Sept. 2, 2002
Notre Dame sophomore defender Gudrun Gunnarsdottir has been named the BIG EAST Conference women’s soccer defensive player of the week, after playing a key role in shutout wins over Providence (3-0) and Virginia Tech (5-0). Gunnarsdottir has emerged as the leader of a young Irish defense that played last week without injured senior Vanessa Pruzinsky (the preseason BIG EAST defensive player of the year) and sophomore Candace Chapman, who just completed play with Canada at the Under-19 World Championship.
Gunnarsdottir started both games at central defense, as part of a four-player defensive group that included freshman Cat Sigler and a pair of walk-ons at the outside back positions. A member of Iceland’s national-team program, Gunnarsdottir helped the Irish hold Providence to a pair of shots in the entire game while limiting the opposition to a total of just two corner kicks in the weekend games.