Oct. 1, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the second time this season, a Notre Dame player has been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Goalkeeper of the Week, with sophomore Sarah Voigt (Middleburg, Fla./St. John’s Country Day School) taking home this week’s honor, it was announced Monday by the conference office. It’s the first time in Voigt’s career she has been chosen for the BIG EAST’s top weekly goalkeeper award, and she follows in the footsteps of freshman netminder Elyse Hight (Edmond, Okla./Bishop McGuinness), who was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 27.
This marks the first time in Notre Dame’s 18-year BIG EAST membership that the Fighting Irish have had two different players earn BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week honors in the same season. It’s also the first time any conference school has pulled off that feat since at least 2007 (additional research is pending).
Voigt backstopped Notre Dame to a pair of shutout wins in BIG EAST play last weekend, making two saves in a rainswept 1-0 victory at Providence on Sept. 28, followed by a career high-tying six saves in a 4-0 win at Connecticut on Sept. 30. The latter performance included four key stops by Voigt during the first half, when the Fighting Irish mounted a stern defensive challenge against the Huskies, repelling all 11 shots (including four on goal) taken by the hosts in the opening 45 minutes.
For the season, Voigt has had a hand in five of Notre Dame’s six shutouts, earning three solo clean sheets (the first of her career), while also sharing two other shutouts. She has a 5-0-0 record and leads the BIG EAST with a 0.50 goals-against average (GAA), in addition to ranking fourth in the conference with an .824 save percentage.
Voigt is the sixth different Fighting Irish women’s soccer player to collect a BIG EAST weekly award this season. Along with Hight’s Aug. 27 honor, junior midfielder/tri-captain Elizabeth Tucker (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) appeared on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll that same day. On Sept. 17, freshman forward Crystal Thomas (Elgin, Ill./Wheaton Academy) copped her first career mention on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, and most recently on Sept. 24, freshman forward Cari Roccaro (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, while rookie defender Katie Naughton (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) appeared on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
Riding a season-best six-match winning streak, Notre Dame (9-3-1, 5-0-0 BIG EAST) returns to Alumni Stadium this weekend for the final two conference home matches of the regular season, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (ET) Friday against Seton Hall — prior to the match, the team will honor its departing senior players and student managers in a brief ceremony.
The Fighting Irish then will play host to their annual Kicks Against Cancer match at 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday when it welcomes Rutgers to Alumni Stadium — the players will wear special uniforms for the occasions, with the jerseys to be available for bid via an on-line auction and the proceeds going to local and national breast cancer charities (with additional events planned to recognize and raise funds for breast cancer research).
Tickets for all Notre Dame soccer matches are available through the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office at Gate 9 of Purcell Pavilion during normal business hours (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday), as well as 24 hours a day on-line at UND.com/tickets. In addition, tickets may be purchased on the day of the match at the Alumni Stadium ticket windows.
For more information on the Fighting Irish women’s soccer program, follow Notre Dame on Twitter (@NDsoccer or @NDsoccernews), like the Fighting Irish on Facebook (facebook.com/NDWomenSoccer) or sign up for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the “Fan Center” pulldown menu on the main page at UND.com.
— ND —