Nov. 2, 2006

HARTFORD, Conn. – Eight Notre Dame women’s soccer players received all-BIG EAST Conference honors on Thursday night, at the annual BIG EAST Tournament banquet. Leading the way for the Irish were three of the major award winners, with sophomore forward Kerri Hanks repeating as offensive player of the year, sophomore center back Carrie Dew taking defensive player-of-the-year honors and freshman forward Michele Weissenhoher becoming the program’s sixth player to be named rookie of the year.

Each of the above three players was named first team all-BIG EAST, as was senior midfielder Jen Buczkowski. Notre Dame’s players on the second team included sophomore Brittany Bock and junior Amanda Cinalli (who each have split time this season at forward and midfielder) while senior left back Christie Shaner was named to the third team. Senior midfielder Jill Krivacek rounded out the Notre Dame selections, as an honorable mention all-BIG EAST pick.

Shaner joined an elite group of five all-time Notre Dame players who have been first team all-BIG EAST in each of their four seasons. Buczkowski and Cinalli each collected their third career all-BIG EAST honor while Hanks, Dew and Krivacek each were tabbed all-BIG EAST for the second time.

Dew and Krivacek recently joined Hanks and Buczkowski among the 33 players who currently are being considered for the prestigious M.A.C Hermann Trophy.

In other news Thursday, junior right back Ashley Jones (3.96 cumulative GPA, as an accounting major) was named to the CoSIDA third team Academic All-District V team and now advances to the official Academic All-America ballot for the second straight year. Shaner (3.47; design) and Buczkowski (3.45; marketing) each were named second team Academic All-District for the second time in their careers. Bock (3.45; business) and senior center back Kim Lorenzen (3.47; finance) rounded out ND’s five nominations for the CoSIDA academic honors.

Lorenzen, a four-year starter, once again was overlooked for all-BIG EAST honors, despite serving as Notre Dame’s solo team captain in 2006 and serving as the backbone of a defense that has allowed just five goals and 37 shots on goal in 19 games this season.

Here are additional notes on the ND award winners (note that updated bio. capsules of the recipients also will be added to this release on Friday, as will photos from the banquet when they become available):

OFFENSIVE MVP REPEATERS – The 12 years of the BIG EAST women’s soccer awards now have included five who have repeated as offensive player of the year (and only two other players who have received the award) … in addition to Hanks, the repeat honorees include: UConn’s Kerry Connors in 1995 and ’96; Seton Hall’s Kelly Smith in ’97 and ’98; WVU’s Katie Barnes in 2001 and ’01; and ND’s Katie Thorlakson in ’04 and ’05.

FRESHMAN HONORS – Weissenhofer is the 10th ND freshman to be named 1st team all-BIG EAST (five others also have been forwards), with others including: F Monica Gerardo (’95), M Jenny Streiffer (’96), D Jen Grubb (’96), M Anne Makinen (’97), F Meotis Erikson (’97), F Amy Warner (’00), D Candace Chapman (’01), Cinalli (’04, at F) and Hanks (’05).

BEST OF THE BEST – 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) … the 2006 ND honorees marked the sixth time that one team has taken home three major awards winners, including three other ND teams led by BIG EAST coach of the year Randy Waldrum: in 1999 (defensive player Grubb, rookie Vanessa Pruzinsky), in ’03 (defensive player Melissa Tancredi, rookie Shaner) and in ’04 (Thorlakson and Tancredi) … UConn’s 1995 team featured the BIG EAST coach (Len Tsantiris), offensive (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 Smith was named the league’s top rookie and offensive player of the year.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH? – Notre Dame is the only team ever to total eight or more all-BIG EAST selections in the same season, doing so six different times … ND’s 10 all-BIG EAST selections in 2005 is the most eve by one team, besting the nine from the ’96 Irish squad … the 1995, ’97, ’98 and ’06 ND teams each have featured eight all-BIG EAST honorees … West Virginia and UConn were second with five selections each on the 2006 all-BIG EAST teams, followed by Villanova with four and Louisville and Rutgers with three each (the four semifinalists accounted for 18 of the 34 total selections) … in addition to the three major award winners (all 1st team), ND’s other 2006 all-BIG EAST performers include 1st-team midfielder Buczkowski, 2nd-teamers Bock and Cinalli (who each have split time at F/M this season), 3rd-team D Shaner and honorable mention midfielder Krivacek … ND’s impressive 1996 roster included six all-BIG EAST 1st-teamers – senior M Cindy Daws, freshman D Grubb, junior M Holly Manthei, senior G Jen Renola, junior D Kate Sobrero, freshman M Streiffer – plus three more on the second team: sophomore M Shannon Boxx, sophomore F Gerardo and senior F Amy VanLaecke (there were no 3rd-team or honorable-mention picks in ’96).

FOUR-TIME HONOREES – Shaner is the fifth ND player to be named all-BIG EAST four times, earning 2nd team in 2003 and ’05 and 3rd team in ’04 and ’06 … 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) … F Amy Warner Warner was a 1st-teamer in ’00, ’02 and ’03 and a 2nd-team pick in ’01 while Chapman was 1st team in ’01, ’02 and ’05 (all at D), plus 3rd team in ’04 (as a F; she missed ’03 due to injury) … six ND players have been 1st team all-BIG EAST three-plus times: Manthei (’95-’97), Grubb, Makinen, Warner, Chapman and Buczkowski (’04-’06).

FORWARD TRIO – Hanks, Weissenhofer and Cinalli/Bock are the sixth trio of forwards from the same team to earn all-BIG EAST honors, including four 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, then Thorlakson, Chapman and Hanks in ’04, and most recently Thorlakson, Hanks and Cinalli in ’05 … Connecticut also produced three 1st-team forwards in 1995 (Jana Carabino, Connors and Christy Rowe).

ONE-TWO PUNCH – Hanks and Dew pulled off the offensive/defensive double that had been achieved just three times previously in the 12-year history of the BIG EAST women’s soccer awards (three straight by ND): by Connors and Whalen with the ’95 and ’96 UConn teams and then by Thorlakson and Tancredi in ’04 and Thorlakson and Chapman in ’05.

BIG EAST AWARD HISTORY – A total of 25 ND players now have combined for 46 first team all-BIG EAST honors since ’95, with that group including eight defenders combining for 15 first-team awards, four midfielders (12 awards), 10 forwards (16 awards) and four ‘keepers … Irish players now have combined to win eight of the past 10 BIG EAST defensive player-of-the-year awards … ND’s previous recipients include Sobrero (’97) and Grubb (’98, ’99), Chapman (’01, ’05) and Tancredi (’03, ’04) … previous ND freshmen to be named the BIG EAST rookie of the year include: Gerardo (’95), Streiffer (’96), Pruzinsky (’99), Shaner (’03) and Hanks (’05).

DYNAMIC DUO – Notre Dame produced a pair of 1st-team forwards for the fourth consecutive season (Thorlakson and Hanks in ’05; Thorlakson and Cinalli in ’04; Warner and Mary Boland in ’03).

REPEAT AFTER ME – ND’s eight honorees include seven who earned previous all-BIG EAST honors: Buczkowski (1st team in ’04 and ’05), Shaner (2nd team in ’03 and ’05; 3rd team in ’04), Cinalli (1st team in ’04, 2nd team in ’05), Hanks (1st team in ’05), Bock (2nd team in ’05), Krivacek (3rd team in ’04) and Dew (honorable mention in ’05).