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Monica Gonzalez Named Second Team All-America

Notre Dame fifth-year defender Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) has earned second team All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Gonzalez and Irish freshman defender Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario) also were named to the NSCAA first team All-Great Lakes Region squad while junior defender Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.) repeated as a second team All-Great Lakes selection and sophomore forward Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) again was a third team all-region pick.

Gonzalez was one of six BIG EAST Conference players among the 34 named the NSCAA three All-America teams, tying the Atlantic Coast Conference for the most All-Americans from one conference. Five different BIG EAST teams produced NSCAA All-Americans, two better than any other conference (the ACC, Pac-10 and Big-12 each had three schools with All-Americans).

Gonzalez is the 12th Notre Dame women’s soccer player to earn All-America honors and the third Irish defender to be so honored, joining Kate Sobrero (’95-’97) and Jen Grubb (’96-’99) in that distinction.

Chapman-who also has been tabbed one of 12 finalists for national freshman of the year, according to the Soccer Buzz women’s soccer website-becomes the 10th Notre Dame women’s soccer player to be named first team all-region as a freshman, with that group including Sobrero and Grubb, plus midfielders Ragen Coyne (’92), Cindy Daws (’93), Holly Manthei (’94), Jenny Streiffer (’96) and Anne Makinen (’97) and forwards Rosella Guerrero (’92) and Meotis Erikson (’97)

Gonzalez and Chapman combined with Pruzinsky as just the second trio of Notre Dame defenders to be named all-region in the same season (they also earlier became the first three defenders from the same team to be named first team all-BIG EAST), with Grubb and Sobrero (both first team) joined by third teamer Kelly Lindsey in 1998.

Pruzinsky and Gonzalez also this week were nominated for Academic All-America honors, as were Notre Dame senior midfielder Mia Sarkesian and sophomore forward Amanda Guertin.

Gonzalez began her Notre Dame career as a forward before shifting to the defense beginning with the 2000 season. She returned in 2001 for a fifth year of eligibility, after missing all of the 1998 campaign due to a knee injury. The veteran was possibly the most consistent performer for Notre Dame during the 2001 season, despite making another position switch from outside defender to one of the central marking back spots. She continued to show her versatility by playing midfielder and forward at times during the 2001 season, when she started all 21 games while scoring once and adding two assists. She totaled 17 goals and 17 assists in 95 career games played, with 49 starts.

Gonzalez, Pruzinsky and Chapman combined with senior Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.) and senior goalkeeper Liz Wagner to allow just 18 goals in 21 games during the 2001 season, including nine shutouts and eight others games with one goal allowed. Pruzinsky was joined this season by Gonzalez at the central back position while Chapman made an impressive transition to the right back spot in the defense (she played forward prior to her ND career).

Chapman also was a potent offensive threat while seeing some time at forward, ranking sixth on the team in scoring with eight points (three goals, two assists). She scored as both a defender and forward in the 4-0 win at Pittsburgh before converting the late gamewinner as a forward in the 2-1 win at Seton Hall.

Pruzinsky-a 2001 Missouri Athletic Club national player-of-the-year finalist-has started 71 of 72 games during her ND career and registered her first goal at Notre Dame in the 2-1 loss at Rutgers before scoring again in the NCAA loss to Cincinnati.

Warner was Notre Dame’s third-leading scorer in 2001 with 17 points (8G-1A), with her season highlights including the second goal in the 2-0 win over then-No. 25 Hartford, both goals in the 2-1 overtime win over Villanova, two goals in the 4-0 win at Miami and the first goal in the 3-0 BIG EAST semifinal win over Boston College.

Joining Gonzalez as second team All-America defenders were Portland’s Lauren Orlandos and North Carolina’s Catherine Reddick while the first-team defenders included UNC’s Danielle Borgman, Santa Clara’s Danielle Slaton and Casey Zimny of Connecticut.

In addition to Gonzalez and Zimny, the other BIG EAST players who received All-America honors included West Virginia senior forward Katie Barnes (1st team), UConn senior forward Aleza Borisjuk (2nd team), Rutgers freshman midfielder Carli Lloyd (3rd team) and Boston College sophomore midfielder Sarah Rahko (3rd team).

Full NSCAA All-America and All-Great Lakes Region teams are listed below.

2002 NSCAA Division I Women’s Soccer All-America Teams

First Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Emily Oleksiuk** Sr. Penn State Willow Grove, PA
D Danielle Borgman** Sr. North Carolina Cincinnati, OH
D Danielle Slaton*** Sr. Santa Clara San Jose, CA
D Casey Zimny Sr. Connecticut Rochester, NY
M Joanna Lohman So. Penn State Silver Springs, MD
M Mary-Frances Monroe*** Sr. UCLA Tariffville, CT
M Aly Wagner* Jr. Santa Clara San Jose, CA
F Katie Barnes Sr. West Virginia Mason, OH
F Christine Sinclair Fr. Portland Burnaby, British Columbia
F Abby Wambach* Sr. Florida Pittsford, NY
F Christie Welsh** Jr. Penn State Massapequa, NY

Second Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Hope Solo* Jr. Washington Richland, WA
D Monica Gonzalez Sr. Notre Dame Richardson, TX
D Lauren Orlandos Jr. Portland Lake Forest, CA
D Catherine Reddick So. North Carolina Birmingham, AL
M Alexa Borisjuk Sr. Connecticut East Haven, CT
M Lori Lindsey* Sr. Virginia Indianapolis, IN
M Marcie Ward So. Stanford Alamo, CA
F Katy Cross Fr. Pennsylvania Claremont, CA
F Stephanie Rigamat Fr. UCLA LaCrescenta, CA
F Ann Thomas Sr. Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
F Kelly Wilson Fr. Texas Odessa, TX

Third Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Katie Carson Sr. Clemson Asheville, NC
D Keisha Bell Sr. Florida Spring, TX
D Danielle Murphy Jr. Florida Seven Oaks, England
D Amy Sauer Sr. Stanford Spring, TX
M Jena Kluegel* Sr. North Carolina Mahtomedi, MN
M Carli Lloyd Fr. Rutgers Delran, NJ
M Sarah Rahko So. Boston College Londonderry, NH
M Katy Westfall So. Harvard Johnsburg, IL
F Christine Latham* Jr. Nebraska Calgary, Alberta
F Lindsay Gusick Fr. Virginia Livonia, MI
F Nicky Thrasher Sr. Texas A&M El Paso, TX
F Veronica Zepeda So. Santa Clara Riverside, CA

2002 NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Teams

First Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Christy Hoffman Sr. Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
D Candace Chapman Fr. Notre Dame Ajax, Ontario
D Monica Gonzalez Sr. Notre Dame Richardson, TX
D Erin Showalter So. Dayton Brunswick, OH
M Erin Blaedow Sr. Wisconsin-Milwaukee West Allis, WI
M Anita Rapp Sr. Oakland Lillehammer, Norway
M Amy Sullivant Jr. Michigan Utica, MI
F Abby Crumpton Jr. Michigan Rochester Hills, MI
F Andrea Cunningham Jr. Miami Cincinnati, OH
F Kate Gordon Jr. Marquette Sioux City, IA
F Ann Thomas Sr. Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Second Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Katie Karlander Jr. Miami Carmel, IN
D Heather Herweh Jr. Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
D Jennifer Miller Jr. Ohio State Centerville, OH
D Vanessa Pruzinsky Jr. Notre Dame Trumbull, CT
M Crystal Johnson Jr. Illinois State Milton, Ontario
M Colleen Joyce Sr. Illinois McHenry, IL
M Megan McKnight Sr. Dayton Hamilton, OH
M Amanda McMahon So. Marshall Stillwater, MN
F Liza Grubb Fr. Ohio State Portage, MI
F Tara Hurless Fr. Illinois Rockford, IL
F Annie Wayland Jr. Illinois State St. Peters, MO

Third Team

Pos. Name Class School Hometown
G Suzie Grech So. Michigan Narbeth, PA
D Elise Berry Jr. Purdue Worthington, OH
D Ann Dulecky Jr. Marquette Wauwatosa, WI
D Heather Pederson Jr. Eastern Michigan West Bloomfield, MI
M Danielle Altiero So. Miami Upper Arlington, OH
M Kristen Jensen So. Marquette Shorewood, IL
M Tesia Kozlowski Fr. Dayton Westerville, OH
F Danielle Berkemeier Jr. Miami Fairfield, OH
F Annie Gage Sr. Kentucky Westerville, OH
F Jessica Hupe So. Eastern Michigan Waynesville, OH
F Sarah Lynch Jr. Iowa St. Charles, IL
F Amy Warner So. Notre Dame Albuquerque, NM