Aug. 27, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The fourth-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team used a 49-2 shot margin and contributions from throughout the lineup to post a 6-0 victory over the visiting University of Detroit, in the season opener for both teams Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.
Six Irish players recorded a goal-including scores by freshmen Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) and Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa.)-while senior midfielder and three-time All-American Anne Makinen (Helsinki, Finland) had a hand in half of the Notre Dame goals.
Detroit nearly scored the game’s first goal during an early flurry but Notre Dame responded by holding the Titans without a shot for the game’s final 83 minutes.
“We set some goals before the game in terms of things like we wanted to give up five shots or less and we wanted to score off a set piece and we did that off a corner kick,” said second-year Irish head coach Randy Waldrum. “I think we met all of our goals. The disappointing thing was to have 49 opportunities like we did and to not convert more. It’s going to have to be better against better competition.”
Notre Dame entered the game searching for answers at several positions, after losing five starters from the 1999 NCAA runner-up squad. Sunday’s starting lineup featured sophomore Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.) at the central defender spot formerly occupied by All-American Jen Grubb. Pruzinsky’s spot on the flank was filled by versatile senior Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas)-who previously has played up front-while sophomore Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga.) and freshman Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) started at forward on the wings.
Other newcomers to the starting lineup included junior defender Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.) and junior midfielder Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich.), who shared starting time with current sophomore Nancy Mikacenic (Seattle, Wash.) in the ’99 season. Junior goalkeeper Elizabeth Wagner (Spring, Texas) drew her first career start with the Irish but had a fairly uneventful day, with one save, two shots faced and two Detroit corner kicks.
Senior Kerri Bakker (Washington, N.J.) also saw significant time at central defender and remains a candidate at that position.
“Vanessa and Kerri both can get the job done,” said Waldrum. “I think the question is going to be which one rises a little bit more when the competition gets stiffer and hopefully the next two weeks give us an answer at that position.”
Several Irish players showed their wide-ranging skills, with Jones streaking down the right side to set up the third Irish goal while Gonzalez played some quality minutes at forward and Makinen was used for a stretch in the back.
“We are deeper in a lot of places. Maybe we don’t have the star players that everyone is always watching out for, but I think we’ve got more good players underneath,” said Waldrum. “Monica always has been a forward here but she has shown she can play in the back and that adds another dimension. And Lindsey is mutli-dimensional for us and she is so is good going forward and coming out of the back. It does give us some more depth that we didn’t have last year.”
The arrival of the “triple-A offense” (Ali-Amy-Amanda) made its presence felt from the opening kickoff, as the speedy trio of Lovelace, Wagner and Guertin created regular Irish scoring chances. Warner did everything but score a goal, including an assist on Scheller’s goal.
“I think Amy already has become a fan favorite,” said Waldrum. “We’ve felt in the past that we didn’t have enough speed against the top teams and she and Amanda certainly add that. Amy created a ton of opportunities and could have had four or five assists if we had finished better. She’s going to be a very exciting player as the season develops.”
Makinen opened the scoring with her 52nd career goal (11:36), one-timing a low shot from the top of the box after a feed from senior forward Meotis Erikson (Kenniwick, Wash.). Erikson then found the net eight minutes later, turning near the top of the box and gaining separation from a pair of defenders for her 47th career goal (19:44).
Jones pushed forward down the right side to set the third goal in motion, with a cross to the far side of the box for Makinen. Detroit’s Erika Rust stopped Makinen’s shot for one of her 24 saves but junior Kelly Tulisiak (Medina, Ohio) angled in from the left and knocked the rebound into the net for her third career goal (38:08).
Guertin scored unassisted early in the second half, after winning the ball off the backline and converting a 15-yard chip shot (50:12). Warner later carried the ball down the right side and fed Scheller, who turned and scored from 12 yards (64:44). Mikacenic capped the scoring with her second career goal, on a well-placed header after Makinen’s leftside corner kick.
Lovelace did not factor into any of the scoring, after leaving the game late in the first half due to injury (her status will be determined later in the week).
| DETROIT (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| NOTRE DAME (1-0-0) | 3 | 3 | – | 6 |
ND 1. Makinen (Erikson, Jones) 11:36, ND 2. Erikson (.-) 19:44, ND 3. Tulisiak (Makinen) 38:08, ND 4. Guertin (-) 50:12, ND 5. Scheller (Warner) 64:44, ND 6. Mikacenic (Makinen) 82:54.
SHOTS ON GOAL: DET 2, ND 49.
SAVES: DET 26 (Rust 24, team 2), ND 2 (Wagner 1, team 1).
CORNER KICKS: DET 2, ND 14.
FOULS: DET 4, ND 9.
OFFSIDE: DET 2, ND 6.