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Sept. 8, 2003
Notre Dame freshman midfielder Jen Buczkowski (Elk Grove, Ill.) – who totaled two goals and three assists en route to offensive MVP honors at last week’s Notre Dame Classic – has been named the BIG EAST women’s soccer rookie the week while the Irish (4-0-0) have moved up to second in the Soccer America national poll and third in the NSCAA coaches poll.
Buczkowski is one of several freshmen who have made an immediate impact on the Notre Dame squad, running the offense with the poise of a veteran as the Irish cope with the absence of injured senior Randi Scheller. Her playmaking skills were in full view during Friday’s 3-1 win over 13th-ranked Arizona State, with her pair of well-placed long balls setting up goals by Mary Boland and Amy Warner.
Two days later, Buczkowski scored early to open the scoring in a 5-1 win over Oklahoma before her crisp entry pass to Amy Warner led to Amanda Guertin’s tap-in for the 2-0 lead over the Sooners. Buczkowski scored her second goal later in the half, on a looping far-post pass from classmate Lizzie Reed.
Buczkowski currently is one of the top players on the U.S. Under-19 National Team and was rated by Soccer America as the nation’s sixth-best freshman for the 2003 season (second among midfielders).
North Carolina (4-0-0) remains in the top spot of the national polls while the NSCAA coaches poll lists Santa Clara (2-0-2) second in its poll, just ahead of the Irish.
Notre Dame now has been ranked in the top three of the NSCAA poll during 10 of the last 11 years (all but 2002), rising to first or second in nine different seasons (’93-’00, ’03) while earning the No. 1 ranking in 1994, ’95, ’96 and ’00.
Soccer America Top-25 Poll (Sept. 8, 2003)
Team Record Previous
1. North Carolina 4-0-0 1
2. NOTRE DAME 4-0-0 5
3. Santa Clara 1-0-1 4
4. UCLA 2-0-2 3
5. Texas 3-1-0 7
6. Florida 4-0-0 8
7. Pepperdine 3-1-0 11
8. West Virginia 3-1-0 10
9. Portland 3-1-0 15
10. Penn State 3-1-0 14
11. Arizona State 3-1-0 13
12. Duke 2-0-0 24
13. Tennessee 3-1-0 9
14. California 1-0-2 25
15. Texas A&M 3-0-0 16
16. Stanford 1-2-0 2
17. Virginia 2-1-1 6
18. Connecticut 2-0-1 20
19. Clemson 3-1-0 19
20. Duke 3-0-1 12
21. Villanova 4-0-0 23
22. Auburn 3-0-0 24
23. USC 2-1-1 22
24. Utah 3-1-0 NR
25. Washington 2-1-1 17
NSCAA Coaches Top-25 Poll (Sept. 8, 2003)
Team Record Previous
1. North Carolina 4-0-0 1
2. Santa Clara 2-0-2 3
3. NOTRE DAME 4-0-0 5
4. UCLA 2-0-2 2
5. Texas A&M 3-0-0 6
6. Florida 4-0-0 7
7. Penn State 3-1-0 13
8. Connecticut 2-0-1 12
9. Pepperdine 3-1-0 22
10. Duke 3-0-1 10
11. Texas 3-1-0 21
12. West Virginia 3-1-0 17
13. California 1-0-2 25
14. Kentucky 2-1-1 NR
15. Ohio State 3-0-0 NR
16. Colorado 2-1-0 NR
17. Portland 3-1-0 18
18. Virginia 2-1-1 8
19. Clemson 3-1-0 20
20. Boston College 4-0-0 22
21. Denver 2-1-0 9
22. Dayton 3-0-0 NR
23. USC 2-1-1 15
24. Washington 2-1-1 10
25. Missouri 4-0-0 NR
Also receiving votes: Syracuse, Nebraska, Stanford, Tennessee, SMU