Oct. 30, 2001

Two members of the sixth-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team have been recognized by the BIG EAST Conference for their contributions to last week’s wins at Yale (2-0) and at home versus 23rd-ranked Michigan (2-1 in overtime). Sophomore forward Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) was named the BIG EAST offensive player of the week while fifth-year defender Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) was recognized as the league’s defensive player of the week.

In other news, Notre Dame moved up from eighth to sixth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, edging past Nebraska, Penn State and St. Mary’s (Calif.) while Portland vaulted from 10th to fourth. North Carolina remains first in the poll, followed by four teams from the West region: Stanford, Santa Clara, Portland and UCLA.

Guertin extended her goalscoring streak to five games (longest by an Irish player since Nov. 14, 1999), after recording both Irish goals at Yale and scoring in overtime to beat Michigan. She has scored four of Notre Dame’s last five goals, five of the last seven and six of the last 10-with her season totals including team bests in points (24), goals (9) and game-winning goals (4).

Gonzalez earned her second BIG EAST defensive honor in the last five weeks, after helping the Irish allow just one goal, 10 shots (only four on goal) and one corner kick during the week. The versatile veteran continues to excel at her new central defender position, where she has played since late September (after playing mostly outside back in the Irish defense during 2000 and the first month of 2001).

Notre Dame players have combined for seven BIG EAST weekly awards this season, with junior Vanessa Pruzinsky and senior Liz Wagner named the defensive player and goalkeeper of the week after the season-opening wins over Penn State and Hartford while senior midfielder Mia Sarkesian was the offensive player of the week after scoring gamewinners versus Nebraska and West Virginia. Sophomore forward Amy Warner was named the league’s offensive player of the week in mid-October, after totaling three goals in wins over St. John’s and Miami.