Sept. 29, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format, recommended for easy reading and enhanced side bar information
Download Free Acrobat Reader
#23/14 Notre Dame vs. #9/11 Boston College, Friday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.
#23/14 Notre Dame vs. Loyola Chicago, Sunday, Oct. 3, 3:30 p.m.
Irish begin weekend with second straight matchup against the BIG EAST first-place team:
The University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team (5-2-1, 2-1-0 BIG EAST), ranked as high as 14th in the nation, returns to the friendly confines of Alumni Field for a key matchup with #9/11 Boston College (6-1-0, 3-1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1. The match with the Eagles will be the second straight for the Irish against the BIG EAST Conference first-place team, as Notre Dame defeated Villanova 1-0 on Sunday, Sept. 26, to issue the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
Notre Dame will finish off the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 3, in a non-conference matchup with Loyola Chicago (1-6-1) at 3:30 p.m.
Live coverage of Irish men’s soccer:
Notre Dame men’s soccer fans looking to keep track of the action this weekend and are unable make the trip to Alumni Field have two options for monitoring the action. Both live statistics, via College Sports Online’s `Gametracker’ and live audio coverage for Irish Sports Pass subscribers are available.
The Gametracker and live audio coverage can be access on the right side of the front page of www.und.com.
The last time…
Notre Dame faced Boston College was during the 2002 season, as the teams were not scheduled to face each other during the `03 conference schedule … the Irish posted a 1-0 overtime victory in the `02 meeting at Chestnut Hill … the last meeting with Loyola Chicago occurred in 2002 as well, a 1-0 victory for Notre Dame at Alumni Field.
What you need to know about Notre Dame this weekend:
• Notre Dame is looking to defeat the first-place team in the BIG EAST for the second straight match (the Irish defeated Villanova 1-0 on Sunday, Sept. 26).
• Notre Dame has started 2-1-0 in the BIG EAST Conference for the third consecutive season. The Irish posted a tie (vs. #19 Rutgers 1-1 in `02 and vs. Syracuse 1-1 in `03) in their next conference game in both previous instances.
• The Irish have welcomed back one of their injured players, as senior preseason All-American Kevin Goldthwaite was back in the lineup for Notre Dame’s match at Villanova.
Boston College team overview and series history:
Notre Dame and Boston College will be meeting for the 10th time on Friday … the Irish lead the all-time series 6-3-0 … Notre Dame is 3-1 against Boston College at Alumni Field … the first meeting in the series occurred in Dayton, Ohio, in 1987 (a 5-0 Notre Dame victory) … Boston College is 6-1-0 on the season and 3-1-0 in the BIG EAST Conference (good for first place) … BC had three players earn conference honors this past week, as D Guy Melamed was named conference defensive player of the week, GK Issey Maholo was named the goalkeeper of the week and F Charlie Davis was named the rookie of the week … Davies leads the team with five goals this season (along with two assists) and has posted 12 points so far in `04 … Pat Haggerty has scored two goals for the Eagles … Maholo is 6-1-0 with four shutouts this season and a 0.57 goals-against average.
Loyola Chicago team overview and series history:
Notre Dame and Loyola Chicago, who were once conference rivals in the MCC (now called the Horizon League), will be meeting for the 19th time on Sunday … the Irish lead the all-time series 13-3-2, including a 1-0 victory in 2002 at Alumni Field … the Ramblers are 1-5-1 this season … six different players have scored goals for Loyola Chicago, led by Joe Nierzwicki’s three scores.
Justin McGeeney named BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Week:
Sophomore forward Justin McGeeney was named co-BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 27, after scoring the lone goal in #9 Notre Dame’s 1-0 victory over Villanova. McGeeney shares the award with West Virginia’s Jerrod Smith, who scored the lone goal in the Mountaineer’s win over Notre Dame on Thursday, Sept. 23.
McGeeney intercepted a missed clear by Villanova less than a minute into the second half. He controlled the ball, dribbled three times and drilled a low shot into the net for this team-high third goal of the season.
The Irish defense made sure the goal held up and Notre Dame knocked off the first-place team in the league and dealt #21 Villanova its first loss of the 2004 season.
The weekly award is the first of McGeeney’s career and second for the Notre Dame team this season. Jack Stewart was named the league defensive player of the week on Monday, Sept. 6.
One of two injured defenders returns to the lineup:
Notre Dame received a bit of a lift on Sunday, Sept. 26, when preseason All-American Kevin Goldthwaite returned to the lineup full time after missing the first seven matches of the season with a knee injury. Goldthwaite, who was kept company on the sidelines by junior Dale Rellas (also projected as a starter in the Irish defense), played all but five minutes of the game with Villanova and helped the Irish post their third shutout of the season.
Notre Dame dominating statistically:
Notre Dame has dominated its opponents on the final boxscore so far in `04, but have faced some instances of struggling to get the ball in the back of the net. Notre Dame struggled scoring goals early in the `03 season as well, putting up just seven goals in the team’s first seven games.
Glancing over the season statistics, Notre Dame has close to a 3-1 ratio of shots vs. its opponents (152 – 55) and is averaging almost twice as many goals a contest (1.34 vs. 0.73). The Irish are averaging 19.0 shots per game compared to just 6.9 for their opponents and they have drawn 54 corner kicks compared to 21 for their opponents.
Irish poll watch:
Notre Dame debuted in both the adidas/NSCAA and Soccer America polls at #9. The ninth-ranking was the highest preseason ranking for Notre Dame men’s soccer in the adidas/NSCAA poll (the Irish were ranked third in the preseason last year by Soccer America).
This week the Irish are 14th in the Soccer America poll and 23rd in the NSCAA rankings.
Two other national polls have been updated as well, with the Irish #18 in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 and #21 in the College Soccer News.com listing.
Notre Dame reached as high as third in both the adidas/NSCAA and Soccer America polls last season – the highest ranking in the program’s history.
Two Irish players earn Soccer America honors:
Notre Dame’s strong start to the 2004 season has been noticed by one of the nation’s top soccer publications. Soccer America named senior Kevin Goldthwaite (currently sidelined with an injury) to its preseason All-America team. Soccer America also named senior Jack Stewart to its Team of the Week on Thursday, Sept. 9.
Goldthwaite injured his knee in practice before Notre Dame’s first regular season contests and recently returned to the lineup full time at Villanova on Sept. 26. Stewart scored two goals during Notre Dame’s first weekend of competition, helping the Irish win their first two games of the season since 1999.
Snapshot of the Irish:
On paper, the Irish will be challenged to replace 35 of 38 goals scored last season. On the field, Notre Dame will boast a quick and talented midfield, a strong defense and one of the best goalkeepers in the nation for the 2004 season.
The Irish attack will be keyed by an athletic midfield, featuring three sophomores in Greg Dalby (1 A), Nate Norman (1 G, 1 A) and Ian Etherington (2 A) and senior Luke Boughen (1 A). All four have the ability to move up and score goals, while also setting up forwards Justin McGeeney (3 G) and Tony Megna (1 G).
The defense will be a strength across the board with All-American Jack Stewart (2 G) and junior Dale Rellas (who missed the `03 season after starting each game as a rookie) in the middle. Rellas has been sidelined with a foot injury and senior Christopher High has filled in well, scoring his first career goal against Evansville. Ryan Miller will step in at rightback, while Kevin Goldthwaite will patrol the left side. Goldthwaite, one of the best in the country at his position, missed the first seven games of the season after suffering an injury in practice. Goldthwaite returned to the lineup full time at Villanova on Sept. 26. Junior Ben Crouse stepped in and played very well in Goldthwaite’s left back position.
Behind Notre Dame’s talented defense is GK Chris Sawyer (16 saves, three shutouts), the BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and one of the most talented goal stops in the nation.
Notre Dame also has received a big boost from its freshmen class. Alex Yoshinaga (2 G, 1 A) is second on the team with five points this season, while Joe Lapira scored his first career goal in game-winning style vs. Georgetown. Sophomore Brian Murphy, who did not play during his freshman season, has been highly active in the front of the Notre Dame offense and has contributed two assists so far in 2004.
Sawyer and Stewart named to the 2004 Hermann Trophy watch list:
Two Notre Dame men’s soccer players have been named to the 2004 Hermann Trophy Watch List, the most prestigious honor in intercollegiate soccer. Senior goalkeeper Chris Sawyer and senior central defender Jack Stewart joined 23 other players from across the country to be considered among the top talents in the nation and ones to watch for outstanding play during the ’04 season.
Sawyer and Stewart were two of four BIG EAST Conference players on the list, joining St. John’s Matt Groenwald and Boston College’s Guy Melamed. With two players on the watch list, Notre Dame joins defending national champion Indiana, North Carolina and UCLA as the only four teams in the nation to have two players on the Hermann list. Sawyer and Stewart also become the first Notre Dame players in school history to be named to the men’s Hermann Watch List.
Sawyer matched the school record for shutouts last season with 12, including an impressive three straight in the BIG EAST Championship, helping the Irish secure the program’s first conference title since 1996. Sawyer was named the BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player after the tournament, a trophy that fit well next to his BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Compiling a 485-minute scoreless minute streak early in the 2003 season, Sawyer eventually played all but 10 minutes of Notre Dame’s matches last season. He held Notre Dame’s opponents to one or zero goals in 20 of 23 matches. Sawyer was also named the 2004 Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year.
Playing just a few yards in front of Sawyer last year, Stewart anchored the Irish defense as a central defender and will continue in that role for 2004. Known throughout collegiate soccer as one of the best defenders in the nation, Stewart excels in the air and is one of the most physical and intense players on the team. The Torrance, Calif., native has moved up from his defensive position to score two goals and dish off two assists in his career.
A list of 15 semifinalists will be announced in November, with three finalists selected in early December. A winner will be announced at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 8, 2005.
Preseason All-America honors:
Notre Dame has landed two preseason All-America honors by College Soccer News.com. The website named GK Chris Sawyer to its preseason All-America first team, while D Jack Stewart was named to the third team.
Notre Dame will face a challenging schedule once again in 2004:
Notre Dame is set to meet several ranked teams this season, including a match already played at #1/1 Indiana.
This week’s schedule features a big contest with #9/11 Boston College.
#13 Michigan will visit Alumni Field on Oct. 13 and regionally ranked Michigan State will appear at Alumni Field on Nov. 2.
The Irish will face their biggest challenge during the team’s traditional fall break trip through the BIG EAST Conference. Notre Dame will take on #11/13 St. John’s (Oct. 16), #21 Seton Hall (Oct. 20) and Rutgers (Oct. 23) on the road over a seven-day stretch. The Irish will then wrap up their BIG EAST schedule at home on Oct. 30 against Connecticut.
Notre Dame is 13-10-3 (.557) against ranked teams under Bobby Clark, including victories over #4 St. John’s (`03), #9 Virginia Tech (`03), #5 Connecticut (`02), #6 Seton Hall (`02), #7 Furman (`02), #6 Indiana (`01) and #21 Villanova last Sunday.
Bobby Clark quick biography:
Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark is in his fourth season at Notre Dame. He has led the Irish to at least 12 wins each season and the 2003 BIG EAST Championship. Overall, he is 45-18-8 at Notre Dame (.690) and helped the Irish qualify for the NCAA Championship tournament for an unprecedented third-straight season in `03.
Winning has been synonymous with Clark’s teams where ever he has coached. His Dartmouth teams (1985-93) posted an 82-42-13 (.646) record over nine years and three Ivy League Championships. At Stanford, Clark put up an 82-42-13 (.646) mark in nine years and finished second in the NCAA Championship in 1998.
Overall, Clark has compiled a 198-81-33 collegiate record (.688) and has landed seven teams in the final national rankings.
The Irish established their motto of `Making History’ early in the 2003 season and that goal was achieved in remarkable fashion. Notre Dame earned its highest-ever preseason ranking in 2003 (third in the Soccer America ranking) and highest-ever in-season ranking in both major polls (third in both polls). Notre Dame also earned its first-ever bye in the NCAA Championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the third-straight season – another unprecedented achievement.
Please see p. 12-15 of the 2003 Notre Dame men’s soccer media guide for a more detailed historical biography on Clark.
Keep up with the Irish via the Notre Dame hotline:
The Notre Dame athletic department hotline has realigned its menu offerings for the 2004 fall sports season.
The hotline provides schedule and results information for varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the live coverage and game recaps already provided on the official athletic website at www.und.com.
Here’s how the hotline is aligned (as of Aug. 28):
*Dial (574) 631-3000
*Select any of the following subgroups:
(1) Upcoming schedule and recent results of ALL varsity sports currently in action (select cells 3-9 for the most updated results for specific sports).
(2) 2004 Football schedule.
(3) Basketball information (then press 1 for men’s basketball and 2 for women’s basketball)
(4) Soccer information (then press 1 for men’s soccer and 2 for women’s soccer).
(5) Women’s volleyball (press 1) and men’s ice hockey (press 2) information.
(6) Men’s and women’s cross country information.
(7) Men’s and women’s swimming and diving information (then press 1 for men’s swimming and 2 for women’s swimming).
(8) Tennis information (then press 1 for men’s tennis and 2 for women’s tennis) and men’s and women’s fencing information (press 3).
(9) Women’s golf (press 1), men’s golf (press 2) and women’s rowing (press 3) information.