Dec. 10, 2000

Four former Notre Dame women’s soccer players were selected during the first day of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) inaugural draft, led by current senior midfielder Anne Makinen (Helsinki, Finland)-who was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Washington (D.C.) Freedom.

The San Diego Spirit selected two former Notre Dame players during Sunday’s eight draft rounds, with the final seven final rounds scheduled for Monday. Midfielder Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, CA, class of ’99) was drafted by San Diego in the third round (with the 19th overall pick) of the eight-team draft while forward/midfielder Jenny Streiffer-Mascaro (Baton Rouge, LA, ’00) was a fourth-round selection of the Spirit (with the 30th overall pick).

Former Notre Dame forward Monica Gerardo (Corona, CA, ’99) joined Makinen as a pick of the Washington Freedom, as a seventh-round selection and the 53rd overall selection.

Notre Dame joined North Carolina (3), Santa Clara (2) and Nebraska (2) as the only schools with multiple former players selected in the first 19 picks. Only UNC and Nebraska (both with four) had more former players selected in the first 30 picks than Notre Dame’s three.

A complete listing of the WUSA draft selections can be found at www.wusaleague.com/draftresults.asp.

Four other former Notre Dame players could be drafted on Monday, including current senior forward Meotis Erikson (Kennewick, Wash.) and current senior defender Kelly Lindsey (Omaha, Neb.), plus midfielder/defender Kara Brown (Avon, CT, ’00) and forward Michelle McCarthy-Restovich (St. Louis, MO, ’96).

Two other former Notre Dame players-goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (Gold River, CA, ’00) of the Bay Area CyberRays and defender Kate Sobrero (Bloomfield Hills, MI, ’98) of the Boston Breakers-are among those players who already have been allocated to teams (each of the franchises was allocated three U.S. players and two foreign players).

Six former Notre Dame players have been allocated or drafted by WUSA teams, trailing only North Carolina (17) and Santa Clara (9) among Division I women’s soccer programs that have produced the most WUSA draftees and allocated players.

Members of China’s national team comprised the first four picks, with the Atlanta Beat opening the draft by selecting Sun Wen-who many consider to be the top player in the world today. The Philadelphia Charge then picked midfielder Liu Ailing, followed by the Spirit’s drafting of defender Fan Yunjie and the New York Power’s selection of goalkeeper Gao Hong. The Boston Breakers then drafted Norway forward Dagny Mellgren with the fifth pick, followed by the Carolina Tempest’s selection of China defender Wen Lirong.

Washington then drafted Makinen while the Bay Area CyberRays closed out the first round by selecting former North Carolina State defender Thori Bryan.