June 6, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame head women’s soccer coach Randy Waldrum announced Wednesday that the Fighting Irish have finished assembling their incoming class for the fall of 2012 with the addition of two student-athletes who have chosen to continue their academic and athletic careers at Notre Dame.
Charlotte Anderson, a 5-7 defender (Pasadena, Calif./Mayfield Senior School/Wolfpack SC) and Riley McCurrie, a 5-4 midfielder/forward (Irvine, Calif./University HS/West Coast FC) have accepted offers of admission to Notre Dame and will be joining the Fighting Irish Class of 2012. Collectively, Top Drawer Soccer has ranked Notre Dame’s incoming 12-player class as the No. 1 incoming freshman group in the nation.
“We’re so pleased to welcome Charlotte and Riley to our program,” Waldrum said. “They are both going to really complement the rest of our incoming class, and as a group, I think this freshman class has a great opportunity to come in and make a significant impact very early on. We’re looking forward to having them join a solid returning core group of veterans when they get to campus later this summer.”
Three-time national champion Notre Dame returns six starters and 10 monogram winners from last year’s squad that posted a 10-8-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the 19th consecutive season. Led by Waldrum (who also heads up the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team program), 2011 all-BIG EAST Conference midfielder Mandy Laddish (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Lee’s Summit), 2010 all-conference midfielder Elizabeth Tucker (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) and 2011 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team forward Lauren Bohaboy (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita), the Fighting Irish will kick off their silver anniversary season at 1 p.m. (ET) Aug. 10 with an exhibition against Virginia at the Notre Dame Practice Field (located on Twyckenham Drive, south of old Alumni Field), followed two days later by a 1 p.m. (ET) exhibition with Baylor, also at the ND Practice Field — admission for both preseason matches is free.
Notre Dame begins the 2012 regular season at 7 p.m. (CT) Aug, 17 at Wisconsin, with another road match one week later at Tulsa (7:30 p.m. CT). The Fighting Irish then return to Alumni Stadium for their home opener at 1 p.m. (ET) Aug. 26 against East Carolina, before playing host to the 20th annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational the following weekend — the tournament features Notre Dame squaring off with two other perennial powers in Santa Clara (7:30 p.m. ET, Aug. 31) and North Carolina (1:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 2).
Tickets for the 2012 Notre Dame women’s soccer season soon will go on sale at Notre Dame’s Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone (574-631-7356), in person through the ticket windows in the Rosenthal Atrium at Purcell Pavilion (located inside Gate 9) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) weekdays, or by going on-line to the tickets page of the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.UND.com/tickets).
For more information on the Notre Dame women’s soccer program, join the Fighting Irish women’s soccer news Twitter page (@NDsoccernews) or sign up for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the “Fan Center” pulldown menu on the main page at UND.com.
A capsule look at the newest additions to the Notre Dame women’s soccer program follows:
CHARLOTTE ANDERSON, 5-7, Defender (Pasadena, Calif./Mayfield Senior School/Wolfpack SC)
Club Team: Multi-year team captain for southern California powerhouse Wolfpack SC under head coach Glenn Strachan … helped team to CalSouth National Cup quarterfinals in 2011 and round of 16 in 2012 … led team defense throughout fall run to third place in Coast Soccer League’s top division (Premier U17) in 2011 … team also was finalist in 2012 Las Vegas Players Showcase U17 bracket … spent time as center back with ECNL Irvine Strikers (Irvine, Calif.) in 2010, with team finishing as a finalist in their U16 bracket during the ECNL Final Four Showcase in Raleigh, N.C. (not far from WakeMed Soccer Park, where Notre Dame won the NCAA title that season).
High School: On track to graduate from Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, Calif., this spring at the top of her class with a 4.6 weighted GPA … team captain in 2011 under head coach Louis Hunt … three-time all Prep-League from 2010-12 … team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 … paced Cubs to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division III playoffs in 2010 and 2011 … also lettered in cross country and badminton while at Mayfield … in 2009, set junior varsity course record at Prep League Cross Country Championships with three-mile time of 20:36 … in 2009, was part of league-champion 4×400-meter relay team. Personal Data: Full name is Charlotte Rose Anderson … daughter of Elizabeth and Paul Anderson … Paul is a 1986 graduate of Notre Dame and was a member of the tennis team in 1982-83 … older brother, Henry, will be a sophomore at Dartmouth College this fall, and is a former Valedictorian at Loyola High School in Los Angeles … first National Merit Finalist and Glynn Family Scholar from her school to suit up for the Fighting Irish … also named an AP Scholar … four-year member of the National Honor Society, serving as Mayfield’s chapter vice-president in 2011-12 … co-editor-in-chief of the Mayfield student newspaper in 2011-12 … awarded Mayfield’s top incoming student academic scholarship, the Holy Child Scholarship … awarded Valerie Norton Nora Scholarship as Mayfield’s top senior in 2011-12 … named state finalist in the Wendy’s 2012 High School Heisman competition.
Did You Know?: Enjoys playing the piano … has climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park … six-year National Charity League member, volunteering at the Pasadena Museum of History and Villa Esperanza, a local service provider for children with disabilities … was accepted to nine colleges, eventually choosing Notre Dame over two Ivy League institutions.
Waldrum on Anderson…
“Charlotte is a player we’ve been looking at for a while now. She brings some added dimensions to our defense, including her intelligence in reading the game. Charlotte is most comfortable in the center back position, and will be a great addition to our program. Charlotte’s father also attended Notre Dame, and she has those bloodlines in her as well. I’m looking forward to getting the chance to work with both Charlotte and Riley as they continue their careers here at Notre Dame.”
RILEY McCURRIE, 5-4, Midfielder/Forward (Irvine, Calif./University High School/West Coast FC)
Club Team: Played club soccer with West Coast FC this past season, following seven years with another southern California club program (Irvine Strikers) … spent final season with Irvine Strikers playing up with U18 squad.
High School: Will graduate from University High School in Irvine, Calif., this spring … lettered as a freshman in both soccer and track & field before electing to continue her soccer career exclusively at the club level.
Personal Data: Full name is Riley Marie McCurrie … daughter of Donna and Dan … has older brother, Connor (currently a junior at Notre Dame, living in Zahm Hall), as well as younger brothers Mel and Ray, and younger sister Edy … plans to study English and studio art at Notre Dame.
Did You Know?: Has three cousins attending Notre Dame and living in Keough Hall, including one (Robert McCurrie) who is completing his freshman season as a jumper on the school’s track & field team … father, Dan, and uncles, Brad and Brian all played soccer and graduated from Notre Dame, playing during the program’s infancy (1977-82) under its first head coach Rich Hunter … father scored 11 goals and added 15 assists from 1977-80, serving as team captain his final two seasons (1979 and 1980) … father also is a “Double Domer”, having earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1984 … enjoys surfing, art, and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Waldrum on McCurrie…
“I am excited to have Riley join our program as she brings some versatility to our team. She can play as a forward or in the midfield, and will add some much needed depth to our front line. Like Charlotte, Riley also comes from a family of Notre Dame alums, and she certainly understands Notre Dame and all we stand for. I think she’ll be a great addition to our program.”
2012 NOTRE DAME WOMEN'S SOCCER INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASSNAME POS. HT. HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL/CLUBCharlotte Anderson D 5-7 Pasadena, Calif./Mayfield Senior School/Wolfpack SCStephanie Campo D 5-7 Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge HS/PDAAnna Maria Gilbertson F 5-8 Davis, Calif./Davis HS/Davis LegacyElyse Hight GK 6-0 Edmond, Okla./Bishop McGuinness HS/Oklahoma FCRiley McCurrie M/F 5-4 Irvine, Calif./University HS/West Coast FCKatie Naughton D 5-10 Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove HS/Sockers FC ChicagoCari Roccaro F/M/D 5-7 East Islip, N.Y./East Islip HS/Albertson SCMary Schwappach M/F 5-10 Denver, Colo./Mullen HS/Colorado RushCrystal Thomas F 5-3 Elgin, Ill./Wheaton Academy/Sockers FC ChicagoBrittany Von Rueden D 5-11 Mequon, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels HS/FC MilwaukeeNaomi Willett GK 5-7 San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente HS/So Cal BluesGlory Williams M 5-8 Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS/Sting Dallas
— ND —