rebecca Mendoza picked up an assist.
Notre Dame was sharp all day long, outshooting Connecticut, 27-11, including a sizeable 15-1 margin in shots on goal. UConn did register the only two corner kicks in the contest, the first time in two seasons (Oct. 22, 2006, at Georgetown) that the Irish didn’t earn at least one try from the flag.
Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Lysander efficiently managed her area, making one save on the way to her fourth solo shutout of the season.
Irish In The BIG EAST Championship
- Notre Dame is competing in the BIG EAST Championship for the 13th time in its 14-year league membership (all but 2002), having won the BIG EAST postseason crown nine times (1995-2001, 2005-2006).
- The Irish are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the BIG EAST Championship final and 12th in their 14 seasons of conference membership. Notre Dame also faced Connecticut in the league final both prior times the tournament was played at Alumni Field, winning 4-3 in 1996 and 1-0 in 2000.
- Notre Dame is 10-0-1 in its last 11 BIG EAST Championship games, dating back to a 2-1 loss at Connecticut in the 2004 conference final. Last year, the Irish battled host West Virginia to a 1-1 double-overtime stalemate in the title game before the Mountaineers prevailed on penalty kicks, 5-3.
- Notre Dame has not trailed in its last three trips to the BIG EAST title game since the final whistle of a 2-1 loss at UConn in 2004.
- The Irish are 31-2-1 (.926) all-time in BIG EAST Championship play, including a 15-0 record at Alumni Field, where Notre Dame has outscored those 15 conference foes by a combined 57-4 margin.
- The Irish senior class is 15-0 all-time in postseason games (BIG EAST/NCAA) at Alumni Field, shutting out 12 of those 15 opponents.
The BIG EAST Hardware Haul
In addition to claiming its 11th BIG EAST regular-season title in 14 seasons, the Irish earned four of the six major individual awards and placed six players on the all-BIG EAST Conference Team during Thursday night’s BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Awards Banquet at the South Bend Marriott. The four individual award recipients matches the 2005 Irish club for the most major award honorees since Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST in 1995, while the six all-conference selections are just two away from the school’s high-water mark set back in 2006.
Senior All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks was a unanimous selection as the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference choice by the BIG EAST coaches. Also the 2006 recipient of the award, Hanks joins former teammate Katie Thorlakson (2004, 2005) as the only Irish players to earn the trophy more than once. Through November 6, Hanks ranks among the top 10 in the nation in four major categories — total points (tied-3rd, 46, one off the national lead), goals per game (4th – 2.42), total goals (tie-5th, 18, three behind the current leader), and points per game (9th – 0.95). What’s more, she set conference records with four BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week selections this season and eight for her career, blowing past the old marks of three in one season and six in a career (both shared by Thorlakson and Seton Hall’s Kelly Smith).
For the second time in three years, senior defender/co-captain Carrie Dew was lauded as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. Dew is the fourth Irish player to be a two-time recipient of the honor, along with Jen Grubb (1998, 1999), Candace Chapman (2002, 2005) and Melissa Tancredi (2003, 2004), with Notre Dame now having a player garner that trophy for the sixth time in seven seasons.
Freshman forward Melissa Henderson was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, becoming the fourth Irish player in the past six seasons to collect the league’s top award for first-year players. She’s also the third current Irish player to earn the honor, following in the footsteps of Hanks (2005) and junior forward Michele Weissenhofer, who was the 2006 recipient.
Head coach Randy Waldrum was honored by his peers by being voted the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his 10 seasons at Notre Dame. Waldrum also took home the honor in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004, and now has earned eight conference coach of the year awards in his illustrious career, adding previous citations in the Big 12 Conference (at Baylor in 1998) and Missouri Valley Conference (with Tulsa’s men’s program in 1991 and 1993).
The Irish also fielded four first-team all-conference selections — Hanks, Brittany Bock, Dew and Henderson — for the fourth time in the past five seasons. After leading the team with 16 goals last season, Bock has proven to be equally adept as a playmaker, ranking second on the team and sixth in the conference with nine assists. She’s also seventh in the BIG EAST in points per game (1.11) and sixth in total points (21, 6G-9A), and she’s the 15th Notre Dame player to be a two-time first-team all-conference selection.
Junior midfielder Courtney Rosen was voted a second-team all-BIG EAST selection on Thursday night. Senior defender Elise Weber was an honorable mention all-conference pick this season, earning her second consecutive all-BIG EAST citation, following a third-team honor a year ago.
Poll Position
Notre Dame took over the No. 1 ranking in all of the major national polls on Sept. 16 (unanimous in this week’s NSCAA balloting), with the Irish now having earned the top spot in the nation in four of the past five seasons (and five of the 10-year Randy Waldrum era, with Waldrum joining North Carolina’s Anson Dorrance as the only coaches with five top-ranked seasons in this decade).
Notre Dame last was ranked No. 1 in 2006, assuming that post in all the polls by the end of the season’s first month and carrying it through to the NCAA College Cup final, where the Irish fell to North Carolina, 2-1 (one of only two blemishes in a 25-1-1 season).
Notre Dame remains the only team in the country to own the No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA poll in four of five years from 2004-08. All-time, the Irish are 88-6-3 (.923) as the nation’s top-ranked squad.
As has become the custom on the Notre Dame campus, the traditional lighted #1 sign has reappeared atop Grace Hall, and a #1 flag now flies outside the Irish athletic department offices at the Joyce Center (see note on pp. 26 of this year’s media guide).
This year’s women’s soccer ranking marks the ninth consecutive academic year (starting in 2000-01) that Notre Dame has fielded at least one top-ranked team, with women’s basketball, fencing, baseball and ice hockey also reaching the top of their respective polls during that span.
One Tough Slate
Lest anyone think Notre Dame hasn’t earned its place atop the polls, just take a look at the Irish schedule this season.
Notre Dame has seven wins over ranked opponents (No. 21/12 Santa Clara, at No. 3/2 North Carolina, vs. No. 12/11 Duke, at No. 17/16 Penn State, at No. 17/16 Georgetown, vs. No. 24/18 Rutgers, and vs. No. NR/25 Marquette), with the first three in that series coming in succession and the UNC, Duke, PSU and GU games all coming away from home.
And it’s not like the Irish have experience playing SCU, UNC and Duke in a row, having last seen those three powerhouses in succession in 1995 (and not at any point in the same regular season, let alone in a row, since 1999).
The 1-0 win at North Carolina on Sept. 5 was even more noteworthy, as it marked just the seventh time the Tar Heels had ever been shut out at home, and only the fifth time by a Division I team. One of those five was a 0-0 tie (Duke), while the other four were 1-0 losses, two at the hands of Notre Dame (the other came in the ’95 NCAA semifinals at Fetzer Field, leading to the first of two Irish national championships).
Beasts Of The BIG EAST
Following Friday’s win over Marquette, Notre Dame now owns a school-record 51-game unbeaten streak (49-0-2) against BIG EAST opposition since a 4-1 loss at No. 15 Marquette on Sept. 30, 2005. In that time, the only ties were a 0-0 draw at Connecticut (Oct. 13, 2006) and a 1-1 deadlock at No. 12 West Virginia in last year’s BIG EAST final on Nov. 11 (WVU won 5-3 on PKs, but the game is recorded as a tie).
Since joining the BIG EAST, the Irish are 123-8-4 (.926) all-time in regular-season conference games, 31-2-1 (.926) in the BIG EAST Tournament, and hold a 681-81 scoring edge dating back to that first league season in ’95.
What’s more Notre Dame maintains a 13-year, 86-game home unbeaten streak (85-0-1) versus BIG EAST teams, with Connecticut the lone conference team ever to defeat the Irish at Alumni Field (5-4 in OT on Oct. 6, 1995).
Numbers Don’t Lie
To get a clearer picture of just how dominating Notre Dame has been through 20 games this season, one need look no further than some of numbers the Irish have put up.
Notre Dame is outscoring its opponents by a staggering 71-8 margin with 13 shutouts this year. As of Nov. 6, the Irish also were tied for first in the nation in scoring offense (3.63 goals/game), as well as seventh in goals-against average (0.42) and eighth in shutout percentage (0.632).
The Irish also allowed just 46 opponent shots on goal all year (25 fewer shots on goal than Notre Dame’s goals). By comparison, senior All-America forward and Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks has 49 shots on goal all by herself.
Together, the Irish have registered 232 shots on goal, while their opponents have managed 134 total shots this year. And, Notre Dame has a sizeable 144-37 edge in corner kicks to boot.
Lead, Follow Or Just Get Out Of The Way
With the potency of the Notre Dame offensive attack, most opponents opt for the third option. In fact, the Irish have trailed for a grand total of 1:59 this season (59:06-61:05 vs. Marquette on Oct. 5) and have led for 1,315:51 of 1,806:58 minutes this season (72.8% of the elapsed game time). In addition, Notre Dame has been tied in the second half or OT six times (0-0 at No. 3/2 North Carolina, 0-0 and 1-1 against No. 12/11 Duke, 0-0 at DePaul, 1-1 vs. Marquette, 2-2 at Villanova) for a combined total of 51:41, taking no more than 22:17 (at DePaul) to break any of the ties and move in front.
Dude, We’re Going Streaking
With its 3-0 win at home over South Florida on Oct. 3, Notre Dame set a new school record for consecutive regular-season victories, with an active winning streak at 28 games heading into next season. The last time the Irish dropped a regular-season contest was more than a year ago (Sept. 23, 2007) when they gave up two second-half goals in a 2-1 loss to 14th-ranked Penn State at Alumni Field.
Notre Dame’s 28-game regular-season unbeaten streak also is tied for the third-longest in school history. In fact, it should be noted that, except for a 16-day stretch last September when the Irish lost four times in six games (twice in OT), Notre Dame has not dropped a regular-season game dating back the middle of the 2005 season.
The One And Only
At 20-0-0, Notre Dame remains the lone unbeaten and untied team left in Division I women’s soccer and one of only two across all three NCAA divisions (through Nov. 8). At Division II, Grand Valley State (20-0-0) is the only other NCAA school still perfect thus far.
Now That’s How You Bounce Back
Since beginning last season with that tough 3-4-1 start, the Irish are 36-1-1 in their last 38 games overall, with the only loss coming to No. 14 Florida State (3-2) in last year’s NCAA College Cup semifinals, and the lone tie occurring at No. 12 West Virginia (1-1) in the ’07 BIG EAST tournament final (WVU won the title on penalty kicks, 5-3).
We’re Kind Of Used To This, Too
Notre Dame’s current 20-game winning streak is the second-longest run in school history (longest in the 10-year Randy Waldrum era) and longest since the school-record 24-game streak from Oct. 19, 1995-Oct. 11, 1996.
The current streak also marks the sixth consecutive season in which the Irish have reeled off at least 12 victories in a row. Prior to this year’s success string, the longest run in that span (dating back to 2003) had been a 15-game winning streak to kick off the 2004 national championship season.
Golden Domers Golden In OT
Overtime has usually been the right time for Notre Dame, as the Irish are 16-3-8 (.741) all-time in the Randy Waldrum era (since ’99) when going to an extra period or two. Notre Dame went to OT for the first time this season on Oct. 12, taking a 3-2 win at Villanova on a “golden goal” by sophomore midfielder Rose Augustin at 96:58.
Getting The Jump On The Competition
Notre Dame’s quick start this season has been fueled by its lightning-fast beginning to either the first or second half.
In 13 of their 20 games, the Irish have scored a goal in the first 20 minutes of play (including five in the opening 10 minutes), with an own goal against Cincinnati exactly 1:00 into the Nov. 2 BIG EAST quarterfinal being the fastest strike of the season. That marked the second-fastest goal in Notre Dame’s storied postseason history, not to mention the fourth-fastest of the Randy Waldrum era (since ’99).
The last time the Irish got on the board quicker than the Cincinnati game was on Nov. 5, 2006, when Hanks struck 57 seconds into the BIG EAST final against Rutgers (a game the Irish ultimately won, 4-2).
Strong Out Of The Blocks
Notre Dame is off to the best start in program history (20-0-0), with this year marking the completion of the first unbeaten and untied regular season in school history (18-0-0). That debut also eclipses the 16-0-0 start by the 2000 Irish squad during the second season for head coach Randy Waldrum at Notre Dame.
Spreading The Wealth
In an early example of the incredible depth of this year’s Notre Dame squad, the Irish had seven different players score goals in the season-opening 7-0 whitewash of Michigan (including three who tallied their first career goals). That matched the largest number of goalscorers in one game during the 10-year Randy Waldrum era (since ’99), and the most since the 2005 season opener (an 11-1 rout of New Hampshire on Aug. 26 in the TD Banknorth Classic at Burlington, Vt.).
For the season, a record-tying 17 different Irish players, representing all four classes, have scored at least one goal. Senior left back Elise Weber is the most recent goal scorer, as she gave the Irish a 2-0 lead versus Cincinnati in the BIG EAST quarterfinals on Nov. 2. In addition, Notre Dame has set a new school record with 21 different point scorers this season, with senior forward Kerry Inglis becoming the newest point scorer behind a two-goal afternoon against Seton Hall on Oct. 26.
The previous Irish single-season records for goalscorers (17) and point scorers (20) both were set in 1996 (in a 26-game season).
No Soup For You
For the second time in program history, the first time since 1995 and the first time in the Randy Waldrum era, Notre Dame opened its season with four consecutive shutouts, blanking Michigan (7-0), Loyola Marymount (4-0), No. 21/12 Santa Clara (2-0) and No. 3/2 North Carolina (1-0). The Irish actually put together a string of 419:44 scoreless minutes to begin this season (437:44 dating back to the end of last year), before the run was snapped on Sept. 7 when No. 12/11 Duke scored at 59:19 off a corner kick that deflected in off an Irish defender.
The 1995 squad reeled off eight consecutive shutouts to begin what would be a 21-2-2 season, culminating with the program’s first national championship.
No Shots For You, Either
Notre Dame held South Florida without a single shot in a 3-0 win on Oct. 3. It marked the first time since Oct. 1, 2000 (vs. Rutgers) that the Irish defense didn’t yield a shot.
Hanks = History
With each passing game, senior All-America forward and Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks reaches more career milestones in the NCAA and Notre Dame record books, continuing to stamp herself as one of the greats in women’s college soccer history.
On Sept. 19 at DePaul, Hanks’ second-half goal was the 70th of her career, making her the fourth D-I player to amass 70 goals and 60 assists (others are North Carolina’s Mia Hamm, Notre Dame’s Jenny Streiffer and UC Santa Barbara’s Carin Jennings).
Hanks currently stands in eighth place on the Division I career points list with 232 points (82G-68A) following her two assists against Cincinnati on Nov. 2. Her goal and assist against No. 24/18 Rutgers on Oct. 24 moved Hanks past former U.S. National Team player and coach (and North Carolina standout) April Heinrichs (1983-86), while also pulling even with former Penn State and U.S. National Team player Christie Welsh for 14th on the Division I career goals chart.
The national leader in assists the past two seasons (22 in ’06; 21 in ’07), Hanks also is two assists shy of joining the historic 70G-70A club, a landmark achievement that only two players (Hamm and Streiffer) in the history of Division I women’s soccer have managed to attain (and neither got beyond 72G-72A).
One After The Other After The Other
Senior All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks is in the midst of one of the most productive runs of her brilliant career and arguably one of best in NCAA Division I annals.
Against Seton Hall on October 26, the Allen, Texas, native had her school-record 11-game goalscoring streak snapped (she did have a goal waved off due to an offsides call), ending what is tied for the fifth-longest in NCAA Division I history, a spot she shares with former Hartford player Maria Kun (1997) and one goal longer than the 10-game streaks by notables such as current U.S. National Team standouts Abby Wambach (2001 at Florida) and Christie (Pearce) Rampone (1996 at Monmouth).
Although her goalscoring streak might have ended, Hanks still has an active career-long 15-game point-scoring streak, breaking the school record set by Hanks’ former teammate and current Canadian National Team member Katie Thorlakson from Oct. 14-Nov. 25, 2005 (the final 14 games of Thorlakson’s career).
Despite missing Friday’s BIG EAST semifinal win over Marquette, Hanks’ streak remains intact. The Irish had a semi-similar situation occur in 1999, when Anne Makinen scored twice on Sept. 5 vs. Duke, then missed four games due to duty with the Finland National Team. Upon her return, she registered points in her next 11 games from Sept. 24-Oct. 27.
Hanks Sets The Table, Too
Set plays and dead-ball situations now have accounted for 73 (25G-23A) of Kerri Hanks’ 232 career points (82G-68A), representing 31.5% of her points with the Irish. Her 25 goals have come on penalty kicks (14-for-15, including 7-for-8 this year), free kicks (10), or directly on a corner kick (1), while her 23 assists have been via corner-kick (15) or free-kick (8) services.
Bock Stays A-Head Of The Game
Nearly half (22) of the 46 career goals — 12th-most in school history — scored by senior forward/midfielder Brittany Bock have come on headers. That includes nine of her last 14 scores, most recently the opening goal in the Oct. 12 win at Villanova. Bock also has four rare header assists in her career.
Melissa Can’t Miss
Freshman forward/BIG EAST Rookie of the Year/first-team all-BIG EAST selection Melissa Henderson is making the most of her time on the field, ranking second in the BIG EAST and tied for 10th in the nation (as of Nov. 3) in goals (15) despite averaging only 46.3 minutes per game. In fact, were she to be averaging a full 90 minutes and scoring at her current pace, Henderson would have 29 goals this season, one more than the Notre Dame single-season record (28 by Kerri Hanks as a freshman in 2005), and eight more than national leader Sarah Hagen of Wisconsin-Milwaukee entering Sunday’s action.
Iantorno Is One Super Sub
Despite starting just once this season, sophomore forward Erica Iantorno is third on the Irish with seven assists and fourth on the team with 15 points (4G-7A). All this for a player who came to Notre Dame last year as a walk-on (after reversing her original decision to attend Missouri) and had four points during her entire freshman season (on four assists).
This year, Iantorno has emerged as Notre Dame’s “microwave” off the bench, heating up the minute she gets into the game. In fact, less than a minute after subbing into the Penn State game on Sept. 21, the Hinsdale, Ill., native already had chalked up an assist, taking a throw-in, driving to the left endline and whipping a cross into the box that junior forward Michele Weissenhofer buried in the back of the net.
Five days later against Louisville, Iantorno posted a three-point night (1G-1A) less than 10 minutes after coming into the game at the 31-minute mark. First, she delivered a sharp cross at the top of the box that Weissenhofer dummied for freshman midfielder Courtney Barg, who scored her first career goal (33:35). Then, senior defender Elise Weber sent a cross into the box that was misplayed by the Louisville goalkeeper and Iantorno was on the doorstep for the easy finish (40:32).
Most recently on Oct. 26, Iantorno assisted on Kerry Inglis’ second goal against Seton Hall (84:24) less than eight minutes after returning as a second-half substitute.
Patience Pays Off For Inglis
Senior forward Kerry Inglis had to battle through four injury-plagued seasons at Notre Dame, enduring four major surgeries on her right ankle, which she initially injured on the first day of preseason practice as a freshman in 2005. She also missed the entire 2006 campaign because of the constant medical trouble, and has played in just 19 games in her college career because of the maladies.
However, Inglis’ persistence, faith and determination were rewarded on Senior Day (Oct. 26) against Seton Hall, when she earned the first starting assignment of her career. Not content with just enjoying the specter of being in the lineup, Inglis promptly went out and scored the first goal of her career at 11:18 of the first half, knocking home a crossing pass from classmate Brittany Bock.
As if that weren’t enough, Inglis tacked on a second goal in the game, scoring with 5:36 left after collecting a loose ball in the penalty box and poking it into the right side of the net.
Senior Moments
The Irish senior class ranks among the most successful in the country, with a four-year record to date of 86-9-3 (.893) that includes three NCAA quarterfinal berths, two trips to the NCAA College Cup and a run to the 2006 national title game.
Notre Dame’s Class of 2009 also has a 52-1-2 (.964) record against BIG EAST opponents and has been ranked either first or second in the nation in each of their four years (including No. 1 rankings in 2005, 2006 and 2008).
Our Fearless Leader
Tenth-year Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum reached a career milestone on Sept. 21 at No. 17/16 Penn State. With the 3-1 Irish victory, Waldrum became the eighth active Division I head coach to record 300 career wins — he now has a record of 312-79-20 (.783) in 19 seasons (including six at Tulsa and three at Baylor).
Game #20 Recap: Marquette
Notre Dame advanced to the BIG EAST Conference Championship final by virtue of a 2-0 win over No. 25 Marquette on Friday at Alumni Field. Junior forward Michele Weissenhofer and sophomore forward Taylor Knaack both continued their recent resurgence, with Weissenhofer potting her fourth goal of the year and scoring a point for the fourth time in six games. Meanwhile, Knaack came off the bench to score a goal for the third consecutive game (and fourth time this season), getting an unassisted tally early in the second half. High-scoring forward Melissa Henderson registered her first assist as a collegian after setting up Weissenhofer’s goal.
Notre Dame was sharp at both ends of the field on Friday, outshooting the Golden Eagles, 27-4, including an 11-1 margin in shots on goal. The Irish also chipped more than their fair share of paint off the woodwork, hitting the post or crossbar an amazing five times on the night. In addition, Marquette goalkeeper Natalie Kulla was outstanding between the pipes and was largely responsible for keeping her team in the contest, making a career-high nine saves, including a couple of eye-popping one-handed stops on point-blank shots that seemingly were destined for goal.
Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Lysander was called upon to make one save while recording her fifth shutout of the season and the 13th clean sheet of the year for the Irish.
The Magic Number
Scoring three goals has meant virtually an automatic win in Notre Dame women’s soccer history, with a 277-3-1 (.988) record in those games, including a 179-1-0 (.994) mark since Oct. 6, 1995. The Irish also are 373-9-15 (.958) when holding the opposition to 0-1 goals.
Most impressively, Notre Dame is 300-0-1 all-time when claiming a 2-0 lead and is unbeaten in its past 277 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 190 Irish opponents to face a 2-0 deficit have failed to even force 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 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 Alumni Field (Irish won 3-2), and most recently, Villanova on Oct. 12, 2008 in Villanova, Pa. (Irish won 3-2 in OT).
You Can Put It On The Board
Notre Dame has scored a goal in 45 consecutive games, dating back to a scoreless draw with Michigan to open last season. The current 45-game goal streak is the third-longest in school history, and it’s the longest since a 49-game run from Oct. 24, 2004-Oct. 8, 2006.
The school record is 55 straight games with a goal from Aug. 29, 1997-Sept. 17, 1999.
A Little Added Face Time
Notre Dame played on television twice during the 2008 regular season. The Irish made their Big Ten Network debut on Sept. 21, posting a 3-1 win at No. 17/16 Penn State. On Oct. 19, Notre Dame traveled to Storrs, Conn., and defeated BIG EAST rival Connecticut, 2-0, on CBS College Sports.
Notre Dame’s BIG EAST semifinal win over Marquette also aired live on CBS College Sports, as will Sunday’s final versus UConn.
In addition to its commercial TV coverage, Notre Dame enjoys an extensive broadcast footprint on the Internet. All of the Irish regular-season home games were broadcast live on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.UND.com), with supplemental live stats information provided by CBS College Sports Online’s GameTracker service.
Fans also can follow the Irish on their cell phones by signing up for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system. This free service is available by logging on the women’s soccer page at www.UND.com and scrolling down the right-hand sidebar.
Finally, the Notre Dame Sports Hotline (574-631-3000) remains a reliable resource for all the latest Irish athletics information. Regular updates on the Notre Dame women’s soccer program can be found by calling the Hotline, then selecting option 4 and pressing “2”.
The Golden Girls
Former Notre Dame standouts Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf (’98) and Shannon Boxx (’99) helped the United States successfully defend its Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 overtime win over Brazil in the 2008 title game on Aug. 21 in Beijing, China. Both players started and played all 120 minutes in the final on the way to earning their second consecutive gold medal.
The duo join fencer Mariel Zagunis (’10) as Notre Dame Olympians with multiple gold medals. Markgraf also matches Zagunis’ career total of three medals (Markgraf won silver with the USA at the ’00 Sydney Games), a standard also equalled by former track & field great Alex Wilson (’32).
Fowlkes Tapped For U.S. U-20 Team
Sophomore defender/midfielder Lauren Fowlkes is one of 20 players who have been named to the final roster for the United States Under-20 Women’s National Soccer Team, it was announced Oct. 27 by head coach Tony DiCicco. Fowlkes and her American teammates will head to Chile shortly to compete in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, slated for Nov. 19-Dec. 7. Fowlkes previously was part of the U.S. U-20 squad that qualified for the World Cup back in June after finishing second at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Mexico.
Because of her national team commitments, Fowlkes is expected to miss the balance of the 2008 postseason at Notre Dame. She has appeared in 17 games for the Irish this year, starting five times, with her lone goal being the gamewinner in a 3-1 victory over No. 12/11 Duke on Sept. 7 at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. Two nights earlier, Fowlkes got the starting nod against No. 3/2 North Carolina and played a pivotal role for the Irish defense, which handed the Tar Heels a 1-0 loss at Fetzer Field, making Notre Dame the first program ever to blank UNC twice on its home turf (the Irish won the 1995 NCAA national semifinal by that same 1-0 score in Chapel Hill).
Fowlkes will continue a strong tradition of Notre Dame players on the U.S. U-20 World Cup Team (and its predecessors at the U-19 level). Current Irish senior co-captains Brittany Bock and Carrie Dew donned the Stars & Stripes for the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship (as it was then called) in Russia, where the United States finished fourth after scoreless ties in both the semifinal against China and the third-place game against Brazil (both went against the U.S. on penalty kicks by identical 6-5 scores).
Another Notre Dame senior, All-America forward/Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks, played for the USA at the 2002 and 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championships, helping the Americans to the title in 2002 (defeating host Canada, 1-0 in OT in the final) and a third-place finish in 2004 in Thailand. In the `04 third-place game, Hanks scored the opening goal for the U.S. on a free kick in the 21st minute.
Parking Changes
Due to ongoing construction within the Notre Dame Athletics Quad (including the new Irish soccer stadium tentatively set for completion in June 2009), parking for Irish soccer games this year is limited to the Eck Baseball Stadium and Joyce Center lots. Fans may ride the complimentary shuttle bus from the Eck Stadium lot, or walk around the north end of Eck Stadium (behind the left-field wall) before entering at the south end of Alumni Field.
Next Game: NCAA First Round
After the BIG EAST Championship is decided on Sunday afternoon, Notre Dame will turn its attention towards preparing for its 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The field of 64 for this year’s tournament will be announced Monday between 8-8:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN NEWS.
First- and second-round play will take place on Friday and Sunday (Nov. 14 & 16), followed by single rounds the following two weekends. The first four rounds all will be held at campus sites, before the scene shifts to Cary, N.C., and the 2008 Women’s College Cup Dec. 5 & 7.
— ND —