Oct. 24, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the second time this season (and fourth time in her career), Notre Dame senior forward Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas/Berkner) has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. In addition, Henderson was named to the Top Drawer Soccer and Our Game Magazine national teams of the week, according to releases by those media outlets on Monday.
Henderson turned in one of the top single-match performances in the 24-year history of the Notre Dame women’s soccer program during last Friday’s 5-1 Senior Night victory over DePaul at Alumni Stadium. The All-America striker and Hermann Trophy candidate tied a school record with four goals in the match (including two in a 58-second span midway through the second half) on the way to tying no fewer than seven school records. Henderson also became the first BIG EAST player in more than 13 years to score four goals in a regular-season conference match, a feat last accomplished on Oct. 16, 1998, by former Seton Hall All-American and England National Team star Kelly Smith in a win over Pittsburgh.
Henderson’s four-goal outburst was the second of her career (she also did so on Nov. 15, 2009, in a win over Central Michigan at Alumni Stadium), joining Monica Gerardo as the only Fighting Irish player ever to record multiple four-goal matches. In addition, Henderson netted her sixth career hat trick and 23rd career match-winning goal, tying school records in those categories.
In BIG EAST play, Henderson has three of the conference’s six hat tricks this year, and is the only player to post more than one hat trick this season. What’s more, she had two of the BIG EAST’s three hat tricks during conference action, and is one of only two BIG EAST players to score four goals in any match this season. Henderson now leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in both goals (17) and points (41), while her four goals last Friday also secured her second consecutive BIG EAST goal and point scoring titles in conference regular-season play (she finished with 10 goals and four assists in the 11-match league slate).
Henderson is the third Notre Dame player this season to earn a place on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week — she herself was chosen back on Sept. 5, while freshman forward Lauren Bohaboy (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita) copped the honor on Oct. 3. It’s also the eighth time in Henderson’s career that she has been recognized with a weekly honor by Top Drawer Soccer, having garnered at least one TDS National Team of the Week accolade during each of her four seasons.
Henderson also makes the Our Game Magazine national squad for the second time this year, following her Sept. 5 selection. Bohaboy also was chosen for that publication’s weekly national team on Oct. 3, as was senior midfielder Jessica Schuveiller (Plano, Texas/Plano West).
With last weekend’s performance, Henderson moved up to fifth place in school history with 69 career goals, and 10th in the Fighting Irish record books with 163 career points (69G-25A).
Notre Dame kicks off postseason play at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT Sunday when it visits No. 5/10 Marquette for a quarterfinal match in the BIG EAST Championship. Live stats from that contest will be provided on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.UND.com).
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.
— ND —