Aug. 21, 2001
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The fourth-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team opened its 2001 exhibition schedule with a 2-0 win Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with the Irish slated to play their second and final exhibition vs. Iowa on Friday, Aug. 24, at Alumni Field (2:00 p.m.).
Sophomore forward Melissa Tancredi opened the scoring in the 34th minute while freshman midfielder Reagan Jones showed a similar nose for the goal by scoring early in the second half. The Irish held a 25-8 edge in shots and an 8-3 corner kick advantage while utilizing the early scrimmage to see virtually the entire roster in game action.
A thru-ball from sophomore defender Jen Carter sprung her classmate Tancredi down the middle of the field, late in the first half. Tancredi-who missed all of the 2000 season due to injury-then showed her strong finishing ability by breaking into the top of the box and drilling a low shot inside the right post (33:27).
Junior forward Ali Lovelace set up the second goal with a run down the left side. Lovelace played the ball into the box but the UWM defense was unable to clear the ball. Jones, in her first action with the Irish, seized the chance by collecting the ball and eluding the opposition before striking a low crossing shot to the far right post (53:43).
The Irish experimented with several lineup options as they look to develop a rotation among their deep group of talented forwards while also searching for a new starter in the defense. Freshmen Candace Chapman and Mary Boland both had impressive debuts for the Irish, playing most of the game while showcasing their all-around skills.
NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH RANDY WALDRUM: “We just started practicing a couple days ago but this was a good experience for the team. The freshmen all played well for their first time out, and I tend to include Melissa Tancredi in that group because this is her first year of competition. I like the fact that we have several options and combinations that we can try in the back, but we’d like to have that solidified by the time next week’s tournament rolls around [Notre Dame’s KeyBank Classic, Aug. 31 and Sept. 2]. We had several breakdowns defensively and were not as cohesive as you’d like to be, but that’s to be expected considering how early it is. We also want to improve our finishing skills, as we had several quality scoring chances that didn’t result in any goals. Randi Scheller did a strong job for us in the midfield today and I think you’ll see her make big strides all season as she gains experience. This is a very talented team but there’s still a lot of players out there who have huge upsides. As I look at it now, we’re a team that might make some mistakes early on but this group has the ingredients to develop into a very strong unit as the season progresses.”
#4 Notre Dame 1 1 – 2
Wisconsin-Milwaukee 0 0 – 0
ND 1. Melissa Tancredi (Jennifer Carter) 33:27, ND 2. Reagan Jones 53:43.
Shots: ND 25, UWM 8.
Saves: ND (Liz Wagner) 2, UWM 16 (Aubin 12, Duffy 4).
Corner Kicks: ND 8, UWM 3.
Offsides: ND 1, UWM 3.