June 10, 2008
Printable 2008 Notre Dame Women’s Soccer Schedule 
2008 Notre Dame Women’s Soccer Schedule
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team will play at least seven regular-season matches against NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including four against teams that advanced to the NCAA round of 16, as part of a challenging 2008 schedule that was released Tuesday following approval by the University’s Faculty Board on Athletics.
The cornerstones of this year’s Irish docket are a pair of non-conference tournaments in the season’s first three weeks — Notre Dame’s own Adidas Classic, highlighted by an Aug. 31 matinee with perennial power Santa Clara, and the Carolina Classic, hosted by North Carolina, with the Irish scheduled to meet the Tar Heels and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Duke on Sept. 5 & 7 in rematches from last year’s NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame defeated both teams by identical 3-2 scores (at UNC in the third round, and at home vs. the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals) on the way to its third NCAA Women’s College Cup berth in four seasons.
Other 2008 schedule highlights for the Irish include trips to reigning Big Ten Conference regular-season champion Penn State and BIG EAST Conference stalwart Connecticut after both squads advanced to the third round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. Besides the Adidas Classic, Notre Dame’s home schedule will feature matches with SMU, as well as BIG EAST members Louisville (which lost to Illinois in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament at Alumni Field), Marquette and Rutgers.
Notre Dame also will play host to the final two rounds of the 2008 BIG EAST Championship, which will take place November 7 and 9 at Alumni Field. It will mark the third time the Irish will be the host team for the tournament semifinals and finals, having won the BIG EAST postseason crown on their home turf in both 1996 and 2000. Notre Dame has won nine BIG EAST Championships during its first 13 seasons in the conference, including two of the past three years (2005, 2006).
“I’m really excited about this year’s schedule, as it gives us an opportunity early on to play some of the top teams in the country,” 10th-year Irish head coach Randy Waldrum said. “As was the case last year, this should give us a good idea of where we are early in the year, and allow us the chance to work on some areas that may need improvement. Playing teams like UNC, Duke, and Penn State on the road, as well as Santa Clara at home, will certainly present a challenge. This is why players come to Notre Dame — so they play against the top competition, year in and year out.
“In addition to these traditional powers, we always face stiff competition in the BIG EAST, and will have other strong non-conference tests against our rivals from Michigan and a good SMU team out of Dallas,” Waldrum added. “It’s a great schedule and I’m looking forward to the challenge, and of course, I’m anxious to see the local community out in full force once again this fall!”
Notre Dame retains 22 players (19 monogram winners) and nine starters from its 2007 squad that compiled a 19-5-2 record (11-0-0 in the BIG EAST National Division) and advanced to the NCAA Women’s College Cup for the ninth time in program history. The Irish also bring back more than 80 percent of their offensive production from that club, led by a pair of 2007 All-Americans in senior forward (and 2006 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner) Kerri Hanks (Allen, Texas/Allen) and senior midfielder/forward Brittany Bock (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley). What’s more, Notre Dame has its entire back line returning, headed up by senior defender Carrie Dew (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon), and adds an outstanding nine-player freshman class that includes several national team and state ODP (Olympic Development Program) participants.
Notre Dame kicks off the 2008 season Aug. 12 with a 7 p.m. (ET) exhibition match against defending Conference USA champion Memphis at Alumni Field. The Irish then will take on Virginia (an ’07 NCAA Tournament third-round participant) in a second exhibition contest on Aug. 16 in Traverse City, Mich. (2 p.m. ET kickoff), before starting things up for real on Aug. 22 with a 7 p.m. ET match at Michigan. Notre Dame’s home opener is scheduled for Aug. 29 vs. Loyola Marymount at 7:30 p.m. (ET) in the opening round of the Adidas Classic, with West Virginia and Santa Clara to meet in the tournament opener at 5 p.m. (ET).
— ND —