Aug. 18, 2005
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Katie Thorlakson scored in the 20th minute and helped set up Susan Pinnick’s clinching goal in the lategoing, as the top-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team wrapped up its preseason schedule with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over 4th-ranked Virginia, on a muggy Thursday night at the Heffern Field Stadium. The marquee game of the four-day IPFW Showcase attracted 3,470 fans who watched the Irish and Cavaliers battle in a rare preseason matchup of top teams.
Forward Kerri Hanks – embarking on her first college season after playing in the Under-19 World Championship last fall and joining the Irish in the spring of ’05 – was a threat to the Virginia defense for large chunks of the game, creating three strong scoring chances for herself in the game’s first 20 minutes before assisting on the Thorlakson goal.
The game served as a homecoming or sorts for several Notre Dame players who were members of the W-League’s Fort Wayne Fever during the summer of ’04. Those players include junior midfielder Jill Krivacek, junior defenders Christie Shaner and Kim Lorenzen, sophomore forward Amanda Cinalli, sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Karas and freshman M/D/ Kerry Inglis (a Fort Wayne native).
Kim Lorenzen was one of six former Fort Wayne Fever players who returned to Heffern Stadium with the Irish in Thursday’s win over UVa (all photos by Pete LaFleur).
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The official stats included seven shots and four corner kicks by each team, with the Irish holding a 6-4 edge in shots on goal (check back to this release for a link to the game stats).
Thorlakson also opened the scoring in last weekend’s 8-1 exhibition win at Butler, continuing a trend from the final two months of the 2004 national championship season – when she scored or assisted on the first goal in eight of the final 10 games (spanning the regular-season finale and the entire postseason). That streak included scoring first goals vs. St. John’s and UCLA while assisting on the first goals vs. Michigan, UConn (BIG EAST final), Eastern Illinois, Wisconsin, Portland and Santa Clara. She now has scored or assisted on the first goal in five straight ND fall games (UP, SCU, UCLA, BU and UVa).
Katie Thorlakson runs onto a pass from Kerri Hanks before scoring her far-post goal for the first-half lead on the Cavaliers.
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Hanks initiated the first goal sequence after intercepting a Virginia pass near the center circle. The former Dallas Texans standout then flared a pass into the right side of the box and Thorlakson raced into the open space before striking a low shot inside the far-left post (19:39).
Virginia put pressure on for the equalizer during the first 20 minutes of the second half – highlighted by Jess Rostedt’s 15-yard shot from the top of the box that clanged off the crossbar in the 61st minute.
The Irish withstood Virginia’s attack and were sparked by Pinnick’s entry into the game in the 68th minute. Thorlakson nearly assisted on a Pinnick goal moments later, after battling her way into the right side of the box and sliding a pass to her left as the defense collapsed on the Canadian national teamer. Pinnick took the feed and was on the doorstep with goalkeeper Christina deVries – but a slight hesitation allowed a Virginia defender to slide in and help deflect the shot from close range.
Susan Pinnick sends home her second goal of the 2005 preseason, helping clinch the hard-fought win over UVa.
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Pinnick struck the ball firmly 10 minutes later to secure the final 2-0 cushion. Fifth-year veteran Candace Chapman – who started at right back (where she was a 2002 All-American), opened the second half at forward later re-entered at left back – set up Pinnick’s goal with an entry pass down the center of the field. Thorlakson had her back to the goal as she prepared to receive the ball 25 yards out, instead playing a slight “dummy” misdirection that swept the ball behind her. Pinnick and UVa’s Alex Singer were converging on the ball and Singer gained a touch but failed to maintain possession – as Pinnick alertly pounced on the ball, turned and delivered a strike from outside the box that looped into the upper right corner of the net (the South Bend native also scored the second goal last Sunday in the 8-1 win over Butler).
The Notre Dame defense had a fairly solid night as it kept up with Virginia’s group of veteran offensive player. Shaner had a particularly strong first half as the starter at left back, including a play in the 43rd minute when she quickly recovered to deny Rostedt a chance as she raced into the right side of the box.
Freshman Carrie Dew and Lorenzen logged the full 90 minutes at central defense, as the Irish experiment with different combinations while looking to replace their only departed starters. Lorenzen – primarily the starting right back during the past two seasons – showed her tremendous versatility in making the switch while the newcomer Dew had an impressive game, in the rare high-pressure atmosphere of a preseason exhibition.
Freshman Carrie Dew had an impressive 90-minute effort at central defense, alongside junior Kim Lorenzen.
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NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH Randy Waldrum – “I thought we were very strong in the first half and then Virginia made a little run at us there to start the second half, but we withstood it. Both coaching staffs were fairly happy with the effort tonight considering this is the preseason and we each were trying some different looks. We have several versatile players and will continue to try various combinations next week in Vermont, with the hopes of clearing up the picture a bit before the tournament games at our place with Florida and Maryland. … Tonight was a great example of the type of impact that Kerri Hanks can have for our team. She and Katie (Thorlakson) have developed a pretty dangerous combination in just a short time playing together. Kerri very easily could have turned in a hat trick tonight in those first 20 minutes and she played a great ball to Katie to set up the goal. We took Kerri out to start the second half but she really helped to get us back on track when she went back in the game. And Katie had some key moments tonight. She almost had a couple other goals and made a great strike to score the goal. … Jill Krivacek has reported in great shape and was tough out there in that defensive midfielder role. She helped control things at some key junctures. … Putting Candace back in the outside back position adds a new dimension there for us. She can easily push up into the attack and adds that physical edge, not to mention all of her experience playing in so many big games with us and Canada. Shaner also played well, as did Lorenzen and Dew centrally. That was a tough game to throw at any freshman but Carrie really performed like a veteran, very poised and skilled. … Buczkowski and Schefter gave us some good minutes in the midfield, with all of their experience, but we did not play them a ton of minutes as we wanted to see some other people as well play in this type of game. … Ashley is like Lorenzen in that she is emerging with that versatility where we may be comfortable playing her some at outside back. … I thought Erika played a very solid game and it’s clear that her confidence is on another level than at this point in previous seasons. She is a veteran and is very focused out there. We lost two senior defenders who played in front of her all last year, so having her be so steady will be great to have this season.”
Freshman Brittany Bock logged significant minutes in both halves as a forward during the game vs. Virginia.
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NOTES – Thorlakson and Hanks were joined up top by sophomore Amanda Cinalli, who later had a solid second-half stint playing out of the midfield … freshman midfielder Brittany Bock actually was used exclusively as a forward, logging roughly 20 minutes in each half … the Irish opened with their returning three starters in the midfielder (Krivacek, her classmate Jen Buczkowski and senior Annie Schefter) while senior Erika Bohn played the full game in goal with three saves (in addition to snuffing out a couple dangerous chances for the Cavs) … sophomore Ashley Jones came off the bench to play in the midfield during the first half and then played the entire second half at right back, alongside her former state ODP teammate Dew (they were captains of the Cal-South team that won the ’04 ODP national title) … junior Lizzie Reed also logged minutes in both halves (as a midfielder) while senior Maggie Manning was a late entry at forward … Waldrum has passed on news from Turkey that sophomore Jannica Tjeder suffered an ACL knee injury while playing with Finland at the World University Games … the midfielder/forward is expected to miss the entire 2005 season … Tjeder will join two other members of the 2004 signing class (Hanks and Pinnick) in having the chance to play in the 2008 season (she and Pinnick could apply for a 5th year of eligibility while ’08 would be the 4th fall season for Hanks) … senior Jenny Walz (meniscus) and Inglis (sprained ankle), who both are options at M/D, remain sidelined due to their preseason injuries while freshman midfielder Becca Mendoza will be joining the Irish shortly after completing summer play with the Mexican National Team.
Sophomore Susan Pinnick continues on her inspiring return from the 2004 team-van accident with her club team, sparking the Irish attack with goals in each of the ’05 exhibitions.
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#4 Virginia 0 0 – 0
#1 Notre Dame 1 1 – 2
ND 1. Katie Thorlakson (Kerri Hanks) 19:39.
ND 2. Susan Pinnick (Thorlakson, Candace Chapman) 85:39.
Shots: UVA 5-2 – 7, ND 6-1 – 7
Corner Kicks: UVA 3-1 – 4, ND 2-2 – 4
Saves:UVA 4 (Christina de Vreis), ND 3 (Erika Bohn)
Fouls: UVA 8, ND 6
Offsides: UVA 0, ND 2