Sept. 22, 2004
#17/9 Notre Dame at West Virginia, Thursday, Sept. 23, 7:00 p.m.
#17/9 Notre Dame at #21/25 Villanova, Sunday, Sept. 26, 12 noon
Irish focused for first BIG EAST road trip of the season:
The University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team (4-1-1, 1-0-0 BIG EAST), ranked as high as ninth in the nation, hits the road this weekend for its first BIG EAST Conference road trip of the season. The Irish will head to West Virginia (3-3-0, 0-2-0) on Thursday, Sept. 23, then head to Pennsylvania for a matchup with #21/25 Villanova (4-0-1, 2-0-0) on Sunday, Sept. 26 – the Wilcats are the first place team in the conference standings.
Notre Dame is coming off a solid 4-1 victory in its first BIG EAST Conference match of the season against Georgetown on Saturday, Sept. 18. Freshmen Alex Yoshinaga (twice) and Joe Lapira, along with junior Tony Megna, all posted their first career goals in the 4-1 victory.
Villanova will face a key game with Rutgers (2-2-2, 1-0-1) on Wednesday before its match with the Irish on Sunday.
The last time…
Notre Dame faced West Virginia was Sept. 21, 2003 at Alumni Field, a 1-0 victory for the Irish … Notre Dame’s last trip to Morgantown produced a 3-0 Irish win on Oct. 11, 2001 … the last time Notre Dame faced Villanova was Halloween 2003 (Oct. 31), a 2-0 victory at Alumni Field … the Irish posted a 5-0 victory in their last trip to Villanova, Pa., to face the Wildcats on Oct. 23, 2002.
What you need to know about Notre Dame this weekend:
•Notre Dame has the chance to post its best-ever opening to the BIG EAST schedule this year, as the team has never began the conference schedule with a 3-0 record.
• Notre Dame’s best start in the BIG EAST came in 1997, when the team tied Pittsburgh (0-0), then beat Providence and West Virginia by identical 3-0 scores to start 2-0-1. The Irish also began the 1996 BIG EAST slate undefeated with a 1-0-2 record.
•The visit to Morgantown, WV, for Notre Dame on Thursday is the first for the Irish since the 2001 season (Bobby Clark’s first season at ND).
• Notre Dame’s matchup with Villanova will be a key contest for early-season control of the conference standings, as the Wildcats are currently in first place.
West Virginia team overview and series history:
Notre Dame and West Virginia will be meeting for the ninth time on Thursday … the Irish lead the all-time series 6-2-0 … Notre Dame is 2-2-0 at West Virginia’s Mountaineer Soccer Complex, the last loss occurring in 1999 … West Virginia is 3-2-0 this season and 0-2-0 in the BIG EAST … their two losses came at the hands of St. John’s and former BIG EAST member Virginia Tech … Devon McTavish has paced the Mountaineer offense with four goals this season … Nick Noble will be the goalkeeper for WVU, boating a 1.01 goals-against average and 1-2-0 record.
Villanova team overview and series history:
Notre Dame and Villanova will be meeting for the 11th time on Sunday … the Irish lead the all-time series 8-2-0 … Villanova’s last win in the series came in 1996 at home … Notre Dame’s seven-match win streak against the Wildcats is the team’s longest against a BIG EAST opponent … Villanova is off to its best start (4-0-1) since it began BIG EAST competition in 1995 … seven different players have scored goals for Villanova this season, led by Danny DeMasters with three … Craig Bald has seen a majority of the playing time in goal, posting a 3-0-1 record and 10 saves … Villanova has defeated Providence and Boston College so far on its BIG EAST schedule.
Freshmen make an impact in first BIG EAST contest:
Two freshmen played a key role in Notre Dame’s BIG EAST opener victory over Georgetown last weekend. Rookie Alex Yoshinaga scored his first two career goals in the contest, evening up the game at 1-1, then putting Notre Dame ahead 3-1. Classmate Joe Lapira also logged his first career goal in game-winning fashion, putting the Irish ahead to stay 2-1 in the 4-1 victory.
Career firsts:
With the Irish graduating players who scored 35 of 38 team goals last season, it was inevitable that several players would be logging career firsts in 2004. Notre Dame players posted a bevy of career firsts against Georgetown in the team’s BIG EAST opener last weekend, including: Alex Yoshinaga’s first career goal, followed by his first career two-goal contest … Joe Lapira carded his first career goal in the game … junior Tony Megna also put his first career ball into the back of the net … sophomore Greg Dalby posted his first career assist in the game … sophomore Ian Etherington also posted a career first, his first two-assist game.
Notre Dame dominating statistically:
Notre Dame’s goal explosion against Georgetown last weekend should come as no surprise to those watching the Irish closely. The Irish have dominated their opponents on the final boxscore, but have initially had trouble putting 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 a 3-1 ratio of shots vs. its opponents (125 – 43) and is averaging twice as many goals a contest (1.60 vs. 0.80). The Irish are averaging 20.8 shots per game compared to just 7.2 for their opponents and they have drawn 47 corner kicks compared to 17 for the 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 ninth in the Soccer America poll and 17th in the NSCAA rankings.
Two other national polls have been updated as well, with the Irish #8 in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 and #18 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. He could return to the lineup sometime in the next two weeks. 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 (2 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, will miss a few games at the beginning of the season after suffering an injury in practice. Junior Ben Crouse has stepped in and played very well in Goldthwaite’s left back position.
Behind Notre Dame’s talented defense is GK Chris Sawyer (12 saves, two 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) leads the Irish 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.
#3/19 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 #5/6 St. John’s (Oct. 16), 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.
Boston College, ranked 12th in the nation, will also pay a visit to Alumni Field on Oct. 1. In addition, Villanova has appeared at #23 for this weekend’s match up with the Irish.
Notre Dame is 12-10-3 (.520) 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) and #6 Indiana (`01).
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 44-17-8 at Notre Dame (.696) 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 197-80-33 collegiate record (.689) 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.