Sept. 24, 2001
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Notre Dame Women’s Soccer 2001 Game Notes
vs. Nebraska (Sept. 25)
The fourth-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team (5-0-1) faces its biggest challenge of the 2001 season on Tuesday night, Sept. 25, when No. 3 Nebraska visits for one of the highest-rated matchups in Alumni Field history … the ND-NU series includes just three games but they all game in the NCAAs, with the Irish advancing each year (via wins in 1997 and ’98 and on penalty kicks in 1999).
VIDEO OFFERINGS – South Bend’s WHME TV-46 will televise the game on a delayed basis, with an air time of 11:00 p.m. Tuesday night.
SERIES NOTES – Nebraska has yet to defeat Notre Dame, with the teams meeting in the 1997 (6-0), ’98 (2-1) and ’99 (1-1) NCAA Tournaments … ND’s 6-0 home win in the ’97 NCAA second round included big games from Anne Makinen (2G-1A), Meotis Erikson (2G) and Holly Manthei (1G-1A), with Monica Gerardo also scoring … the teams returned to Alumni Field for a 1998 third-round matchup, with Lauren Tatum putting NU ahead in the 52nd minute before Jenny Heft tied the game two minutes later … Monica Gerardo scored the gamewinner in the 71st minute-via assists from Kelly Lindsey and Jenny Streiffer-while the Irish finished with a 22-11 shot edge (NU’s Karina leBlanc made 10 saves) … the classic 1999 battle in Lincoln saw ND advance to the semifinals, with a 4-3 final edge on six penalty kicks … Streiffer scored just 1,30 into that game and Kelly Rheem’s goal tied the game in the 18th minute … the teams played 150 grueling minutes, with LaBlanc making 10 saves and LaKeysia Beene stopping eight for ND … Lindsey (an Omaha native) gave ND the decisive 4-3 lead in the PKs and Beene ended the drama with a save that sent the Irish to the College Cup … an NU-record 3,702 fans attended that 1999 classic game.
GAME NOTES – Notre Dame (.873, 224-27-13) and Nebraska (.826, 129-26-3) rank second and third on the list of the nation’s winningest Division I women’s soccer teams since 1990 (minimum of nine seasons) … tonight marks just the fifth time in the 13-year history of Alumni Field that both teams have been ranked in the top four of the NSCAA poll … the others: #2 ND 1, #3 Stanford 0 (1995), #1 ND 4, #4 UConn 4 (1996), and #2 ND 2, #1 UNC 2 (1997) … it also marks just the third time since Sept. 19, 1997, that the Irish have faced a higher-ranked team at home (#7 ND lost 3-2 in OT vs. #1 UNC in ’99 while #4 ND beat #2 Santa Clara in 2000, by a 6-1 score).
IRISH NOTES – Notre Dame has scored two goals in all six games this season … four of the six goals by ND opponents this season have come in the final 15 minutes, plus Penn State’s goal in the 68th minute and Wisconsin’s goal at 0:31 … ND set a team record on Sept. 7 with its 29th consecutive home win (2-1 in OT vs. Indiana) before seeing that streak snapped in a 2-2 tie vs. Wisconsin … Vanessa Pruzinsky and Liz Wagner were named the BIG EAST defensive player and goalkeeper of the week for their opening-week efforts vs. Penn State and Hartford … ND is 6-0-3 in its last nine OT games … Kelly Tulisiak (2G-2A in 2001) has eight career goals on just 32 shots (4.0 shots per goal) … Mary Boland returned to action vs. Villanova, after missing five games due to injury (Randi Scheller also returned, after missing the Wisconsin game) … the Irish are playing eight of their first nine games at home … Boland’s goal vs. Penn State (at 6:54) was the earliest by an ND freshman in a season opener since ’89 … the Irish are 104-3-2 in their last 109 home games … ND’s all-time record at Alumni Field vs. teams not ranked in the NSCAA poll is 85-1-1, with 76 straight home wins over unranked teams before the Wisconsin game … former ND players Kate Sobrero, LaKeysia Beene and Kelly Lindsey were named to the 18-player U.S. team that competed in the recent Nike Cup (Lindsey and Beene returned for a visit to Notre Dame last weekend).
ND HEAD COACH RANDY WALDRUM ON THE NU GAME – “You’re going to have to finish those chances against Nebraska because you won’t get many. But they are so athletic and so fast and so intense that we will have to raise our psychological level to compete with that. It should be a great game. … 1It’s going to be a very direct game and probably when you play Nebraska you also have top be pretty direct. So I don’t think people re going to see a lot of positional play. Nebraska plays with four up front and they dump the ball in while trying to use their strength and speed and athleticism to just pin you in your own end. In order to bypass those seven players that sit on top of you, you then have to play direct to get out of the back. It’s going to be an end-to-end game that way. … It will be a great show of athleticism and toughness. The intensity level is going to be unbelievable.”
HUSKERS NOTES – Nebraska (5-0-0) owns wins over Arizona (4-2), Alabama Birmingham (2-1), USC (3-2), Northern Iowa (3-1) and Evansville (5-1) … NU returned 16 of 20 letterwinners and eight starters from its 2000 team that went 22-2-0, losing at home to UConn in the NCAA tournament round of 16 … Christine Latham totaled four goals in last week’s wins over NIU and Evansville … Meghan Anderson’s 123 points leave her four shy of the Nebraska career record (Jenny Streiffer’s 211 stand as the ND record) … Anderson (42G-39A) is on the verge of becoming the 29th Division I women’s soccer player to reach 40 goals and 40 assists (five ND players are on that list, including Streiffer, Cindy Daws, Gerardo, Makinen and Erikson) … three of Anderson’s four goals this season have come on free kicks … Husker goalkeeper Erin Miller (who played defender last season for NU) is looking to fill the shoes of All-American LeBlanc … Latham is a 2001 Hermann Trophy nominee (she was Big 12 Conference player of the year and a consensus All-American in 2000, after totaling 23 goals and 11 assists) … Danica Carey headed in game-winning goals versus Arizona and Alabama-Birmingham … the Huskers own a 71-6-2 all-time record in home games at the Abbott Sports Complex … Nebraska has been ranked in 66 consecutive NSCAA top 25 Polls dating back to the preseason poll in 1996 … NU has appeared among the top-10 teams 52 times in that span … NU has surrendered at least one goal in each of its five games this season (NU has allowed goals in six straight games just once in its history).
GERTY’S GAMEWINNERS – Sophomore F Amanda Guertin-who also scored what proved to be the gamewinner in the season-opening 2-1 win over Penn State-delivered a pinpoint corner kick vs. Georgetown, just three minutes after the Hoyas had tied the game in the 76th minnute … GU’s ‘keeper Shereena Chang mistimed her jump and the sailing kick crossed the goalline just to the right of center, with Irish freshman Mary Boland skying into the air and heading the ball into the net for good measure … nearly half of Guertin’s career goals at ND (six of 13) have been gamewinners, including four that came in 2-1 games: at West Virginia (OT) and at home vs. vs. Boston College, PSU and GU (she also opened the scoring in last year’s 8-0 win at GU and had the GWG in the 3-1 NCAA win over Michigan).
2001 NSCAA Women’s Soccer Division I Poll (Sept. 24)
1. North Carolina 5-0-0
2. UCLA 5-0-0
3. Nebraska 5-0-0
4 . Notre Dame 5-0-1
5. Portland 5-1-0
6. California 5-1-0
7. Penn State 3-2-0
8. Stanford 5-0-0
9. Texas A&M 4-2-0
10. Santa Clara 5-0-0
11. Connecticut 4-2-0
12. Kentucky 6-0-0
13. Florida State
14. Virginia 3-1-1
15. Clemson 5-0-1
16. Washington 4-1-1
17. Miami (Fla.) 6-1-0
18. Tennessee 4-2-0
19. West Virginia
20. Florida 3-2-1
21. Marquette
22. William & Mary 5-1-1
23. Syracuse 5-1-0
24. St. Mary’s (CA)
25. Massachusetts 2-2-0
Also mentioned: SMU, San Diego, Texas, Indiana, Auburn, Dartmouth, Pepperdine, BYU.
POLL POSITION – Notre Dame has been ranked first, second or third in 64 of the last 92 NSCAA preseason or regular-season polls (70.0 pct.), also ranking in the top five in 77 of the last 92 polls and in the top 10 of 91 of the last 92 (dating back to 1993) … the Irish moved up a spot on Sept. 10, with Portland falling from third to fifth due to its 1-0 loss to second-ranked UCLA (ND then dropped back to fourth, behind Nebraska,after the 2-2 tie with Wisconsin) … Notre Dame’s spots in the last 92 NSCAA polls include 17 weeks at No. 1, 32 at No. 2, 13 at No. 3, seven at No. 4, eight at No. 5, 11 at No. 6, three at No. 7 and one at No. 12.
READY TO ROLL- Mary Boland’s goal in the seventh minute vs. Penn State (6:54) is the second-earliest ever scored by a Notre Dame freshman in a season opener and is the earliest in 12 seasons, dating back to the 1989 season opener vs. St. Joseph’s when Margaret Jarc scored just 80 seconds into her Notre Dame career … Boland’s goal is the sixth-earliest in a season opener ever by any Notre Dame player, with the other five coming vs. unranked teams … Rosella Guerrero scored ND’s first goal of the 1992 (18:02, vs. N.C. State), 1993 (7:45, vs. LaSalle) and 1995 (7:36, vs. Rutgers) seasons.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE – Notre Dame posted the fifth-longest home winning streak in NCAA history (29 games) before the 2-2 tie vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 9 … the Irish still own a 32-game unbeaten streak at home (31-0-1) and have not tasted defeat at Alumni Field since a heartbreaking 3-2, double-overtime loss to top-ranked North Carolina in the 1999 season opener … the current home streak includes 10 wins over top-25 nationally-ranked teams (five vs. top-10 teams) … the 29-game home winning streak (with a 74-13 scoring edge) bested the Notre Dame team record (28) that began after that 1992 Stanford loss and ended with a 5-4 overtime loss to Connecticut on Oct. 6, 1995 (since that loss, ND is 76-2-2 in its last 80 home games, or 96.3 pct.) … the 1992-95 streak included seven wins over top-25 teams (five vs. top-10 teams).
HOMESTANDERS – Since losing to Stanford on Oct. 4, 1992, ND has posted 104 home wins while losing just three times at home in that span, with two ties (104-3-2 or 96.3 pct.) … that 109-game span includes winning streaks of 29, 28, 23 and 22 games … in addition to the 1995 UConn game and the 1999 UNC game, the other recent home loss came to Portland in the 1998 NCAA quarterfinals (2-1) while the ties were vs. UNC, on Sept. 19, 1997 (2-2) and vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 9, 2001 (2-2) … the Irish own a 123-7-2 (.939) record in 13 seasons of play at Alumni Field … ND’s all-time record at Alumni Field vs. teams not ranked in the NSCAA poll is 85-1-1 (36-6-1 vs. ranked teams), with 76 straight home wins over unranked teams before the tie with Wisconsin, dating back to a 2-0 loss to Creighton in ’90 … the Irish played at Moose Krause Field in the program’s first two seasons (’88 and ’89), with a home record of 19-5-1 during that span (all vs. unranked teams).
SENIOR SPARK- Senior F Kelly Tulisiak provided a huge spark to the ND offense during the Key Bank Classic, assisting on the gamewinning goal vs. No. 8 Penn State (2-1) before scoring the gamewinner vs. No. 25 Hartford (2-0) … she then came through in the clutch vs. Indiana, scoring in overtime for a 2-1 win … Tulisiak’s timely play was all the more noteworthy considering the fact that the Irish forward and midfield units were hobbled by injuries, resulting in a makeshift lineup … a nose for the goal is nothing new for Tulisiak, who has come off the bench in 46 career games (no starts) while totaling eight goals on just 32 shots (4.0 shots per goal) … vs. PSU, Tulisiak made the most of her entry into the game early in the second half, setting up Amanda Guertin’s goal with a thru-ball near the top of the box … vs. Hartford, Tulisiak found the net with 23 minutes left to play, just five minutes after checking into the game … Amy Warner set the sequence in motion, using her speed and moves to work into the right side of the box before her low shot was cleared off the goalline by a Hartford defender guarding the near post … Warner then poked the deflected ball to Tulisiak, whose quick shot was knocked down by Hawks ‘keeper Anne Lise Nilssen-but Tulisiak sent the second deflection into open side of the goal, with the ball sailing into the upper left corner for the 1-0 lead … in the IU game, Warner’s looping pass down the center of the field bounced at the top of the box-with Tulisiak beating her defender to the spot and sending a leaping header over the charging ‘keeper.
HOTLINE UP AND RUNNING – The 2001-02 academic year marks the full debut of the ND sports hotline, at (219) 631-3000-with schedule and result information for all varsity sports currently in season … to access women’s soccer information, select option “4” when prompted, followed by option “2” … the hotline made its debut last February and was a big hit with Irish fans during the highly-successful spring months.
WEEKLY BIG EAST AWARDS TO PRUZINSKY, WAGNER – Notre Dame junior Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.) and senior Liz Wagner (Spring ,Texas) were honored by the BIG EAST Conference as the league’s defensive player and goalkeeper of the week, after helping the Irish women’s soccer team post wins last week over 8th-ranked Penn State (2-1) and No. 25 Hartford (2-0) … Pruzinsky anchored the Notre Dame defense from her central marking back position, with the Irish trying a variety of players alongside Pruzinsky at the other central spot that was shared last season by 2001 graduates Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker … Pruzinsky played all 90 minutes in both games at ND’s Key Bank Classic while helping keep PSU’s national player-of-the-year candidate Christie Welsh from scoring and holding Hartford All-American Katrina Lardiner without a point … named the Key Bank Classic defensive MVP, Pruzinsky helped limit Hartford to four shots (one in the second half) during a tense battle that saw the Irish forward and midfield units affected due to injury … Wagner likewise played a key role in the Irish defensive effort, highlighted by six saves vs. PSU-including one in which she charged out to stop Welsh’s breakaway just moments after PSU had scored for a 2-1 game … she totaled nine saves for the weekend, with PSU scoring on a quick redirection shot into the upper left corner of the net … Wagner posted the seventh solo shutout of her career in the Hartford game.
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL – Notre Dame was a unanimous choice to repeat as Mid-Atlantic Division women’s soccer champions in the BIG EAST Conference, based on annual preseason polling conducted by the BIG EAST coaches … ND-which owns a 48-2-1 all-time record in BIG EAST regular-season games, in addition to winning all six BIG EAST tournament titles since joining the league in 1995-received the maximum 13 first-place votes for winning the Mid-Atlantic Division, followed by West Virginia, Rutgers, Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh … Connecticut received eight 1st-place votes as the pick to repeat as Northeast Division champ, followed by Boston College (five 1st-place votes), Syracuse, Miami, St. John’s, newcomer Virginia Tech and Providence. Academic All-American Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-tabbed the BIG EAST preseason co-defensive player of the year, along with UConn’s Casey Zimmy-returns for her junior season at central defender. Sophomore forward Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) joined Pruzinsky as ND’s pair of players on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team.
IRISH HEAD COACH RANDY WALDRUM ON THE 2001 TEAM – “By losing starters from every position but goalkeeper, we had some clearcut goals in the recruiting phase and we met those goals by adding talented players who will fit well into our system. We will be a very athletic team and have added significantly to our team speed, which should provide fans with a very attractive style of soccer. Our basic goal was to match up better athletically with the other top teams while still maintaining the high level of soccer skill that has characterized past Notre Dame teams. This also is a very team-oriented group that plays very well as a unit and their ultimate goal has not changed. They want to bring home the national championship and I think we have the right elements in place to make that happen.”
WHO’S BACK, WHO’S GONE? – Notre Dame returned 13 of its top 18 players from the 2000 team that spent most of the season ranked No. 1 while compiling a 23-1-1 overall record and advancing to the NCAA semifinals … nine of the returners saw significant time as starters in 2000 while eight of the top 10 scorers are set to return, with the biggest losses being the 2000 team’s top two leading scorers, Anne Makinen (14 goals-15 assists) and Meotis Erikson (13G-13A), plus Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker (who both saw extensive time at the central marking back position).
A QUICK LOOK AT THE IRISH
* Senior goalkeeper Liz Wagner (Spring, Texas) is back in the nets for the Irish, after leading the nation in 2000 with an 0.39 goals-against average … several key defensive regulars also return from a unit that allowed just 10 total goals and 6.4 shots per game last season … Academic All-American Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-tabbed the BIG EAST preseason co-defensive player of the year, along with UConn’s Casey Zimmy-returns for her junior season at central defender, where she will play alongside a new teammate following the graduation of Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker … the Irish have plenty of experience at the outside marking back positions, with senior co-captain Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.) returning on the right side while fifth-year player Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) is back to patrol the left … Jones also has been tried at the open center back position, as has promising freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (a member of Iceland’s national team).
* Senior co-captain Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich., 5G-3A in 2000, 2A in 2001) and junior Ashley Dryer (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2G-5A in ’00, no pts in ’01) provide veteran experience for the Irish midfield while promising sophomore Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa., 6G-7A in ’00, 1G-1A in ’01) has stepped into the attacking midfielder role, a spot vacated by the graduation of Anne Makinen (the 2000 national player of the year) … freshman Reagan Jones (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore Kim Carpenter (Webster, N.Y.) could fill a role similar to Scheller’s in 2000, when she was the first midfielder off the bench.
* Notre Dame has a surplus of forward options in 2001, led by its top returning scorers-sophomores Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas, 11G-4A in ”00, 2G-2A in ’01) and Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M., 10G-4A in ’00, 4G-1A in ’01), who joined junior D Vanessa Pruzinsky as ND’s pair of players on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team … junior Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga., 4G-5A in ’00, 1A in ’01) and senior Kelly Tulisiak (Medina, Ohio, 4G-1A in ’00, 2G-2A in ’01) add to an experienced forward unit that also could see contributions from three newcomers: sophomore Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario)-who missed all of 2000 due to an ACL knee injury-and the freshman duo of Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio) and Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario) … the versatile Boland also is a strong midfield option while Chapman has received some early looks in the defense at outside back .. Tancredi opened the scoring last week vs. Georgetown on a strong individual move while Boland scored the first goal in the opener vs. Penn State (Chapman has provided two assists from the back).
THE FORTRESS – Notre Dame’s strength lies in its defense, after leading the nation with an 0.39 goals-against average in 2000 … three of the team’s five seniors-goalkeeper Liz Wagner, rightside back Lindsey Jones and fifth-year Monica Gonzalez at left back-play in the defensive third while junior marking back Vanessa Pruzinsky is considered the heart and soul of the stingy Irish defense.
PYRAMID POWER – Notre Dame’s unique 4-3-3 “inverted pyramid” formation returns two of its three central-based midfielders in senior Mia Sarkesian and junior Ashley Dryer while promising sophomore Randi Scheller has filled Makinen’s attacking role at the third midfield spot … Dryer missed the Key Bank Classic while recovering from a bout with mononucleosis but returned to the lineup in the second week (Scheller was out with an injury in the 2-2 tie with Wisconsin).
FORWARD THINKING – Notre Dame’s roster is overflowing with quality players at the forward position, including three-junior Ali Lovelace and the sophomore duo of Amy Warner and Amanda Guertin-who combined with 2001 graduated Meotis Erikson for most of the time in 2000 … senior Kelly Tulisiak has been a proven goalscorer off the bench in 46 career games while three “newcomers” also factor heavily in the forward mix: sophomore Melissa Tancredi, who missed all of the 2000 season due to an ACL knee injury, and the exciting freshman tandem of Candace Chapman and Mary Boland … Chapman (who also has been tried in the defense at outside back) is a former teammate of Tancredi’s on club and national-team squads in their native Canada while the versatile Boland could be used at a number of positions.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR – Speedy junior F Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga.), who has the most college game experience among the returners, is one of the more intriguing members of the forward unit … a regular threat to slash towards the goal, Lovelace could be due for a breakthrough season after being hampered by nagging injuries her first two years (with 4G-1A in 1999, 4G-5A in 2000 and 1A thus far in 2001) … many of her points have came in big games, including the pinpoint cross that set up Mary Boland’s diving header for the early 1-0 lead in the 2001 opener vs. Penn State … Lovelace’s eight career goals also include scores vs. Santa Clara in the 1999 NCAA semifinals (1-0) and the 2000 quarterfinals (opening goal in 2-1 overtime win).
FIRE & ICE – That old clich? aptly applies to the equally-effective styles of sophomore forwards Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) … Warner-who assisted on the gamewinner and capped the scoring in the early 2-0 win over Hartford-burst onto the scene early in 2000, buzzing around the offensive zone and ranking as the team’s second-leading scorer through 10 games (7G-4A) before a knee injury caused her to miss seven games (she returned in reserve duty beginning with the final regular-season game and scored as a starter in the 2-1 NCAA semifinal loss to UNC) … a first team all-BIG EAST and third team all-region selection, Warner finished her truncated first season with 9G-4A, including the earliest hat trick ever posted by an ND freshman (she leads the 2001 team with 4G-1A) … the poised and multi-talented Guertin quietly turned in a rookie season that included 11G-4A (her 26 points trailed only seniors Anne Makinen and Meotis Erikson on the Irish scoring charts) while starting 22 games and tying for second on the team with four GWGs, including an OT score to end West Virginia’s upset bid (she is tied for second on the 2001 team in scoring, with 2G-2A).
NEW FORWARD FACES – Three “newcomers” could factor heavily into the forward mix for Notre Dame in 2001 … sophomore Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario) missed all of the 2000 fall season but had a solid outing in Notre Dame’s 2-1 win over the Mexican National Team last spring (she scored on a strong individual effort in last week’s win over Georgetown) … the 5-9 Tancredi adds a certain edge to the forward unit with her combination of size, speed and toughness making her an ideal target player and central striker … freshman Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario)-who has experience at forward and flank midfielder-could combine with sophomore Amy Warner as one of the nation’ fastest pair of forwards (she also was being tried in the defense as an outside back) … freshman Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio)-who missed three games with a leg injury suffered in the 2001 opener-originally was slated to play in the Irish midfield or defense but she also has been thrown into the forward mix, thanks to an eye-popping performance during the summer of 2001 while playing as a forward with the U.S. under-19 team … Boland impressed observers last summer with attacking mentality-a go-for-the-goal type of attitude that she backs up with excellent technical ability and the poise of a veteran.
KEYS TO THE CITY – Randy Waldrum doesn’t mince words when evaluating one of the key aspects of his 2001 squad: the play of the team’s pair of returning midfield starters, senior co-captain Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich.) and junior Ashley Dryer (Salt Lake City, Utah) … “As they go, so will the team go,” says Waldrum. “Mia and Ashley are such key elements but they are more than capable of handling that pressure. Winning the midfield battle is critical in our system and they’ve come into their own as strong all-around players who consistently get the job done.” … Sarkesian and Dryer have yet to gain significant national recognition-due, in large part, to playing in the shadow of 2000 national player of the year Anne Makinen … some attention did come their way late in 2000, with Sarkesian named the BIG EAST Championship MVP while Dryer’s value was magnified in her absence, missing most of the NCAA quarterfinals and all of the NCAA semi’s due to injury … minus Dryer, the Irish went 77 minutes vs. Santa Clara without a shot and switched to a 4-2-4 system (four forwards, two midfielders) in the semifinals.
MORE ON MID’S – Senior Mia Sarkesian owes a large part of her apparent anonymity to a seemingly effortless ability to patrol the midfield and distribute the ball with accuracy and consistency while excelling in the subtleties of midfield play … even her meager career stats (9G-12A) are deceiving, with many points in pressure situations (she was a proven scorer as a prep, with 72G-36A) … junior Ashley Dryer has similar attributes to Sarkesian and always has been one of the team’s top players in the air, despite being one of its shortest at 5-4 … likewise an accomplished scorer in high (76G-47A), Dryer could match her combined stats from 1999 and 2000 (2G-5A) early in the upcoming season as she begins to develop her own offensive chances.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK – Sophomore Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa.)-ND’s new starter in the midfield-could open some eyes in her second season, as she packs plenty of talent into her deceptive 5-3 frame … the sophomore fireplug boasts an assortment of twisting moves to go along with a strong shot and an improving field sense-plus a rookie season in which she learned from one of the best players in collegiate women’s soccer history (2001 graduate Anne Makinen).
WORKING WONDERS – Third-year ND head coach Randy Waldrum-who repeated as BIG EAST coach of the year in 2000-has seen his Irish teams post an impressive 49-5-3 combined record (.886), including a 15-4-2 mark vs. NSCAA top-25 teams and a ’99 season that ended in the NCAA title game (the 2000 squad then was ranked No. 1 for most of the season and advanced to the NCAA semifinals) … Waldrum in ’99 became the only coach in the 18-year history of the NCAA women’s soccer championship to lead a team to the title game in his first season as that team’s head coach … he was the fourth first-year coach to take his team to the NCAA semi’s, with the Irish beating top-ranked and previously unbeaten Santa Clara in their backyard of San Jose, Calif. Waldrum’s 20-year record as a college head coach (with both men’s and women’s teams) is 232-110-22 (.668) … he owns a 156-54-15 (.727) record in 11-plus seasons as a Division I women’s coach, including 61-36-9 in six years at Tulsa (.580) and 46-14-3 in three seasons at Baylor … Waldrum entered the 2001 season ranked 14th among active women’s coaches for career winning percentage (he ranks 25th on the total wins list).
MIDWEST MACHINE – Notre Dame’s dominance within the Midwest part of the country includes a 43-game winning streak versus Big Ten Conference teams (that ended in the 2-2 game vs. Wisconsin)-dating back to a 3-0 loss to Michigan State on Sept. 22, 1989 … since that 1989 loss to MSU, the Irish are 112-3-6 overall (.950) vs. Midwest teams … the winning streak vs. Big Ten opponents included 11 wins vs. Indiana, 10 vs. Wisconsin, nine vs. MSU, seven vs. Michigan, four vs. Ohio State and one each vs. Northwestern and Penn State … the 2001 season-opening visit by 8th-ranked Penn State marked the biggest threat to that streak (in terms of opponent ranking) since then-No. 8 Wisconsin dropped a 2-0 game to the Irish in the 1994 season.
GAMES IN THE BANK – The Irish return four of five starters in the defensive third (including Liz Wagner in the goal), with a wealth of experience contained in the threesome of Monica Gonzalez, Lindsey Jones and Vanessa Pruzinsky … those three-who each trained previously at forward or midfield-have combined to play in 217 career games at Notre Dame, with 145 starts.
THE VETERAN – Left outside back Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) is the battle-tested veteran of the Irish squad, embarking on her fifth year of eligibility due to a sophomore season that was lost due to injury … in addition to logging 80 career games (34 starts), Gonzalez-a converted forward and the team’s tallest player at 5-11-is a founding member of the three-year-old Mexican National Team … she has returned to the left back position where she made most of her 18 starts in 2000, when she chipped in one goal and four assists while ranking as one of the best players on the field in the regular-season showdown at UConn and the NCAA semifinal matchup with North Carolina.
LOCAL GIRL MAKES GOOD – Senior co-captain Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.)-who switched from the midfield when Notre Dame went to its 4-3-3 system in 1999-returns at right back, where she made 23 starts a year ago (she has started in 51 of 77 career games played) … a tireless runner with a lanky 5-9 frame, Jones has developed into a hard-nosed defender and is possibly the most well-conditioned member of the squad … during the past few weeks, Jones also has been tried at yet another position, center back, as the Irish look to fill the biggest gap in their 2001 lineup.
STRAIGHT-A SHOOTER – Junior defender Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-who had started all 56 games of her Irish career before missing the Georgetown game-earned preseason billing as the BIG EAST’s co-defensive player of the year, a fitting tribute to the central intimidator of the Irish defense whose skills make her a strong All-America candidate … she already has earned first team Academic All-America honors, as a 4.0 chemical engineering major … Pruzinsky-who scored 79 goals as a prep forward-has the power to win most “50-50” balls and the recovery speed to close quickly on forwards who venture into her vicinity.
THE GREAT UNKNOWN – While the Irish have a known commodity at one central defender spot, Vanessa Pruzinsky’s partner at the marking back positiontill is unknown heading into the fourth week of the 2001 preseason … candidates include senior Lindsey Jones-who has slid in from her outside back spot at times during the first few weeks-in addition to promising freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir … another freshman, Candace Chapman, has played some at outside back, allowing Jones to move inside during the earlygoing (while Gunnarsdottir was recovering from a summer injury).
“GUNNA” GET YOU – Freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (Seltjarnames, Iceland) is one of the more likely solutions to fill the central marking back spot held by Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker for most of 2000 … a member of Iceland’s up-and-coming national team, the 5-9 “Gunna”-as she is known by teammates-follows Finland native Anne Makinen (’01) as the second European player to join the Notre Dame program … the composed and steady Gunnarsdottir could give the Irish a new look in the back due to her combination of speed, height, ability to read the game well and experience playing internationally against some of the world’s top forwards.
PRIME-TIME PLAYER – The strong play of Liz Wagner (Spring, Texas) often was lost on observers from the 2000 season, particularly if they witnessed a game where she hardly touched the ball (she faced just 19 shots in 13 regular-season games vs. unranked teams) as compared to seeing one of her many stellar efforts vs. ranked teams and in the postseason-when she made 42 saves and allowed just six goals in 12 such “big games” (she added nine saves and one goal allowed in the opening week of 2001 vs. Penn State and Hartford) … Wagner’s nation-leading 0.39 goals-against average in 2000 included a 700-minute shutout streak (12th-longest in NCAA history) and a pair of prime-time, eight-save efforts at Connecticut (0-0) and vs. Santa Clara in the NCAA quarterfinals (2-1, OT) … she did not give up multiple goals until the 2-1 NCAA semifinal loss to North Carolina-just the second time that Wagner and the Irish trailed during the entire 2000 season, spanning just 35 minutes … sophomore Lauren Kent (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) again will contend for time in the nets, after playing sparingly as a freshman and recovering fully from offseason knee surgery … Kent has proven effective at reading the game , has excellent command of the penalty box and is very confident in her abilities while making strides in her distribution skills.
CONFERENCE COMMAND – Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over UConn in the 2000 BIG EAST title game marked the eighth consecutive year the Irish have won their conference tournament … with last week’s wins over Vilanova and Georgetown, ND owns a 91-3-3 (.954) all-time record in 10-plus years of regular-season conference games (’91-’94 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, ’95-present in the BIG EAST), plus a 19-0-0 record in conference tournament action … the Irish own a 56-2-2 (.0) all-time record in BIG EAST regular-season play, including cross-divisional games and the 2000 tie at UConn (0-0), which was not part of the official BIG EAST schedule … prior to that tie, the Irish had won 25 straight games vs. BIG EAST teams (19 regular season, six BIG EAST Tournament) … ND’s only other blemishes in BIG EAST regular-season play are a 5-4 OT loss to UConn during ND’s ’95 NCAA Championship season, a 1-1 tie at UConn in ’98 and a 3-2 loss two days later at Seton Hall … since joining the BIG EAST in ’95, the Irish are 72-3-2 (.948) in all games vs. BIG EAST opponents (with a 2-0 win over UConn in the ’95 NCAA quarterfinals ad 2-1 loss to UConn in the ’97 NCAA semi’s) … ND’s 77 games vs. BIG EAST teams since ’95 have included a 374-35 scoring edge (60-7 in 15 BIG EAST Tournament games).
GOALS-A-PLENTY – Notre Dame scored in 55 consecutive games from Aug. 29, 1997 to Sept. 17, 1999 (all of the ’97 and ’98 seasons and the first five games of ’99) … the streak came to an end in a 1-0 loss to SMU, with All-America midfielder Anne Makinen not playing for the Irish due to commitments with Finland’s national team … ND scored in 98 of the 101 games in Makinen’s career and injuries limited her play in the other two games where the Irish were shut out (she played just the first 30 minutes of the 2-0 loss to UNC in the ’99 NCAA title game and came off the bench late in the first half of an 0-0 tie at UConn in 2000) … ND’s previous record for scoring streak was a 36-game run from Oct. 19, 1995 to Dec. 6, 1996 (ending with the 1-0 OT loss to UNC in the title game) … stretching from 1992-2001, ND has scored in 96.0 percent of its games (213 of 222) … since 1994, the Irish have scored in 178 of 184 (.967, three shutouts in NCAA title games)-with goals in 134 of 137 regular-season games (.978) during that eight-year stretch.
ROAD WARRIORS – Since dropping a 4-2 game at Santa Clara on Oct. 17, 1999, ND heads into this week’s Pittsburgh game with a record of 13-2-2 in its last 17 games away from Alumni Field … the Irish put up solid numbers on the road in 2000 (10 games), including a 30-3 scoring edge.
SISTER ACT – Senior Kelly Tulisiak and freshman defender Kate Tulisiak (from Medina, Ohio) are the first set of sisters to play for the Notre Dame women’s soccer program and could become the 18th set of sisters to earn a varsity monogram in the same sport at Notre Dame … the 17 previous sister combinations have come from eight sports … current ND assistant athletic director Brian Boulac coached his daughters Dawn (’89) and Debbie (’90-’93) on the Irish softball team (their sister Dyan played volleyball at ND) while former ND sports information director Roger Valdiserri saw his daughters Kathy (’73-’78) and Susan (’80-’83) become some of the early leaders of the Irish women’s fencing program … other noteworthy sisters who have lettered in the same sport at ND include: women’s tennis players Terri (’91-’92, ’94) and Sherri (’93-’96) Vitale of Brandenton, Fla., and women’s golfers Julie (’93-’96) and Tracy (’95-’98) Melby of Alexandria, Minn. Pitchers Jen (’98-’01) and Jessica (’00-’01) Sharron of Agoura Hills, Calif., played together on the 2000 and 2001 Irish softball teams (Jessica, currently a junior, has yet to letter) … Kate Tulisiak is not the only freshman at Notre Dame who is joining her sister’s team this season, as lacrosse player Carol Dixon (Pennsauken, N.J.) is slated to play alongside her sister Angela (a junior) with the Irish squad next spring … the Tulisiaks could follow be the eighth ND sister combination to letter in the same sport during the same season.
FAR & WIDE – Much like the composition of the Notre Dame student body, players come from far and wide to be a part of the Irish women’s soccer program. The 2001 Irish roster includes players from 16 different states, plus Canada and Iceland. Since the beginning of Notre Dame women’s soccer in 1988, the program’s players have come from 28 different states and three foreign countries (also Finland). The home states on the current Irish roster include: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.
PUNCH THE CLOCK – Senior G Liz Wagner has started all 31 of Notre Dame’s games during the past two seasons while junior D Vanessa Pruzinsky did not play vs. Georgetown, ending her streak of 56 consecutive starts (every game of her ND career) … four others have appeared in each of th3 last 31 games: sophomore F Amanda Guertin (27 GS), senior M Mia Sarkesian (30 GS) and senior D Lindsey Jones (29 GS) … sophomore M Randi Scheller missed the first game of her Notre Dame career in the 2-2 game vs. Wisconsin.
WUSA SUCCESS – Ten former Notre Dame players were participants in the inaugrual season of the Women’s United Soccer Association during the summer of 2001, with the 10 former Irish players representing the third-most from any Division I program. Two of those former Irish players-goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (’97-’00) and defender Kelly Lindsey (’98-’01)-led the Bay Area CyberRays to the championship of the WUSA … the CyberRays and Atlanta Beat played to a 3-3 tie at Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium, with Bay Area then claiming the title in the penalty-kick shootout (decided 4-2 after four kicks).
Beene-who was named the WUSA’s goalkeeper of the year-made three saves in regulation and through 15 minutes of overtime .. she then dove to her left to stop Atlanta’s first penalty kick, a low shot by one of the world’s top players, Sun Wen … Atlanta’s Charmaine Hooper later sent her attempt wide of the right post … Lindsey-who was named to the second team all-WUSA squad-had the primary assist on the game’s first goal, after taking a rare shot from the left side of the box … Lindsey’s shot was bound for the right side of the goal, with Brandi Chastain then flicking the ball with her head for the early 1-0 lead.
Another former Notre Dame player was honored at the WUSA awards banquet on Friday night, as Boston Breakers defender Kate Sobrero (’94-’97) was presented with the WUSA’s Humanitarian Award, in recognition of her charitable work in the Boston area.
Four of the eight WUSA teams featured mutliple Notre Dame alums … Beene ranked second in the WUSA with an 0.97 goals-against average while former Irish defender Jen Grubb (’97-’01) played all 1,890 minuntes for the Washington Freedom . Former Irish M Anne Makinen (’97-’00) and former ND forward Monica Gerardo (’95-’98) also played for the Freedom. Former Irish M Shannon Boxx (’95-’98) logged a team-best 1,870 minutes as the fourth-leading scorer on the San Diego Spirit (former Irish M/F Jenny Streiffer-Mascaro (’96-’99) also played for the Spirit). Sobrero was joined on the Boston Breakers by former Irish F Meotis Erikson (’97-’01) while former ND midfielder Holly Manthei (’94-’97) signed with the Breakers in midseason.
NATIONAL TEAM CAMP
Three former Notre Dame women’s soccer players-defenders Kate Sobrero (’98) and Kelly Lindsey (’01) and goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (’00)-were selected for the 24-player roster that gathered in Chicago on Sept. 4, in preparation for the 2001 Nike U.S. Women’s Cup-a four-team tournament that promises to bring six world class matches to three Midwest venues.The 24 players trained four days before 18-including all three former ND players-were selected to represent the U.S. versus Germany on Sept. 9 (Soldier Field, Chicago, noon CT), Japan on Sept. 11 (Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, 9:00 p.m. ET) and China on Sept. 16 (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, noon CT) … the final two games were not played due to the national tragedy (the U.S. beat Germany, with Beene in the nets).
Notre Dame was one of five schools with multiple players (former or current) on the training camp roster while ND and North Carolina were the only programs with three-plus on the 18-player Nike Cup roster.
Sobrero has appeared in 66 games with the national team and was a starter on the ’99 World Cup championship team … Beene and Lindsey spent time in the U.S. under-21 program, with Beene also playing on several u-21 Nordic Cup teams … both also played on a young U.S. team that won the Australia Cup tournament in January of 2000 … Beene and Lindsey are two of 19 current WUSA players that were named to the training roster (see www.und.com for complete roster).
NATIONAL TEAMS x 4 – ND’s 2001 roster includes four players who were active in the summer of 2001 with different national teams, including senior defender Monica Gonzalez (Mexican national team) and three freshmen: forward Candace Chapman (Canadian under-19 team), midfielder Mary Boland (U.S. under-19s) and defender Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (Icelandic national team) … former Irish D Kate Sobrero is one of the top young players currently on the U.S. National Team.