Sophomore goalkeeper Kaela Little won 13 games and posted eight total shutouts during her first season at Notre Dame in 2013

Top-10 Foes Collide As #7/4 Irish Host #4/2 UCLA In Notre Dame adidas Invitational Final

Aug 31, 2013

Match NotesGet Acrobat Reader | 2013 Notre Dame adidas Invitational Web Site

2013 NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER — Match #4

21st annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational
#7/4 NOTRE DAME “Fighting Irish” (3-0-0/0-0-0 ACC) vs. #4/2 UCLA “Bruins” (3-0-0/0-0-0 Pac-12)

DATE: Sept. 1, 2013
TIME: 1:30 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Notre Dame, Ind. (Alumni Stadium – cap. 3,007)
SERIES: ND leads 2-1-0 (1-0-0 at ND)
LAST MEETING: UCLA 2-1, ot (9/10/10 at UCLA)
BROADCAST: WatchND.tv
LIVE STATS:
TWITTER: @NDsoccernews
TEXT ALERTS: Sign up at UND.com
TICKETS: Call (574) 631-7356, visit UND.com/tickets, or stop by the Alumni Stadium tickets windows on match day ($5 adults/$3 youths-seniors/free for all ND/Saint Mary’s/Holy Cross students)
TOURNAMENT WEB SITE: 2013 Notre Dame adidas Invitational

Less than a month ago, they were eight teammates, bonded by a common goal. Together, they toiled in the southern California heat on isolated back fields at the U.S. Soccer training center in Carson, Calif., wearing the familiar American red, white and blue kits as they trained with the United States Under-20 Women’s National Team. They shared triumphs both on and off the field, and also experienced setbacks together, including a pair of losses to Japan in friendly matches. In short, they were sisters under the U.S. Soccer shield, proud to represent their country on the international stage.

On Sunday, those same eight players will have traded the Stars and Stripes for blue and gold, with five wearing the colors of No. 7/4 Notre Dame, and three more sporting the kits for No. 4/2 UCLA when the two college soccer powers collide in one of the nation’s top non-conference matchups this season at 1:30 p.m. (ET) at Alumni Stadium. The contest also will serve as the de-facto championship match for the 21st annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational after both teams won their opening tournament matches on Friday (Notre Dame 4-0 over Oakland; UCLA 2-1 over No. 20/25 Marquette).

The Fighting Irish sent more players to last month’s U-20 National Team camp than any other program in the country, with a trio of sophomores — defender Katie Naughton, midfielder Cari Roccaro and forward Crystal Thomas — joining two Notre Dame freshmen — midfielder Morgan Andrews and goalkeeper Kaela Little — at the week-long training session. Since returning to campus, this quintet has emerged as a core group in Notre Dame lineup, helping the Fighting Irish to a 3-0 record while outscoring its opposition, 12-2.

Meanwhile, UCLA had three players at the U-20 camp, as junior goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland joined a pair of freshmen — midfielder Lauren Kaskie and defender Gabbi Miranda — in representing the Bruins. Rowland and Miranda have been key starters in UCLA’s defensive effort thus far, while Kaskie has developed into one of the Bruins’ top reserves to date.

Roccaro is no stranger to the American U-20 program, having blossomed as a starter (despite being one of the team’s youngest players) during last year’s successful run to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title. She’s now one of the grizzled veterans for the United States, rising to the role of team captain and helping to tutor her fellow starting center back, Naughton, as the Americans begin to ramp up their training in preparation for the 2014 CONCACAF U-20 Championship (Jan. 9-19 in the Cayman Islands), a tournament that will serve as a qualifier for the 2014 U-20 World Cup (Aug. 5-24 in Canada).

The East Islip, N.Y., native also is used to dealing with the ever-changing relationships and loyalties that go with playing against U.S. Soccer teammates during the college and club soccer season.

“A lot of those girls are my best friends, and it’s always a pleasure to see them, whether I’m on their team or not,” Roccaro said. “They are all very talented and it will be a little different to be playing against them, rather than being on their team. At the same time, knowing them so well on and off the field is what makes it so fun and challenging.”

Naughton was invited to the first U-20 camp of 2013 and has never left the American lineup, earning seven caps between the 12 Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain, and friendlies in Sweden and last month against Japan. Although she might not have quite the youth national team experience of her teammate and center back partner, the Elk Grove Village, Ill., product already is well-versed in how to handle facing her friends on the other side of the pitch.

“The UCLA players are all strong, and it was awesome to experience camp with them,” Naughton said. “Not only are they great players, but they are even better people, and we are becoming really close friends throughout this (U-20) cycle. It will be an exciting test for both teams (Sunday) when things kick off. We all may be friends and teammates in a different setting, but (Sunday), neither side is going to hold back, I can guarantee that.”

While the competitive spirit of the two programs (who have combined for 20 NCAA Women’s College Cup berths) is without question, Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum is quick to point out that the match comes in the second week of the season and the lessons learned from the contest will be just as priceless as a positive result.

“It’s a test for both teams, as strong as we both are and with as much national attention as we’re both getting,” Waldrum said. “Obviously, we want to win, and I’m sure they’re coming out with that same mindset. If we can get the result, that’s going to be great, but if we don’t, we want to be exposed in some areas that we can get corrected early (in the season).”

THE NOTRE DAME-UCLA SERIES
Notre Dame and UCLA will be meeting for just the fourth time, with the Fighting Irish holding a 2-1-0 series lead, including a victory in the teams’ only prior meeting in South Bend … the most recent series matchup came on Sept. 10, 2010, with the Bruins edging Notre Dame, 2-1 in overtime in Los Angeles on Jenna Richmond’s second goal of the night 4:02 into extra time (see recap in following note) … the last time the two schools played in South Bend, the Fighting Irish defeated UCLA, 8-0 in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals on Nov. 29, 1997, at old Alumni Field … Jenny Heft recorded a natural hat trick for Notre Dame, the NCAA’s all-time assist leader Holly Manthei added three helpers, and future United States Women’s National Team (and three-time Olympic gold medalist) midfielder Shannon Boxx chipped in a goal and an assist for the Fighting Irish, who advanced to the NCAA Women’s College Cup for the fourth consecutive season … the most memorable meeting between Notre Dame and UCLA took place on Dec. 5, 2004, in Cary, N.C., in the NCAA national championship match, with the Fighting Irish winning their second title on penalties, 4-3, after the teams played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw (the only time in College Cup history the final has been decided in a shootout) … Notre Dame goalkeeper Erika Bohn was the hero, saving three penalty kicks (one late in regulation and two more in the shootout), the last on Lindsey Greco’s attempt in the sixth round (sudden victory) to bring the NCAA trophy back to the Golden Dome.

THE LAST TIME NOTRE DAME AND UCLA MET
Erica Iantorno scored in the final minute of the first half, and No. 3/4 Notre Dame had 13th-ranked UCLA on the ropes for a good portion of the second half, but the host Bruins managed to find the back of the net in overtime and pull out a 2-1 victory in the UCLA Women’s Cup opener for both teams on Sept. 10, 2010, at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.

Rose Augustin picked up the assist on Iantorno’s goal, extending her point scoring streak to four matches. Jenna Richmond netted both goals for UCLA, including the match-winner 4:02 into the first extra session. Ariana Martinez assisted on both of Richmond’s tallies, with Lauren Barnes earning a secondary assist on the overtime score.

Nikki Weiss made six saves in the Fighting Irish goal, while Chante’ Sandiford was credited with one stop in the UCLA goal (in addition to a save by Barnes on Augustin’s bid for a seemingly empty net with less than a minute to go in regulation).

UCLA wound up with a 16-9 edge in total shots (although Notre Dame had a 7-2 advantage in the second half), including an 8-3 margin in shots on goal. Each team attempted four corner kicks in the match, while Notre Dame was whistled for 12 of the 16 fouls on the night.

OTHER NOTRE DAME-UCLA SERIES TIDBITS
UCLA is the highest ranked opponent for Notre Dame since Sept. 9, 2011, when the Fighting Irish dropped a 2-1 decision at No. 2 Stanford (the Cardinal scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the weather-delayed contest to rally for the win) … Notre Dame last played an NSCAA top-five opponent on Oct. 30, 2011, earning a 1-0 victory at No. 5/9 Marquette in the BIG EAST Championship quarterfinals … the Fighting Irish are 19-7-1 (.722) all-time against the current Pac-12 Conference alignment, including an 11-1 record at home … Notre Dame has won its last 11 home matches against Pac-12 teams since a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Stanford on Oct. 4, 1992, in the title match of the inaugural Golden Dome Classic (now known as the Notre Dame adidas Invitational) … Notre Dame last played host to a Pac-12 school on Nov. 14, 2010, when the Fighting Irish shut out UCLA’s crosstown rival, USC, 4-0 in the second round of the NCAA Championship at Alumni Stadium … Notre Dame is 25-13-2 (.650) all-time against teams from the state of California, including a 15-2 record at home (11-2 in the adidas Invitational) … the Fighting Irish have won their last five home matches against California schools, including a 2-1 victory over No. 24/16 Santa Clara in last year’s adidas Invitational opener (Aug. 31, 2012) at Alumni Stadium … in addition to all the friendships forged at the U.S. Under-20 National Team camp, Waldrum has coached three of UCLA’s junior starters in his role as the U-23 National Team manager since 2012, working with Bruins defender Abby Dahlkemper, as well as midfielders Sarah Killion and Sam Mewis.

LAST TIME OUT: OAKLAND
Junior forward Lauren Bohaboy had a goal and an assist, and sophomore forward Crystal Thomas delivered her second consecutive two-assist outing as No. 7/4 Notre Dame earned a methodical 4-0 victory over Oakland on Friday before a crowd of 1,836 fans at Alumni Stadium on the opening night of the 21st annual Notre Dame adidas Invitational.

Junior forward Karin Simonian and freshman midfielder Morgan Andrews added their first goals of the season early in the second half, and sophomore forward Anna Maria Gilbertson capped the Notre Dame scoring output with her second goal of the year in the 69th minute, slightly more than two minutes after the teams returned from the locker room following a 35-minute lightning delay.

Freshman goalkeeper Kaela Little capitalized on the bounty of offensive production in front of her, making it stand up with four saves, including a brilliant diving stop on Serena San Cartier’s mini-breakaway in the final minute, for her first career shutout.

Notre Dame finished with a 19-9 shot advantage, including an 11-4 margin in shots on goal. Each side attempted one corner kick, while the Fighting Irish nearly doubled up the Golden Grizzlies in the foul column (13-7), and both teams had a player receive a yellow card in the second half.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: OAKLAND
The Fighting Irish are off to their first 3-0 start since the 2010 national championship season … Notre Dame improves to 3-0 all-time against Oakland (14-1 aggregate), with all three wins coming at home … the Fighting Irish are 38-4-1 (.895) all-time against Michigan schools, including a 27-3-1 (.887) mark at home … Notre Dame is unbeaten in its last 11 matches (10-0-1) against Michigan schools, the only blemish being a scoreless draw with Michigan to open the 2007 season (Aug. 31, 2007, at old Alumni Field) … the Fighting Irish have scored four goals in each of their first three matches, the first time they have fashioned a streak of three consecutive four-goal contests since Oct. 9-30, 2005, when they scored at least four goals in six consecutive matches … the Fighting Irish are 344-0-1 all-time when taking a 2-0 lead, including wins in their last 321 contests … Notre Dame is 312-3-1 (.989) all-time when scoring three goals, including a 214-1 (.995) record since Oct. 6, 1995 (a 5-4 overtime loss to Connecticut at old Alumni Field) … Notre Dame’s 11 goals through three matches this season are its highest offensive output since 2008, when the Fighting Irish collected 13 goals in wins over Michigan (7-0), Loyola Marymount (4-0) and No. 21/12 Santa Clara (2-0) … with Friday’s scores by Simonian and Andrews, eight different Fighting Irish players have accounted for the team’s 11 goals this season … Bohaboy is the first Notre Dame player to have four goals through her team’s first three matches since 2008, when Kerri Hanks pulled off a similar feat (she actually did it in her first two contests, then was scoreless in the third) … Thomas is the first Fighting Irish player with multiple assists in consecutive matches since Sept. 2-4, 2011, when current senior midfielder/tri-captain Mandy Laddish had two helpers each in wins over Tulsa (7-1) and Indiana (4-1) in the Notre Dame adidas Invitational at Alumni Stadium … freshmen Mariel Adams and Emily Geyer made their college debuts on Friday night against Oakland, meaning all seven healthy Fighting Irish rookies have seen action in the first three matches of 2013 (midfielder Sandra Yu is out for the season with a torn ACL in her left knee suffered in an Aug. 17 exhibition win over Baylor – Yu underwent successful corrective surgery on the injury earlier on Friday).

ADIDAS INVITATIONAL HISTORY
This marks the 21st edition of Notre Dame’s annual home tournament, which has been played almost continuously since 1992 (except for 1994) … the Fighting Irish have won their own tourney 14 of the previous 20 times and have compiled a 33-6-2 all-time record in the event with a 114-40 scoring edge in those matches … Notre Dame has won three of the past five tournaments, with North Carolina (1999, 2009, 2012), Santa Clara (2002), Stanford (1992) and Washington State (2007) claiming the other championships through the years … the tournament winner is determined by overall record, with the first tiebreaker being head-to-head results, followed by goal differential — that method was last used to designate the champion in 2002, when Santa Clara and Portland won both of their matches, but SCU had a +6 differential to the Pilots’ +3 margin, giving the title to the Broncos … there have been three draws in 80 all-time matches at the adidas Invitational (UCF and Wisconsin drew 2-2 in 1992, a 1997 lightning-shortened 2-2 deadlock between Notre Dame and North Carolina, and last year when Connecticut and Santa Clara played to a 1-1 draw) … six other tournament matches have gone to extra time, with the most recent contest to yield a “Golden Goal” coming in 2008 when No. 21 Santa Clara edged 11th-ranked West Virginia, 2-1 on Kendra Perry’s score 1:33 into the second overtime at old Alumni Field.

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
Notre Dame is in its fifth season at Alumni Stadium, where the Fighting Irish hold a 42-5-1 (.885) record, including a 22-2-0 (.917) ledger against non-conference opponents, since the facility opened early in the 2009 campaign. The Fighting Irish also have a sparkling 284-26-6 (.908) all-time record on their home pitch, a mark that includes stops at Moose Krause Stadium in 1988-89 (was located on the site of the current Alumni Stadium before being torn to make way for the new Notre Dame pitch, as well as the LaBar Football Practice Complex) and old Alumni Field from 1990-2009 (located on the east end of the athletics quad beyond the far side of Arlotta Stadium).

UP NEXT: DETROIT
Notre Dame wraps up its non-conference schedule (and its season-opening five-match homestand) at 7 p.m. (ET) Sept. 8, playing host to Detroit at Alumni Stadium. The rare Sunday night match is necessitated by the Fighting Irish men’s soccer team taking on North Carolina (in the first-ever ACC regular-season contest in any sport for Notre Dame) at noon (ET) Sunday live on ESPNU, with former Notre Dame women’s soccer All-American and U.S. Women’s National Team defender/1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion/two-time Olympic gold medalist Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf (’98) scheduled to provide color commentary for that broadcast.

The Fighting Irish are 3-0 all-time against Detroit, including a 2-0 mark at home, but have not faced the Titans since Waldrum’s second season in South Bend (Aug. 27, 2000) when they recorded a 6-0 victory at old Alumni Field.

Detroit has 18 letterwinners, including six starters, returning this season from its 2012 club that went 9-7-1 and earned a share of the Horizon League regular season title (the Titans were picked to win the crown this year according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches). Detroit (0-2-1) winds up a West Coast road swing at San Francisco Sunday afternoon, with a trip to Canisius next Friday on the docket prior to the Titans’ visit to Alumni Stadium next weekend.

Season and single-match tickets for the 2013 Notre Dame women’s soccer campaign may be purchased through the University’s Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office by calling (574) 631-7356 or visiting the ticket windows at Gate 9 of Purcell Pavilion weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET). Tickets also can be ordered on-line 24 hours a day with a major credit card through the official Notre Dame athletics ticketing web site, UND.com/tickets. Groups wishing to attend Fighting Irish soccer matches also can receive a discounted ticket rate — contact Rita Baxter in the Murnane Family Athletics Ticket Office to learn more.

For more information on the Fighting Irish women’s soccer program, follow Notre Dame on Twitter (@NDsoccernews or @NDsoccer), 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.

— Chris Masters, Associate Athletic Media Relations Director