Nov. 17, 2005
Four Notre Dame women’s soccer players – the most from any school – are among the 15 final candidates for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, recognizing college soccer’s player of the year. That elite foursome, which will lead the Irish into Friday night’s NCAA third-round game vs. Yale, come from all three field positions with the forward tandem of senior Katie Thorlakson (Langley, B.C.) and freshman Kerri Hanks (Allen, Texas) plus junior midfield playmaker Jen Buczkowski (Elk Grove, Ill.) and fifth-year right back Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario).
(Note: game notes for Friday night’s NCAA third-round game vs. Yale are included in this release – as are notes on the M.A.C./Hermann release, with updated bio. capsules of the four players at the bottom of this release; also see pregame notes and postgame reports from the NCAA 1st and 2nd round for additional current notes on the Irish.)
Hanks is the first freshman to be among the final 15 candidates since the M.A.C. and Hermann awards merged in 2002. In the eight years prior to that (’94-’01), only three freshmen – and none since ’99 – had been among the final 10/15 candidates for either award, with former Notre Dame midfielder Anne Makinen earning that rare distinction in 1997 as one of the final-10 candidates for the Hermann that season.
Buczkowski also is one of the youngest players among the 15 finalists, which include no sophomores in addition to no freshmen (and only four juniors). The other juniors on the list include the UNC duo of midfielder Lori Chalupny and forward Heather O’Reilly, plus Nebraska midfielder Brittany Timko. Thorlakson likely is the next-youngest of the group, as she graduated a year early from high school and will not turn 21 until January of 2006.
Chapman’s status as one of the nation’s elite defenders can be seen in the fact that UCLA’s Jill Oakes is the only other backline player among the final-15 candidates (a list that also includes just one goalkeeper, plus seven forwards and five midfielders).
In addition to the Notre Dame players, the other 11 finalists include nine players from the four top seeds in the ’05 NCAA Tournament: the North Carolina trio of senior F Lindsay Tarpley, Chalupny and O’Reilly; Portland seniors Christine Sinclair (F) and Lindsey Huie (M); Penn State F Tiffany Weimer and fellow senior Erin McLeod (G); and UCLA’s Oakes and fellow senior Irish Mora (F). Timko and Virginia senior M Sarah Huffman round out the final-15 candidates.
QUARTERFINAL QUICK FACTS – Notre Dame (21-2-0) continues its quest to repeat as NCAA champion with a Friday-night game vs. Yale (15-3-1), in NCAA 3rd-round action at Alumni Field (Nov. 18; 7:30 EST) … the game follows the ND men’s game vs. Western Illinois in the 1st round of that NCAA competition (5:00) … ND’s previous two games vs. Yale produced wins in 2000 (4-0) and ’01 (2-0), both at Yale … ND senior goalkeeper Erika Bohn played on the Yankee United Rage club team coached by current Yale head coach Rudy Meredith … Yale advanced with a 2-1 win over Duke in the final second of regulation, during the NCAA 2nd round (at Yale) … the ND-Yale winner will advance to next week’s quarterfinal round vs. the winner of Friday night’s game between Portland and Arizona (at UP) … all other quarterfinal are being played on Sat., Nov. 19 (Texas A&M at Penn State; Boston College at Santa Clara; Marquette at UCLA; Pepperdine at UNC) or Sunday, Nov. 20 (Cal State Fullerton at Virginia; California at Florida State) … the PSU-A&M and SCU-BC winners will meet in a quarterfinal on the same side of the bracket as ND … the UNC-Pepperdine winner faces the FSU-Cal winner while the UVa-CSF winner next will take on the UCLA-Marquette victor … the Irish are riding a 12-game scoring streak (55-1 scoring margin), also owning a 27-game home unbeaeten streak (26-0-1), a 34-game scoring streak (3rd-best in ND history) and 10 straight games with 3-plus goals (team record) … ND also has: gone 65-2-0 in its past 67 games when scoring first; won 224 consecutive games when claiming a 2-0 lead; and won 50 straight when scoring 3-plus goals (133-1-0 in past 134).
Kerri Hanks is the first freshman since 1999 to be among the final 15 candidates for the M.A.C./Hermann player-of-the-year award/
|
 |
BACK AGAIN – Thorlakson is one of eight returners from the final-15 candidates for the 2004 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, as are: Portland’s Sinclair and Huie, UNC’s O’Reilly, Chalupny and Tarpley, PSU’s Weimer and Nebraska’s Timko.
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY – Recent research indicates that Hanks is just the fourth freshman during the past 12 seasons (’94-’05) – and first since ’99 – to be among the final-10/15 candidates (or “semifinalists) for either the M.A.C. or Hermann awards … Makinen was among the final-10 candidates for the Hermann during her freshman season in ’96 while North Carolina F Susan Bush and Santa Clara M Aly Wagner were among the final-15 Hermann candidates in ’99.
POSITION BREAKDOWN – The list of the 15 final candidates is overloaded with seven forwards (Hanks, Mora, O’Reilly, Sinclair, Tarpley, Thorlakson and Weimer) plus an impressive five-player midfield group of Buczkowski, Chalupny, Huffman, Huie and Timko … defenders Chapman and Oakes and ‘keeper McLeod round out what could be viewed as a 2005 “dream team” of college women’s soccer talent (after some of the forwards make the shift to defense).
Candace Chapman is one of just two defenders among the 15 final candidates for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy.
|
|
DOUBLE-DIP – Notre Dame and UCLA are the only schools with players on the 2005 M.A.C. Hermann final-15 list from both their men’s and women’s teams – as current Irish junior defender Greg Dalby is among the 15 final candidates for the ’05 men’s award.
FOUR GALORE – This marks the fifth time in Notre Dame women’s soccer history (and first time since ’99) that four players from the same Irish women’s soccer team have been placed on the elite final-10/15 list for the M.A.C. or Hermann awards (also in ’97, ’98 and ’99) … each of those three previous seasons did not feature four Irish players on the final 10/15 lists for both the M.A.C. and Hermann … the 1996 season saw two ND seniors (M Cindy Daws and G Jen Renola) join a pair of juniors (M Holly Manthei and D Kate Sobrero) on the M.A.C. final-15 list but Daws and Manthei were the only Irish players on the similar Hermann final-15 list … then, in ’97, four ND players again were on the M.A.C. final-15: Manthei, Sobrero, sophomore D Jen Grubb and sophomore M Jenny Streiffer (Manthei and Makinen, then a sophomore M, were among the final-10 for the Hermann in ’97) … in 1998, Streiffer, Grubb and Makinen were joined by junior ‘keeper LaKeysia Beene on the Hermann final-15 list (Streiffer, Grubb and Beene also were on the ’98 M.A.C. final-15 while Makinen was not eligible for the award that year due to a restriction of foreign players that has since been lifted) … finally, in ’99, four ND players – Beene, Grubb, Makinen and Streiffer – were among the final-15 for the M.A.C. Award while each of those players (with the exception of Grubb) were among the Hermann final-15 in ’99.
AND THE WINNER IS … – Former ND midfielders Daws (’96) and Makinen (’00) both swept the Hermann and M.A.C. awards during their senior seasons … Daws earlier was one of three finalists for the 1994 Hermann and among the top-four in the ’94 M.A.C voting, later joining Manthei among the three finalists for the Hermann during the 1995 national championship season … Manthei then was among the four finalists for the ’97 M.A.C. award and Makinen was one of five finalists for the ’98 Hermann.
Katie Thorlakson is one of eight players who have been named to the final-15 list in each of the past two seasons.
|
|
PERFECT PAIRS – The four-year history of the combined M.A.C./Hermann award has seen Notre Dame produce multiple players among the final-15 candidates in each of the past three years … in 2003, senior F Amy Warner and senior D Melissa Tancredi made the list while ’04 saw Thorlakson and Tancredi (who returned for a 5th year) advance to the final-15 M.A.C./Hermann list that season.
A DOZEN YEARS OF ELITE-LEVEL TALENT – The past 12 seasons – dating back to ND’s first appearance in an NCAA championship game (’94) – have seen Irish players named to the Hermann and/or M.A.C. final 15/10 list 30 times (counting each player just once per season): Daws in ’94; Daws and Manthei in ’95; Daws, Manthei, Renola and Sobrero in ’96; Grubb, Manthei, Makinen, Sobrero and Streiffer in ’97; Beene, Grubb, Makinen and Streiffer in ’98 and again in ’99; Makinen in ’00; junior D Vanessa Pruzinsky in ’01 (M.A..C.); Tancredi and Warner in ’03; Tancredi and Thorlakson in ’04; and Buczkowski, Chapman, Hanks and Thorlakson in ’05.
THORLAKSON NEARING TWO HISTORIC MILESTONES – With a maximum of four games left in her college career, Thorlakson has a chance to reach two milestones that would cement her position among the top players in Division I women’s soccer history … she enters the NCAA third-round game vs. Yale with 18G-31A for the ’05 season, needing two more goals to become the first D-I player ever with multiple “20-20” seasons (she had 23G-24A in ’04) … Thorlakson’s career numbers include 55G-69A, leaving her five goals shy of becoming the sixth D-I player ever to reach 60G-60A (that elite group includes former ND greats Daws and Streiffer) … she already ranks as one of just 18 D-I players to reach the 50G-50A distinction (and one of 10 with 55G-55A).
Kerri Hanks (#2) and Katie Thorlakson (#7) have congratulated and thanked each other plenty of times during an action-packed 2005 season.
|
|
DYNAMIC DUO ON VERGE OF ITS OWN 70-70 DISTINCTION – Thorlakson (18G-31A) and Hanks (26G-15A) amazingly are tied for the team lead with 67 points, becoming just the second set of Division I teammates – and first in 10 years – to reach at least 67 points in the same season … if they each can add three more points and round off to 70 for the season, they would join 1995 SMU players Danielle Garrett (83; now Danielle Fotopoulos) and Courtney Linex (77) as the only 70-point teammates in D-I women’s soccer history … Hanks and Thorlakson are the only players in the nation currently with at least 14G and 14A … they each have points in 20 of the 23 games this season (Thorlakson has points in 17 of the past 18) and are closing in on the rare 20G-20A mark from opposite ends of the equation … only one pair of teammates in NCAA history (ND’s Daws with 26G-20A and Streiffer with 22G-22A, in `96) has reached 20G-20A in the same season.
OFFENSE KEEPS ROLLING – Thorlakson (2G-4A; ND-record for points in an opener with 8) and Hanks (3G-1A) sparked ND to an 11-1 season-opening win over New Hampshire and the Irish have remained the nation’s top-scoring team all season, currently averaging 4.52 goals per game … the only ND teams ever to total more goals in a season are the 1996 (140) and ’97 (135) squads.
FANTASTIC FROSH – Hanks has racked up 26 goals in 23 games played this season, leaving her two shy of the ND record for goals in a season (28) set by Jenny Heft in ’98 … the previous ND record for goals by a freshman was Makinen’s 23 in ’97 … Hanks needs two more goals to become the fourth Division I freshman (and first since ’96) ever with 28 goals in a season … the three D-I freshmen who have posted 30-goal seasons include SMU’s Lisa Cole (37, in 1987), Baylor’s Molly Cameron (32, in ’96) and Washington State’s Kim Lynass (30, in ’90) … Cameron – the only D-I freshman with a 30-goal season in the past 15 years – played for current ND head coach Randy Waldrum, who started the Baylor program and served as its first head coach starting in that ’96 season.
Jen Buczkowski’s keen field vision and deft touch have helped the Irish dominate the run of play throughout the ’05 season.
|
|
BUZZ RUNNING THE SHOW TO NEAR-PERFECTION – Buczkowski’s role as the leader of the Irish midfield has once again produced a dominating season of possession and goalscoring chances for the Irish … ND leads the nation in goal margin (+94; 104-10), including a staggering 55-1 scoring edge during the current 12-game winning streak … the Irish goal total essentially matches the opponents’ combined shot total in games vs. ND this season (105), with just 45 of those opponent shots coming on goal … Buczkowski’s unmatched brand of possession has helped ND rack up a 535-105 edge in shots this season (avg. 23.3-4.6), plus 290-34 in shots on goal (12.6-1.5) and 163-37 in corner kicks (7.1-1.6) … the Irish have trailed in just two games all season for a total of only 76:51 (or just 3.7% of the 2,076 minutes in ’05).
FOREIGN TERRITORY – Buczkowski has appeared in all 74 games of her career with the Irish and has yet to see her team get outshot by the opposition, with ND going 66-6-2 during that ’03-’05 stretch.
VERSATILE VETERAN – Chapman’s stellar career with the Irish has included twice earning the BIG EAST defensive player-of-the-year award (’02 and ’05) while also serving as a potent forward and the team’s No. 2 scorer (12G-8A) during the ’04 national championship season.
Candace Chapman has played a lead role in Notre Dame’s strong team-oriented defense that has allowed just one goal during the current 12-game winning streak while limiting opponents to 1.9 shots on goal per game over the course of the entire ’05 season.
|
|
A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE – Notre Dame’s high-powered offense has drawn its share of attention throughout the season but the Irish defense, led by the seasoned Chapman, steadily has rounded into form … ND currently ranks 5th in the nation with a 0.43 season goals-against avg. that includes a nation-leading 17 shutouts (one shy of the team record shared by the ’95 and ’97 teams) … the Irish defense has allowed just 45 shots on goal in the ’05 season, factoring out to a rate of 1.96 opponent SOG/gm that would best the standing ND record (2.1, in ’97) … ND has held its ’05 opponents to 0-1 goals in 21 of 23 games this season … since allowing a goal by Gonzaga on Sept. 11, the Irish have posted shutouts in 15 of the past 17 games … ND has held 43 of its past 46 opponents to 0-1 goals (2-1 losses to UConn and Santa Clara, 4-1 loss at Marquette) … the current 0.43 team GAA would rank 3rd in ND history behind the 1997 (0.36) and 2000 (0.39) teams.
BALANCED BATTLERS – Notre Dame (1st with 4.52 gpg; 5th with 0.43 GAA) joins Portland (4th with 3.24 gpg; 3rd with 0.38 GAA) as the nation’s only teams currently ranked among the national top-5 in both scoring average and team goals-against average … if the Irish and Pilots win their respective games on Friday night, that will set up a rematch of their meeting in the 2004 NCAA quarterfinal round (a 3-1 ND win, at Alumni Field).
MICHIGAN STATE COACH TOM SAXTON ON ND’S DYNAMIC DUO – “Notre Dame has two of the best forwards in the country on their team and it’s tough to play against that. We knew that was going to be a formidable task and they are great players. [Thorlakson] is one of the top forwards in the country and certainly in the world. She belongs right up there with all of them.”
POINTS-O-PLENTY – Daws (72, in ’96) and Thorlakson (70, in ’04) are the only Notre Dame players ever to total more points in a season than the 2005 production of Thorlakson or Hanks (both 67) – whose 134 combined points are just shy of the Irish record for points by teammates (Daws and Streiffer combined for 136 in ’96).
Katie Thorlakson’s classic combination of consistency and controlled intensity has helped place her among the top players in Notre Dame and NCAA history.
|
|
ANOTHER GAME, ANOTHER RECORD – Each passing game sees Thorlakson’s name become more entrenched in the Irish record book but Hanks has snatched one of those records away, as her 128 shots for the season (23 more than all of ND’s ’05 opponents combined shots vs. the Irish) have surpassed the single-season shot record set by Thorlakson in ’04 (127) … Thorlakson’s four-point game in the NCAA second-round vs. Michigan State helped compensate for the loss of that record, as she now has posted points in 12 consecutive games (36 points; 9G-18A) to tie a record she already shared with Makinen … Thorlakson – who is averaging 3.0 points per game in her current point streak (36; 9G-18A) – recently became ND’s all-time leading scorer in BIG EAST Tournament and overall postseason games (49; 15G-19A in 21 GP) but she now also holds the Irish record for career points in the NCAAs, with 25 (7G-11A) in 13 NCAA games played (Monica Gerardo previously held that mark, with 24).
POSTSEASON PRODUCTION – Notre Dame has gone 13-1-0 in postseason action during the past two seasons (including 11 straight wins), with Thorlakson registering points in all 14 of those ’04 and ’05 postseason games (13G-17A/43 pts) … the two-time BIG EAST offensive player of the year has scored or assisted on two-thirds of the ND goals (30 of 45) during the past two postseasons … Thorlakson
A BORN WINNER – Thorlakson now has scored (4) or assisted (11; ND record for GWAs in a season) on 15 of ND’s 21 gamewinning goals in the ’05 season … her 21 career gamewinning assists are tied with Streiffer for 2nd in the ND record book (Manthei had 25 GWAs) … Thorlakson also owns the ND record for career gamewinning points (45, including 17 GWGs) … her 19 GWPs this season are four shy of the ND record she set in `04.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS – Thorlakson’s 69 career assists rank 6th in the NCAA record book, just one behind former Jacksonville player Marit Foss and two shy of the 71 career assists posted by Streiffer and recent UNC player Alyssa Ramsey … Thorlakson’s 31 assists in ’05 rank 4th on that NCAA single-season list, two behind Mia Hamm’s total with the ’92 UNC squad … the player who owns the top single-season assist totals in ND and NCAA history – Holly Manthei – last week dropped down a spot on the Irish career points list, as Thorlakson (178) moved past her into 6th on that chart (next up is Makinen, with 186) … Thorlakson’s 55 career goals tie her with Rosella Guerrero for 8th in the ND record book, four back of Meotis Erikson and Michelle McCarthy.
Kerri Hanks (pictured) and Katie Thorlakson have combined to score or assist on 65% of Notre Dame’s goals this season.
|
|
TEAM BONDING – Thorlakson and Hanks have combined on 20 goals this season but the dynamic duo also has done their part to get plenty of other teammates involved in the act … at least one of the tandem has registered a goal or assist on 65% of the team’s goals this season (68 of 105), as Thorlakson has combined with 12 different teammates on goalscoring sequences this season while Hanks has combined with 10 teammates on ’05 goalscoring plays.
SHARPSHOOTER – Thorlakson has totaled 18 goals this season on just 68 shots and 41 shots on goal … she now is averaging one goal per every 3.8 shots and 2.3 shots on goal she takes in ’05.
ALWAYS IN THE MIX – Thorlakson has scored or assisted on nearly 50 goals this season (49), the most “goals-factored-into” among any player from more than 300 D-I women’s teams in 2005.
SILVER STREAK – In addition to outscoring the opposition 55-1 during the current 12-game winning streak, the Irish also have allowed just 18 shots on goal (1.5/gm) and 22 corner kicks during that six-week stretch … ND has yet to allow a goal in the 2005 postseason, pushing the current shutout streak to 478 minutes (spanning five-plus games).
Jen Buczkowski and the Irish have allowed just 18 shots on goal and 22 corner kicks during the current 12-game winning streak.
|
|
GOLDEN GIRL – Notre Dame is 17-0-0 this season when its rookie sensation Hanks scores a goal.
OLD RELIABLE – Thorlakson played with Canada in the 2002 Under-19 World Championship (early fall) but has been in the ND lineup ever since, appearing in 93 career games to rank 16th in ND history (one behind Daws) … only four Irish players have logged longer streaks of consecutive games played: Meotis Erikson (101; ’97-’00), Shannon Boxx (101; ’95-’98) and 1993-96 teammates Jen Renola and Kate Fisher (98) … those four players are among nine in ND history who have appeared in every game of their college careers.
NOTRE DAME: “Home of the Assist Masters” – Seven players in NCAA Division I women’s soccer history have totaled 67-plus career assists and more of them (4) have played for Notre Dame than all other teams combined (3) … ND’s assist elite include Holly Manthei (NCAA-record 129 assists from ’95-’98), Jenny Streiffer (3rd, 71; ’96-’99), current senior Katie Thorlakson (6th; 69) and Cindy Daws (7th, 67; ’93-’96) and … Thorlakson is the only player among the four from ND who has played the bulk of her career at forward (Manthei and Daws were midfielders; Streiffer shifted from M to F midway through her career) … the NCAA record book also now includes four ND names in the top-5 for assists in a season: Manthei (44 in ’96, 34 in ’97, 30 in ’94) and Thorlakson (31 in ’05) … former UNC great Mia Hamm had 33 assists in ’92.
ROOKIE TANDEMS – Kerri Hanks (26) and Brittany Bock (10) are the seventh set of ND freshmen (but first since 2000) to post double-digit goals in the same season … others include: Alison Lester (14) and Stephanie Porter (10) in 1990; Rosella Guerrero (13) and Michelle McCarthy (12) in ’92; Stacia Masters (13) and Cindy Daws (16) in ’93; Jenny Streiffer (22) and Jenny Heft (12) in ’96; Anne Makinen (23), Meotis Erikson (22) and Monica Gonzalez (10) in ’97; and Amanda Guertin (11) and Amy Warner (10) in ’00.
(from left) Brittany Bock, Katie Thorlakson and Jen Buczkowski have helped push Notre Dame’s scoring streak to 34 games.
|
|
SCORING STREAK HITS 34 – Notre Dame is riding a 34-game scoring streak that ranks 3rd-longest in the program’s history and tops in the seven-year Randy Waldrum era … the longest scoring streaks in ND women’s soccer history are 55 games (8/29/97-9/17/99) and 36 games (10/19/95-12/6/96) … the current scoring streak dates back to the scoreless tie with Rutgers on Oct. 22, 2004 … ND now has scored in 49 of its past 50 games (since ending the ’03 season with a 1-0 loss to Michigan in the 2nd round of the NCAAs), going 46-3-1 in that stretch.
WELL-TIMED HOT STREAK – Hanks is riding a six-game goalscoring streak that is tied for sixth-longest in ND history … she has scored in all five postseason games thus far, two shy of the ND record set by Amanda Guertin (who scored goals in seven straight postseason games, from ’01-’02) … Guertin also owns the ND overall record for consecutive games with a goal (10, in ’01), followed by Meotis Erikson (9, in ’97), Amy VanLaecke (9, in ’95), Jenny Streiffer (7, in ’99) and Jenny Heft (7, in ’98).
MINUTE WOMEN – Hanks and Thorlakson’s high rate of point production in 2005 is all the more noteworthy when considering that each plays on average just two-thirds of a game, as Hanks is averaging just 65 min./gm and Thorlakson 62 min./gm).
Kerri Hanks (pictured) and Katie Thorlakson both have totaled 67 points in 23 games despite playing only two-thirds of the minutes this season.
|
|
BIG EAST’S BIG FOUR – The 2005 Notre Dame team became the first ever to produce four major BIG EAST award winners: Thorlakson (top offensive player), Chapman (top defensive player), Buczkowski (top midfielder) and Hanks (rookie of the year) … five previous teams featured three major awards winners, including three ND teams led by BIG EAST coach of the year Randy Waldrum: in 1999 (defensive player Grubb, rookie Pruzinsky), in ’03 (defensive player Tancredi, rookie Christie Shaner) and in ’04 (Thorlakson and Tancredi) … no previous ND player had featured more than two players among the BIG EAST major award winners … UConn’s 1995 team featured the BIG EAST coach (Len Tsantiris), offensive (Kerry Connors) and defensive (Sara Whalen) player of the year … the 1997 season saw Seton Hall’s Betty Ann Kempf named coach of the year while Kelly Smith was named the league’s top rookie and offensive player of the year.
FOUR-TIME BIG EAST HONOREES – Chapman is the fourth ND player to be named all-BIG EAST four times (she was 1st team as a defender in ’01 and ’02, then missed ’03 due to injury and was 3rd team all-BE as a forward in ’04) … Grubb (’96-’99) and Makinen (’97-[’00) each were 1st team all-BIG EAST in four straight seasons (the first players from any BIG EAST team ever to earn that distinction) … Warner was a 1st-teamer in ’00, ’02 and ’03 and a 2nd-team pick in ’01 … five ND players have been 1st team all-BIG EAST three-plus times: Manthei (’95-’97), Grubb, Makinen, Warner and Chapman.
FRONTRUNNER TRIO – Thorlakson, Hanks and sophomore Amanda Cinalli are the fifth trio of forwards from the same team to earn all-BIG EAST honors, including three others from ND: Streiffer, Gerardo (both 1st team) and VanLaecke (2nd team) in ’96 followed by Jenny Heft, Gerardo (both 1st team) and Streiffer (2nd team) in ’98, and then Thorlakson, Chapman and Hanks in ’04. Connecticut also produced three 1st-team forwards in 1995 (Jana Carabino, Kerry Connors and Christy Rowe) … ND produced a pair of 1st-team forwards (Hanks and Thorlakson) for the third consecutive season (Thorlakson and Cinalli in ’04; Warner and Mary Boland in ’03).
ONE-TWO PUNCH – Thorlakson and Chapman pulled off the offensive/defensive MVP double that had been achieved just three times previously in the 11-year history of the BIG EAST women’s soccer awards, by Connors and Whalen with the ’95 and ’96 UConn teams and then by Thorlakson and Tancredi in ’04.
HERMANN TROPHY FINAL-15 BIO. UPDATES (also see notes above)
Katie Thorlakson repeated as BIG EAST offensive player of the year and once again has run away with the national assist lead (31).
|
|
Katie Thorlakson – repeated as BIG EAST offensive player of the year before earning offensive MVP honors for the ’05 BIG EAST Tournament … entered the week ranked 1st in the nation in assists (31), tied with Hanks for 2nd in points (67) and 10th in goals (18) … she is the nation’s only player with at least 16G-16A and could become the first ever to post multiple 20G-20A seasons (23G-24A in ’04) … her 67 points ranks 3rd in ND history … has totaled 36 points (9G-18A) during current 12-game point streak … has G/A on 47% of team’s goals in ’05 (49 of 104) … averaging a goal for every 3.7 shots she takes in ’05 … also converting 1G for every 2.3 shots on goal (18 of 41) … has totaled 22 pts (6G-10A) in nine ’05 games vs. top-25 teams … has scored (4) or assisted (11) on 15 of ND’s 21 gamewinning goals in ’05 … holds ND record with 55 career GW points (17 GWGs, 21 GWAs) … ranks 6th in NCAA record book with 69 career assists … her 179 career points rank 6th in ND history (3rd with 69A, 8th with 55G) … set ND record for points in a season opener (2G-4A vs. UNH) … other top games include 2G-1A vs. #11 Florida and South Florida, 2G-2A vs. DePaul, 1G-3A vs. Georgetown in the BIG EAST quarterfinals, 1G-2A vs. both #25 Maryland, Gonzaga and Valparaiso in NCAA opener (also GWG vs. Marquette in BIG EAST semifinal, then 2A in title game vs. UConn) … 17th Div.-I player ever to reach 50G-50A in her career (55G-69A), with five reaching 60-60 … has appeared in all 93 games of her ND career … had 24A in ’04 and now 31 in ’05, joining Holly Manthei as only players in D-I history to post 23-plus assists in multiple seasons … owns ND record for career postseason points (49; 15G-19A) … leads the BIG EAST in ’05 assists while ranking 2nd in points and goals, 3rd in shots (67) and 4th in gamewinning goals (4) … owns 10 multiple-goal games.
Candace Chapman collected all-BIG EAST honors in each of her four healthy seasons with the Irish – taking home the BIG EAST defensive player-of-the-year trophy in ’02 and again in ’05.
|
|
Candace Chapman – named 2005 BIG EAST defensive player of the year, repeating an honor she earned as a sophomore in ’02 … a 2nd team Academic All-District pick (per CoSIDA), with a 3.32 cumulative GPA as a double major in sociology and computer applications … joined former ND player Jen Grubb and UConn alum Sara Whalen as only players to repeat as BIG EAST defensive player of the year … fourth ND player to be named all-BIG EAST four times (1st team as a defender in ’01, ’02 and ’04; missed ’03 due to injury and was 3rd team all-BE as a forward in ’04) … joins Grubb (’96-’99), M Anne Makinen (’97-’00) and F Amy Warner (’00-’03) as ND players who have been all-BIG EAST four times … five ND players have been 1st team all-BIG EAST three-plus times: M Holly Manthei (’95-’97), Grubb, Makinen, Warner and Chapman … combined with senior F Katie Thorlakson as fourth set of teammates in BIG EAST history ever named the offensive and defensive player of the year … named a 2005 preseason All-American … ranks 3rd on ’05 team with 1,600 minutes played (72/gm) … ranks 9th on ’05 team with 13 points (2G-9A), including 1G-1A in 4-0 win over UConn, a goal vs. Villanova (4-0) and assist on first goal in BIG EAST title game vs. UConn (5-0) … ranks 4th among BIG EAST player in assists … starter with the Canadian National Team … earned 2002 All-America honors … 20th ND player ever to reach 20G-20A in her career (20G-24A), in 91 GP and 79 GS … carries active streaks of 50 consecutive games played and 30 starts … joins freshman central back Carrie Dew as only ND players to start every game in ’05 (23) … 2nd-leading scorer for ’04 NCAA champs (12G-8A; ND record 27 GP) … scored gamewinning goals in ’04 NCAAs vs. UConn (2-0) and Santa Clara (1-0, semifinal) … named to ’04 College Cup all-tournament team … serves as 2005 team co-captain … member of Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Kerri Hanks was the clear choice for BIG EAST rookie of the year and now will look to collect various national honors.
|
|
Kerri Hanks – named 1st team all-BIG EAST and BIG EAST rookie of the year … ranks 3rd in the nation with 26 goals (freshman record; 2nd overall in ND history), also tied for 2nd nationally in points (57) and 7th in assists (15) … set ND record for goals in consecutive games (3G-1A vs. UNH, 4G vs. UVm) … leads the BIG EAST in points, goals and shots (128, ND record), also 2nd in assists and gamewinning goals (6) … her other top games include 1G-1A vs. Cincinnati, Marquette (BIG EAST semifinal) and Valparaiso (NCAA 1st round), 2G vs. Maryland and 2G-2A vs. DePaul … had 1G-2A in first game vs. Georgetown and then 2G-1A vs. GU in the BIG EAST quarterfinals … tied ND record for goals in a game (4) … quickest ND player ever to 10G (4 GP) … scored for 1-0 overtime win at Rutgers.
Jen Buczkowski’s subtle mastery of the game fittingly was recognized with the BIG EAST midfielder-of-the-year award.
|
|
Jen Buczkowski – repeated as a CoSIDA Academic All-District pick (2nd team), with 3.28 GPA as a marketing major) … 2004 All-American who serves as driving force of the ND midfield … named a 1st team Academic All-District selection as a sophomore in ’04 … recognized as the 2005 BIG EAST midfielder of the year while repeating as a 1st team all-BIG EAST honoree … logged every minute for U.S. Under-21 National Team that won 2005 Nordic Cup … ranks 6th on 2005 team with 21 points (7G-7A), entering the week 9th among BIG EAST players in assists … totaled 1G-1A in ND’s first two rounds of ’05 BIG EAST Tournament (6-0 quarterfinal vs. Georgetown, 3-0 semifinal vs. Marquette) … also earlier had 1G-1A vs. Gonzaga and DePaul … has played every game of career (74; 69 GS), helping ND go 66-6-2 from ’03-’05 … on verge of becoming ND program’s 21st all-time player with 20G-20A (19G-24A) … finished 18th in nation with 11A in ’04 … 3rd-leading scorer for ’04 NCAA champs (8G-11A), setting ND record with 27 GP … scored in final minute for 2-1 win at Georgetown in ’04 before scoring in 80th minute to beat Boston College (1-0) … also picked up GWG at Michigan (4-0) and vs. BC in ’04 BIG EAST semifinal (2-0) … earned Freshman All-American honors in 2003 … former member of U.S. Under-19 National Team … totaled 4G-6A in ’03.