March 5, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Fighting Irish women’s soccer team has announced its 2010 spring schedule. Highlights of the five-game spring campaign include a match versus the Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) and a matchup with the Mexican National Team. Notre Dame also will officially dedicate Alumni Stadium this spring as well.
The Irish kick off their 2010 spring season when they play host to the Chicago Red Stars on March 24 in a 6 p.m. (ET) match at old Alumni Field. The Red Stars roster could feature two former Irish standouts including Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf (’98) and senior Michele Weissenhofer (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley).
Markgraf, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was assigned to the Chicago Red Stars via a dispersal of U.S. National Team players and she will make her league debut this summer after missing the 2009 campaign while on maternity leave. While playing with the Irish, Markgraf started 97 of a possible 101 games as she anchored the Notre Dame defense for four seasons. She earned NSCAA All-American honors in her final three seasons with the Irish.
Weissenhofer was chosen by the Red Stars in the fourth round (33rd overall pick) of the 2010 WPS Draft as she became the seventh Notre Dame women’s soccer player to be selected in the two-year history of the WPS Draft. Weissenhofer battled injuries throughout portions of her Notre Dame career, but still played in 90 matches, starting 63 times. She amassed 88 points with the Fighting Irish, scoring 30 goals and dishing out 28 assists, highlighted by a freshman season that saw her pile up 18 goals and 17 assists (53 points) and earn National Freshman of the Year honors (Soccer America).
Next up on Notre Dame’s spring slate is a trio of Big Ten opponents. On March 27, the Irish will face Michigan State at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind. at 5 p.m. (ET). That contest will be played as part of a charity benefit for Camp Watcha-Wanna-Do, a week-long summer camp for children with cancer. For more information on this worthwhile event, please visit the camp’s web site at http://www.campwatchawannado.com.
Then, on April 11 the Irish will play host to Purdue at Alumni Field in a 1 p.m. (ET) match. On April 17, Notre Dame will face Iowa at 1 p.m. (ET), also at Alumni Field. Both Michigan State and Purdue participated in the 2009 NCAA Championship.
The spring schedule is set to conclude against the Mexican National Team on Friday, April 23 at 5 p.m. as part of a doubleheader at Alumni Stadium, as the Irish men are slated to face Mexico’s U-21 team at 7:15 p.m. (ET). The matches versus the Mexican National Teams will be part of a series of events leading up to the official Alumni Stadium dedication, which will take place on Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. (ET).
Admission will be charged for men’s and women’s matches vs. Mexico and potentially the women’s match vs. the Chicago Red Stars (decision pending).
Notre Dame is coming off a 21-4-1 campaign, going unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches en route to a berth in the 2009 NCAA Women’s College Cup, where the Fighting Irish dropped a 1-0 decision to eventual national champion North Carolina. Notre Dame is expected to have nine of its 11 starters returning next season, including several national and regional award winners such as forwards (and recent U.S U-23 National Team call-ups) Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas/Berkner) and Lauren Fowlkes (Lee’s Summit, Mo./St. Teresa’s Acad.), midfielders Rose Augustin (Silver Lake, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) and Courtney Barg (Plano, Texas/Plano West), defender Jessica Schuveiller (Plano, Texas/Plano West) and goalkeeper Nikki Weiss (Redding, Conn./Immaculate).
2010 Notre Dame Women’s Soccer Spring Schedule
Date Opponent Location/Site Time3/24 Chicago Red Stars Notre Dame, Ind./Alumni Field 6:00 p.m.3/27 vs. Michigan State Fort Wayne, Ind./Univ. of St. Francis 5:00 p.m.4/11 Purdue Notre Dame, Ind./Alumni Field 1:00 p.m.4/17 Iowa Notre Dame, Ind./Alumni Field 1:00 p.m.4/23 Mexican National Team Notre Dame, Ind./Alumni Stadium 5:00 p.m.
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