Senior midfielder Chris Sutton and the Fighting Irish will look to defend their Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament title this weekend.

Irish Host 10th Annual Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament This Weekend

Sept. 8, 2011

Notre Dame Game NotesGet Acrobat Reader

2011 Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament
Alumni Stadium – Notre Dame, Ind.

Tournament Page

DENVER (0-1-1)
vs.
#14 NOTRE DAME (1-1-1)
Friday, Sept. 9 – 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Live Video Broadcast:
– UND.com (Free)
Live Stats:
– Gametracker on UND.com
Updates:
– Twitter.com/und_com
– Irish Alert! text messaging (sign up on UND.com)
In-game Blog:
– UND.com/blog

BUCKNELL (2-1-0)
vs.
#14 NOTRE DAME (1-1-1)
Sunday, Sept. 11 – 2:00 p.m. (ET)

Live Video Broadcast:
– UND.com (Free)
Live Stats:
– Gametracker on UND.com
Updates:
– Twitter.com/und_com
– Irish Alert! text messaging (sign up on UND.com)
In-game Blog:
– UND.com/blog

SETTING THE STAGE
– Notre Dame will play host to the 10th annual Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament this weekend at Alumni Stadium. Indiana and Bucknell will get things underway at 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, while the Irish will face Denver in the nightcap (7:30 p.m.). Indiana and Denver will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and the Notre Dame-Bucknell match will wrap things up at 2:00 p.m. – Live stats via Gametracker on UND.com will be available for all four games. Both Notre Dame matches will feature a free live video broadcast and in-game blog on UND.com. Fans can also sign up for `Irish Alert’ on UND.com to receive text message score updates. Updates and results can also be found on Twitter at UND_com.

IRISH ITEMS
– Notre Dame (1-1-1) posted a 1-1 record last weekend at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. The Fighting Irish finished the tournament in third place. Notre Dame is 9-11-4 in 12 trips to the Indiana Classic. – The Irish opened the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic with a 4-1 win over Dayton. Junior forward Ryan Finley, a transfer from Duke, scored two goals in the victory. It was Finley’s seventh career multiple-goal game. Sophomore forward Harrison Shipp gave the Irish a 1-0 lead with just eight seconds left in the first half by notching his first career goal. Junior midfielder Dillon Powers also scored against the Flyers. It was Notre Dame’s first four-goal output since a 4-1 victory over Marquette last season. – Finley gave the Irish a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute in an eventual 2-1 double-overtime loss to Saint Louis during the tournament’s second day. Finley received a red card in the 57th minute of the Saint Louis match and he will not be able to play against Denver on Friday. – Finley leads the Irish in goals (3) and points (6). Shipp and Adam Mena, a senior midfielder, both have a team-best one assist. – Senior Will Walsh has played every minute in goal so far this season. He has one shutout and boasts a 0.89 goals-against average to go along with a .750 save percentage. He has five clean sheets in 10 career starts.

A BIT ON `BERT’
– This will mark the 10th year in which the Fighting Irish have hosted a tournament in honor of their former head coach Mike Berticelli. Berticelli coached the Irish from 1990-99 before passing away suddenly in January of 2000. – Berticelli posted a 104-80-19 record during his 10-year stint at Notre Dame. He led the Irish to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1993, 1994, 1996), including the program’s first NCAA win in 1996. Berticelli guided Notre Dame to one Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) regular-season title (1993) and two MCC Tournament crowns (1993 & 1994). He also steered Notre Dame to its first BIG EAST Tournament title in 1996.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
– Notre Dame is 12-2-4 all-time in the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament. The Irish are the defending tournament champion. Notre Dame took down Drake (2-0) and Cal Poly (5-1) en route to the 2010 title, which was the fourth time the Irish won the event. Notre Dame also won the 2003, 2005 and 2008 tournaments. – This year marks the ninth time that Indiana has participated in the tournament. Just like the Irish, the Hoosiers also have won the event four times (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009). – Bradley won the inaugural Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament in 2002.
Year-Order of Finish
2010-Notre Dame, Cal Poly, Indiana, Drake
2009-Indiana, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Seattle
2008-Notre Dame, Dartmouth, Indiana, South Florida
2007-Indiana, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois, Rhode Island
2006-Indiana, UAB, Notre Dame, Creighton
2005-Notre Dame, Indiana, Saint Louis, Boston University
2004-Indiana, Notre Dame, Cal State Fullerton, Evansville
2003-Notre Dame, Akron, Fresno State, Indiana
2002-Bradley, Notre Dame, Furman, Cornell

FINLEY ON WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
– Junior forward Ryan Finley was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor for his efforts at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. Finley scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Dayton in addition to tallying Notre Dame’s lone goal in a 2-1 double-overtime setback to Saint Louis. – Finley’s two-goal game against Dayton marked the seventh multiple-goal match of his career. – Finley became the second Notre Dame player selected to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season. Senior goalkeeper Will Walsh earned the honor after making five saves and holding Indiana scoreless in a 0-0 draw in the season opener.

CLARK ON THE CUSP
– The 4-1 win over Dayton last Friday tied Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark with Rich Hunter for the most victories in program history. Clark, who is in his 11th season with the Fighting Irish, has a 128-60-31 record at Notre Dame. Hunter was Notre Dame’s first varsity head coach and steered the Irish to a 128-32-8 mark from 1977-83.

FIRST TIMERS
– This weekend will mark the first time Notre Dame has ever faced Denver or Bucknell.

A LOOK AT THE PIONEERS
– Denver will bring a 0-1-1 record into Friday’s match against Notre Dame. The Pioneers opened the season with a 1-0 loss to Creighton before playing Davidson to a scoreless draw. Both matches were played at Denver. – Freshman Oliver Brown has played every minute in goal and has a 0.45 goals-against average and a .800 save percentage. – The Pioneers went 9-7-4 last season, which included a 6-2-2 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Denver fell to UC Santa Barbara 1-0 in double-overtime in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers returned eight starters and 17 letterwinners from last season’s squad. – Head coach Bobby Muuss is in his sixth season at the helm of the Pioneer program. He boasts a 34-29-15 record at Denver.

A LOOK AT THE BISON
– Bucknell will carry a 2-1-0 record into this weekend’s play. The Bison fell to Binghamton, 3-1, in the season opener, but then captured wins over Saint Francis (Pa.), 4-1, and LaSalle, 2-1 in overtime. All three of those contests took place at Bucknell. – Sophomore defender Mayowa Alli has a team-high three goals, which includes the golden goal versus LaSalle. Senior midfielder Luke Joyner and junior forward Brendan Burgdorf both have a team-best two goals. Senior Tommy Caso has played the majority of minutes in goal and boasts a 2-0 record with a 1.20 goals-against average and a .700 save percentage. – Bucknell went 10-9-2 last season and fell at Penn, 1-0 in overtime, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bison were 3-2-2 in Patriot League play. They have won two straight Patriot League titles. – Head coach Brendan Nash is in his 14th season at Bucknell.

QUOTING CLARK
– Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark shares his thoughts on the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament … “These will be two very hard games for us. We’re focused on Denver first and we’ll have a better idea about Bucknell after we see them play Indiana on Friday. We’ve seen Denver play a few times and they are a very well organized team. These games will be a challenge for us, but every game on our schedule is a challenge.” “This tournament is a nice way to honor a very, very good coach who passed away before his time should have been up. He was a good friend to me and to soccer in the United States.”

UP NEXT
– Notre Dame will be part of a BIG EAST/Big Ten challenge next weekend. The Fighting Irish will play host to Michigan on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) before traveling up to East Lansing, Mich. to face Michigan State on Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET). Marquette will face Michigan State on Friday and Michigan on Sunday.

QUITE A CROWD
– A sellout crowd of over 3,000 fans attended Notre Dame’s season opener against Indiana on Aug. 27. That is a record attendance for a men’s contest at Alumni Stadium, which opened in 2009. It was Notre Dame’s largest crowd for a regular-season match since Sept. 22, 1995 when 3,339 fans came to see the Irish and Hoosiers at old Alumni Field.

FAMILIAR FACES
– Even though they only face each other once during the regular season, the Notre Dame and Indiana teams will probably have seen enough of each other after this weekend’s tournament is over. The Fighting Irish and Hoosiers opened the season against one another on Aug. 27 at Alumni Stadium and then Notre Dame took part in Indiana’s adidas/IU Credit Union Classic last weekend before the Hoosiers traveled back to South Bend for this weekend’s Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament. The Irish and Hoosiers did not face each other in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic and will not play this weekend.

TRIO OF IRISH PLAYERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Ryan Finley (Jr./F), Aaron Maund (Sr./D) and Dillon Powers (Jr./M) all have received preseason All-America honors. Finley and Maund copped the accolades from College Soccer News, while Maund and Powers were tabbed by Soccer America.

BIG EAST ELITE
– Notre Dame senior defender Aaron Maund along with junior midfielder Dillon Powers were named to the 2011 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team for men’s soccer in a vote by the league’s head coaches. The Irish duo was among 12 players named to the squad.

IRISH PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN DIVISION
– Notre Dame was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Blue Division, while Connecticut was tabbed to win the division. The Huskies received 10 first-place votes among the eight Blue Division squads, while the Irish garnered two. Louisville was picked to win the Red Division. The league’s 16 head coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS
– Since Bobby Clark took over the reins of the Notre Dame program in 2001, the Irish have won at least 10 matches during all 10 seasons of the Clark era. The Fighting Irish have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 10 seasons. That streak ranks in a tie for fifth nationally. – Notre Dame is the only team in the BIG EAST to finish in the top two of either division standings in each of the past four seasons. The Fighting Irish also are the only BIG EAST squad to qualify for the semifinals in each of the past four league tournaments.

KLAZURA A LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Greg Klazura is one of 30 candidates up for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the men’s soccer division. – To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. – Klazura returned to the Irish for a fifth season after turning down a chance to take part in the 2011 Major League Soccer draft combine. Klazura, one of three captains for the Irish this season, started all 20 games at left back during the 2010 campaign and tallied three points on one goal and one assist. He helped the Fighting Irish defense post six shutouts in 2010. – Klazura graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-professional studies (pre-med). He finished his undergraduate career with a 3.583 cumulative grade-point average. He currently is taking courses that emphasize service and or medicine to boost his resume for medical school. Klazura was named to the 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-Region first team. He also is a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star (2009 & 2010).

CAPTAINS
Greg Klazura (Sr./D), Aaron Maund (Sr./D) and Dillon Powers (Jr./M) will serve as first-time team captains for the Fighting Irish during the 2011 campaign.

ROOKIE RANKINGS
– Notre Dame’s 2011 freshman class was selected as the 14th best rookie class in the nation according to College Soccer News. The five-man class features four high school All-Americans. Comprising the class are: midfielder/defender Nick Besler (Overland Park, Kan.), forward Vince Cicciarelli (Peoria, Ill.), midfielder Robby Gallegos (Aptos, Calif.), midfielder/forward Max Lachowecki (Evansville, Ind.) and midfielder Brendan Lesch (Westport, Conn.).

A GREAT NIGHT FOR GRASSROOT
– Notre Dame held its annual exhibition game to benefit Grassroot Soccer on Aug. 22. A total of 2,444 fans packed into Alumni Stadium to watch the Irish play Creighton to a 2-2 draw. All of the proceeds from the match went to Grassroot Soccer, an international AIDS awareness and education organization that reaches youth in Africa through soccer clinics. Dr. Tommy Clark, the eldest son of Irish head coach Bobby Clark, is the founder and CEO of Grassroot Soccer. Notre Dame has held a match to benefit Grassroot Soccer in each of the past eight seasons.

FOLLOW THE IRISH ON UND.COM
– All 2011 Notre Dame home matches that are not televised can be seen live on UND.com. The streaming broadcasts are free of charge. Log on to UND.com to stay up to date on the Fighting Irish men’s soccer team throughout the 2011 campaign.

PURCHASE YOUR IRISH SOCCER TICKETS
– To purchase a season pass or single-game tickets for Fighting Irish soccer, call the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office at (574) 631-7356, visit the tickets page at the official Notre Dame athletics web site, UND.com (UND.com/tickets) or stop by the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office windows inside the new Rosenthal Atrium at Purcell Pavilion (entrance via Gate 9). Tickets also can be purchased at Alumni Stadium on gamedays. For group discount pricing information call Rita Baxter in the Notre Dame Ticket Office at (574) 631-4165.