Oct. 29, 2002
Notre Dame junior forward Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) has been named the BIG EAST Conference women’s soccer offensive player of the week for the second time in her career, after playing a key role in wins over Syracuse (6-0; Oct. 25) and at Boston College (1-0; Oct. 27).
Guertin provided her sixth and seventh corner-kick assists of the season in the win over Syracuse, including the kick that led to Randi Scheller’s header for an early 1-0 lead (another Guertin CK set up Mary Boland’s header for a 3-0 lead midway through the first half). She then became the first Notre Dame women’s soccer player ever to score three overtime goals in her career, after taking a pass from classmate Amy Warner and scoring on a six-yard crossing shot into the right sidenetting for the 1-0 win at B.C. (with just 47 seconds left in the first OT). Guertin also has posted two OT assists in her three seasons with the Irish and already held the ND record for career overtime points (now 8).
Sunday’s score marked Guertin’s fourth gamewinning goal of the season (third-most among BIG EAST players) and was the 14th gamewinner of her career – good for seventh in ND history. Seven of Guertin’s GWGs have come in one-goal games, including the recent 1-0 win at then-#13 Michigan.
Guertin ranks second among all BIG EAST players with 10 assists in 2002, equaling her combined total from the previous two seasons. Her career totals now include 33 goals (seven in ’02) and 20 assists, in 64 games played.
She also was honored as BIG EAST player of the week exactly one year ago, after scoring twice in a 2-0 win at Yale and adding an overtime goal to beat Michigan (2-1). Her first career OT goal came at West Virginia in 2000 (2-1).
Guertin – who owns seven goals (3 GWGs) and one assist in 12 previous postseason games – and her teammates will be looking to continue their 2002 season when the 64-team NCAA Championship field is announced on Nov. 11. Notre Dame moved up to 17th in this week’s NSCAA coaches poll and remained second in the Great Lakes Region poll.
The Irish have faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2002, with seven opponents currently ranked in the NSCAA top 25: Portland (4), West Virginia (7), Connecticut (9), Santa Clara (11), Purdue (13), Michigan (21) and Maryland (23). Another 2002 Irish opponent – Brigham Young – received votes in this week’s NSCAA poll while four others (Hartford, Rutgers, Villanova and B.C.) previously were ranked in the NSCAA top 25. Notre Dame’s top wins in ’02 have come vs. UConn, Michigan, Maryland, Hartford, Rutgers and B.C. – with the Irish closing the regular season by winning four of their last five games.