November 1, 1998
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team has earned the seventh seed in the 1998 BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship. The Irish, who have an overall record of 9-5-3 and finished league play with a 5-4-2 mark, will face second-seeded St. John’s (10-4-3, 8-2-1) in Jamaica, N.Y. on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. The Red Storm are ranked ninth nationally.
This is the third consecutive year that the Irish have qualified for the BIG EAST Championship since joining the league in 1995. Notre Dame did not qualify in its first season, but in 1996, the Irish claimed their first-ever title. Last year, Coach Mike Berticelli’s squad advanced to the semifinals after defeating Seton Hall 2-0 in the quarterfinals. The Irish were eliminated from the tournament by St. John’s after dropping a 4-1 decision to the Red Storm.
St. John’s leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-0-2. During the ’98 regular season, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Notre Dame. The Irish have played twice in Jamaica, losing 6-0 in ’95 and 1-0 in ’96.
Eight of the 12 league teams which play men’s soccer qualify for the tournament. Quarterfinal matchups are played at the campus sites of the four highest seeds. The two semifinal games and championship contest will be played November 13 and 15 at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.
1998 BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship Schedule
Quarterfinals – at campus sites of higher seeded team
Saturday, November 7
No. 8 West Virginia at No. 1 Connecticut, Noon
No. 6 Seton Hall at No. 3 Rutgers, 7:00 p.m.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 2 St. John’s, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 8
No. 5 Providence at No. 4 Georgetown, 1:00 p.m.
Semifinals & Final — at Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.
Friday, November 13 – semifinal doubleheader*
No. 2/No. 7 winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 winner
No. 1/No. 8 winner vs. No. 4/No. 5 winner
* Semifinal doubleheader begins at 6:00 p.m. with the second game to begin no earlier than 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 — Championship Final
Semifinal winners, Noon