Sept. 5, 2001
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Notre Dame Women’s Soccer 2001 Game Notes
vs. Indiana (Sept. 7) and Wisconsin (Sept. 9)
The third-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team (2-0-0) resumes its season-opening, four-game homestand by facing a pair of Big Ten Conference opponents this weekend at Alumni Field … the Irish will take on Indiana in Friday-night action (Sept. 7, 7:00 p.m.) before welcoming Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 9, 1:00 p.m.) … the Irish play eight of their first 11 games at home … Notre Dame opened its season in challenging fashion by defeating 8th-ranked Penn State (2-1) and No. 25 Hartford (2-0) in the annual Key Bank Classic … the Irish hope to have junior midfielder Ashley Dryer back in the lineup (she missed the Key Bank while recovering from mononucleosis) … freshman M/F Mary Boland is sidelined indefinitely with a leg injury suffered in the closing seconds of the Penn State game.
HOTLINE UP AND RUNNING – The 2001-02 academic year marks the full debut of the ND sports hotline, at (219) 631-3000-with schedule and result information for all varsity sports currently in season … to access women’s soccer information, select option “4” when prompted, followed by option “2” … the hotline made its debut last February and was a big hit with Irish fans during the highly-successful spring months.
THE ND-IU SERIES – Notre Dame has won its last 10 meetings vs. Indiana and holds a 10-1-0 series edge, with the Hoosiers winning a 1988 game in Bloomingon (2-0) … ND’s current 10-game winning streak vs. IU includes a 54-4 scoring edge, with the closest games coming in 1989 (4-1), 1998 (3-0) and 1999 (4-1) … the 1999 game was played at IU, with Irish goals from Meotis Erikson, Jenny Streiffer, Jen Grubb and Jenny Heft (Heft and Streiffer also had assists while Kara Brown had 2A) … the Irish held a 20-5 shot edge, 10-3 in corner kicks (IU’s Kristen Sprunger opened the scoring 98 seconds into the game) … the ’98 game was played at Alumni Field during the Key Bank Classic (which also included Wake Forest and Missouri) … ND’s goalscorers in that game included Anne Makinen (2) and Heft (Grubb had 2A) … the Irish held a 22-3 shot edge in the ’98 game (9-1 in CKs) … current ND fifth-year D Monica Gonzalez also played vs. IU in 1997-an 8-0 victory (she assisted on an Erikson goal and scored ND’s eighth goal) … ND beat IU 8-1 in 1996 NCAA first-round action.
THE ND-WISCONSIN SERIES – Notre Dame’s series with Wisconsin mirrors the IU series, with the Irish winning the last 10 after dropping the first game vs. the BAdggers (6-0 in 1989) … ND’s current 10-game winning streak vs. Wisconsin includes a 45-5 scoring edge (25-3 in the last three meetings), with the closest games coming in 1992 (1-0) and 1995 (1-0), plus three two-goal wins … the Irish posted NCAA second-round wins over Wisconsin in 1995 and 1996 (both 5-0) … ND won 9-2 at Wisconsin in 1999-led by Jenny Streiffer and Anne Makinen (each with 2G-2A), Jen Grubb (2G-A) and Meotis Erikson (G-2A) … current Irish players Monica Gonzalez and Kely Tulisiak had assists in that game … ND’s 6-1 home win over the Badgers in 1998 including a hat trick from Wisconsin native Jenny Heft (current ND player Lindsey Jones had two assists while Mia Sarkesian had one) … Gonzalez also scored twice in ND’s 10-0 win at Wisconsin in 1997.
WEEKLY BIG EAST AWARDS TO PRUZINSKY, WAGNER – Notre Dame junior Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.) and senior Liz Wagner (Spring ,Texas) were honored by the BIG EAST Conference as the league’s defensive player and goalkeeper of the week, after helping the Irish women’s soccer team post wins last week over 8th-ranked Penn State (2-1) and No. 25 Hartford (2-0) … Pruzinsky anchored the Notre Dame defense from her central marking back position, with the Irish trying a variety of players alongside Pruzinsky at the other central spot that was shared last season by 2001 graduates Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker … Pruzinsky played all 90 minutes in both games at ND’s Key Bank Classic while helping keep PSU’s national player-of-the-year candidate Christie Welsh from scoring and holding Hartford All-American Katrina Lardiner without a point … named the Key Bank Classic defensive MVP, Pruzinsky helped limit Hartford to four shots (one in the second half) during a tense battle that saw the Irish forward and midfield units affected due to injury … Wagner likewise played a key role in the Irish defensive effort, highlighted by six saves vs. PSU-including one in which she charged out to stop Welsh’s breakaway just moments after PSU had scored for a 2-1 game … she totaled nine saves for the weekend, with PSU scoring on a quick redirection shot into the upper left corner of the net … Wagner posted the seventh solo shutout of her career in the Hartford game.
POLL POSITION – Notre Dame has been ranked first, second or third in 62 of the last 90 NSCAA preseason or regular-season polls (68.9 pct.), also ranking in the top five in 75 of the last 90 polls and in the top 10 of 89 of the last 90 (dating back to 1993) … the Irish moved up a spot this week, with Portland falling from third to fifth due to its 1-0 loss to second-ranked UCLA … Notre Dame’s spots in the last 90 NSCAA polls include 17 weeks at No. 1, 32 at No. 2, 13 at No. 3, five at No. 4, eight at No. 5, 11 at No. 6, three at No. 7 and one at No. 12.
PENN STATE RECAP (2-1, Aug. 31) – Midfielder Mary Boland found the net just seven minutes into her first regular-season game while the poised play of sophomore F Amanda Guertin ultimately made the difference … the game served as a 90-minute showcase of attractive and attacking soccer, with players from both teams repeatedly creating offensive excitement … PSU’s Christie Welsh-considered the frontrunner for national player of the year-failed to score despite several strong chances (herplaymaking set up a tense final 20 minutes, as her low cross from the left side resulted in a well-struck redirection shot from Heidi Drummond) … Boland’s debut included her hustling goal in the seventh minute … sophomore F Ali Lovelace provided a perfect cross from the right endline, after using her speed and agility to leap over a charging defender as she drove towards the goal … Boland was in position for a diving header, sending the ball inside the near-right post as G Emily Oleksiuk was leaning the other way (6:54) … senior F Kelly Tulisiak made the most of her entry early in the second half, setting up Guertin’s goal with a thru-ball near the top of the box … Oleksiuk was charging on the play but Guertin showed her trademark poise, sidestepping the goalie to the left and nudging a 14-yard shot into the vacated net as the Lions defenders closed too late (57:35) … PSU held a 15-12 shot edge and nearly struck first in the earlygoing, after Bonnie Young’s rightside corner kick presented Welsh with an open look from 10 yards out … but Irish sophomore M Randi Scheller cleared the near-post shot off the goalline and Drummond pushed her rebound try wide right.
#8 PENN STATE (0-1-0) … 0-1-1
#4 NOTRE DAME (1-0-0) … 1-1-2
ND 1. Mary Boland 1 (Ali Lovelace) 6:54, ND 2. Amanda Guertin 1 (Kelly Tulisiak) 57:35, PS 1. Heidi Drummond 1 (Christie Welsh) 67:18.
SHOTS: PS 6-9-15, ND 7-5-12.
SAVES: PS 2-1-3 (Emily Oleksiuk), ND 2-5-7 (Liz Wagner 6, team 1) .
CORNER KICKS: PS 3-1-4, ND 3-1-4.
FOULS: PS 4-2-6, ND 7-7-14.
RANDY WALDRUM ON THE PSU GAME – “That was two athletic teams going at each other and it was end-to-end. I was very pleased with our frontrunners, early in the game particularly. We were very good at getting behind them. It was a great effort by our team considering the number of young people we had on the field. Mary laid her body out there to get that diving header. It was a great goal. She’s a big-time player.
READY TO ROLL- Mary Boland’s goal in the seventh minute vs. Penn State (6:54) is the second-earliest ever scored by a Notre Dame freshman in a season opener and is the earliest in 12 seasons, dating back to the 1989 season opener vs. St. Joseph’s when Margaret Jarc scored just 80 seconds into her Notre Dame career … Boland’s goal is the sixth-earliest in a season opener ever by any Notre Dame player, with the other five coming vs. unranked teams … Rosella Guerrero scored ND’s first goal of the 1992 (18:02, vs. N.C. State), 1993 (7:45, vs. LaSalle) and 1995 (7:36, vs. Rutgers) seasons.
Quickest Notre Dame Goals in a Season Opener
1:20 Margaret Jarc (Fr.) … vs. St. Joseph’s (4-1) … 1989
1:50 Amy Van Laecke (Sr.) … at Providence (14-0) … 1996
5:31 Michelle McCarthy (Sr.) … vs. Providence (7-0) … 1995
5:57 Shannon Boxx (So.) … at Providence (14-0) … 1996
6:50 Cindy Daws (Sr.) … at Providence (14-0) … 1996
6:54 Mary Boland (Fr.) … vs. #8 Penn State (2-1) … 2000
FOR OPENERS – With the win over Penn State, ND improved to 12-2 all-time in season openers (8-1 in the last nine, with a 3-2 loss to North Carolina in double OT to open ’99).
REGULAR-SEASON ROMP – Sparked by its 4-2 loss at then-No. 1 Santa Clara on Oct. 17, 1999, ND won its final four regular-season games of ’99 before winning its first 16 of 2000 (followed by an 0-0 tie at UConn) … that streak included a scoring edge of 78-10 and bested the team record of 18 consecutive wins in the regular season, set from Oct. 19, 1995 – Oct. 11, 1996 … ND heads into Indiana game riding a 24-game unbeaten streak (23-0-1) in regular-season play, good for third in the Irish record book behind a 30-0-2 regular-season run (Oct. 17, 1993 – Oct. 1, 1995) and a 26-0-1 streak through the regular season from Oct. 20, 1996 – Sept. 11, 1998.
SERIES OPENER STREAK – Notre Dame has won its last 16 series openers, including last week’s wins over Penn State and Hartford … the Irish are 26-3-0 in series openers since 1993 … since ’93, teams making their first visit to Alumni Field are 1-29-1 vs. the Irish in those games … the Irish are 39-6-0 in all series openers played at home (14-1-0 since ’93) … ND’s all-time record in series openers is 59-23-2 (.714) … the Irish are 4-1-0 all-time in series openers that took place during the NCAAs (including a 2000 win over Harvard in the NCAA third round).
FIRST-TIME VISITORS – Since the start of the 1993 season, Notre Dame opponents that were making their first visit to Alumni Field have lost to the Irish 29 times (including Penn State and Hartford last week), with one win for the opposition and one tie.
HARTFORD RECAP (2-0, 9/1/01) – ND used a makeshift lineup and another timely goal from senior F Kelly Tulisiak to defeat 25th-ranked Hartford … the Irish tried a variety of formations, with freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir making a solid starting debut at the central marking back position, alongside junior Vanessa Pruzinsky (who was named the Key Bank Classic defensive MVP) … Tulisiak found the net with 23 minutes left to play, just five minutes after checking into the game … freshman F Amy Warner set the sequence in motion, using her speed and moves to work into the right side of the box before her low shot was cleared off the goalline by a Hartford defender guarding the near post … Warner then poked the deflected ball to Tulisiak, whose quick shot was knocked down by Hawks ‘keeper Anne Lise Nilssen … but Tulisiak sent the second deflection into open side of the goal, with the ball sailing into the upper left corner for the 1-0 lead (66:59) … Warner capped the scoring with 1:59 left to play, with fellow sophomore F Amanda Guertin assisting on a cross from the left flank … Warner collected the ball on the right side and outran her defender before striking a low shot inside the far left post (88:01) … ND finished with a 14-4 shot advantage (10-1 in the second half) while attempting six corner kicks to Hartford’s two.
#25 HARTFORD (0-2-0) … 0-0-0 #4 NOTRE DAME (2-0-0) … 0-2-2
ND 1. Kelly Tulisiak 1 (unassisted) 66:59, ND 2. Amy Warner 1 (Amanda Guertin) 88:01.
SHOTS: HART 3-1-4, ND 4-10-14.
CORNER KICKS: HART 1-1-2, ND 2-4-6.
SAVES: HART 3-6-9 (Anne Lise Nilssen), ND 2-1-3 (Liz Wagner).
2001 KEY BANK CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Notre Dame: Vanessa Pruzinsky (Jr., D), Mia Sarkesian (Sr., M), Kelly Tulisiak (Sr., F), Liz Wagner (Sr., G)
Penn State: Joanna Lohman (So., M), Emily Oleksiuk (Sr., G), Christie Welsh (Jr., F)
Connecticut: Jessica Gjersten (So., F), Casey Zimny (Sr., D)
Hartford: Sandra Kakula (Jr., M), Cindy Walsh (So., D)
Offensive MVP: Christie Welsh (Penn State, Jr., F)
Defensive MVP: Vanessa Pruzinsky (Notre Dame, Jr., D)
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE – Notre Dame’s current 28-game home winning streak is tied for fifth in NCAA history and leaves the Irish four victories shy of tying for the third-longest home winning streak ever by a Division I women’s soccer program, with the top four on that list belonging to North Carolina (84 from ’86-’94, 40 from ’81-’84, 29 from ’96-’99) and Santa Clara (32, from ’97-’00) … the Irish have not tasted defeat at home since a heartbreaking 3-2, double-overtime loss to top-ranked North Carolina in the 1999 season opener-with the current home winning streak including 10 wins over top-25 nationally-ranked teams (five vs. top-10 teams) … if ND wins its next five home games, the resulting 33-game home winning streak would be the longest by a Division I women’s soccer program since 1994 … the current 28-game home winning streak (with a 72-12 scoring edge) ties the Notre Dame team record that began after that 1992 Stanford loss and ended with a 5-4 overtime loss to Connecticut on Oct. 6, 1995 (since that loss, ND is 73-2-1 in its last 76 home games, also 96.7 pct.) … the 1992-95 streak included seven wins over top-25 teams (five vs. top-10 teams).
HOMESTANDERS – Since losing to Stanford on Oct. 4, 1992, ND has posted 101 home wins while losing just three times at home in that span, with one tie (101-3-1, or 96.7 pct.) … that 105-game span includes winning streaks of 28, 28, 23 and 22 games … in addition to the 1995 UConn game and the 1999 UNC game, the other recent home loss came to Portland in the 1998 NCAA quarterfinals (2-1) while the tie was vs. UNC, on Sept. 19, 1997 (2-2) … the Irish own a 120-7-1 (.941) record in 13 seasons of play at Alumni Field … ND’s all-time record at Alumni Field vs. teams not ranked in the NSCAA poll is 82-1-0 (36-6-1 vs. ranked teams), with 75 straight home wins over unranked teams dating back to a 2-0 loss to Creighton in ’90 … the Irish played at Moose Krause Field in the program’s first two seasons (’88 and ’89), with a home record of 19-5-1 during that span (all vs. unranked teams).
SENIOR SPARK- Senior F Kelly Tulisiak provided a huge spark to the ND offense during the Key Bank Classic, assisting on the gamewinning goal vs. No. 8 Penn State (2-1) before scoring the gamewinner vs. No. 25 Hartford (2-0) … Tulisiak’s timely play was all the more noteworthy considering the fact that the Irish forward and midfield units were hobbled by injuries, resulting in a makeshift lineup … a nose for the goal is nothing new for Tulisiak, who has come off the bench in 42 career games (no starts) while totaling seven goals on just 30 shots (4.3 shots per goal) … vs. PSU, Tulisiak made the most of her entry into the game early in the second half, setting up Amanda Guertin’s goal with a thru-ball near the top of the box … vs. Hartford, Tulisiak found the net with 23 minutes left to play, just five minutes after checking into the game … Amy Warner set the sequence in motion, using her speed and moves to work into the right side of the box before her low shot was cleared off the goalline by a Hartford defender guarding the near post … Warner then poked the deflected ball to Tulisiak, whose quick shot was knocked down by Hawks ‘keeper Anne Lise Nilssen-but Tulisiak sent the second deflection into open side of the goal, with the ball sailing into the upper left corner for the 1-0 lead.
UWM EXHIBITION RECAP (2-0, 8/21/01) – Sophomore F Melissa Tancredi opened the scoring in the 34th minute while freshman M 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 D Jen Carter sprung her classmate Tancredi down the middle of the field, late in the first half … Tancredi 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 F 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 seized the chance by collecting the ball and eluding the opposition before striking a low crossing shot to the far right post (53:43).
IOWA EXHIBITION RECAP (3-1, 8/24/01) – Amanda Guertin scored twice on passes from fellow sophomore F Amy Warner and freshman Erin Sheehan added a goal in the lategoing, as ND overcame a scoreless first half to defeat visiting Iowa … the Irish held a 25-14 shot edge while attempting nine corner kicks to Iowa’s one … Guertin opened the scoring in the 54th minute, quickly redirecting Warner’s pinpoint cross from the right side (another sophomore, midfielder Randi Scheller, helped set up the sequence with a midfield pass from 30 yards out) … Guertin’s second goal was similar to the first, with Warner slicing by the Iowa defense and sliding a pass to her classmate for the 2-0 lead (60:27) … Sheehan showed her speed and finishing touch in the 79th minute, breaking onto the ball on the right side and beating her defender after a long run before striking the ball into the left side of the net for a 3-0 lead.
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL – Notre Dame was a unanimous choice to repeat as Mid-Atlantic Division women’s soccer champions in the BIG EAST Conference, based on annual preseason polling conducted by the BIG EAST coaches … ND-which owns a 48-2-1 all-time record in BIG EAST regular-season games, in addition to winning all six BIG EAST tournament titles since joining the league in 1995-received the maximum 13 first-place votes for winning the Mid-Atlantic Division, followed by West Virginia, Rutgers, Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh … Connecticut received eight 1st-place votes as the pick to repeat as Northeast Division champ, followed by Boston College (five 1st-place votes), Syracuse, Miami, St. John’s, newcomer Virginia Tech and Providence. Academic All-American Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-tabbed the BIG EAST preseason co-defensive player of the year, along with UConn’s Casey Zimmy-returns for her junior season at central defender. Sophomore forward Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) joined Pruzinsky as ND’s pair of players on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team.
IRISH HEAD COACH RANDY WALDRUM ON THE 2001 TEAM – “By losing starters from every position but goalkeeper, we had some clearcut goals in the recruiting phase and we met those goals by adding talented players who will fit well into our system. We will be a very athletic team and have added significantly to our team speed, which should provide fans with a very attractive style of soccer. Our basic goal was to match up better athletically with the other top teams while still maintaining the high level of soccer skill that has characterized past Notre Dame teams. This also is a very team-oriented group that plays very well as a unit and their ultimate goal has not changed. They want to bring home the national championship and I think we have the right elements in place to make that happen.”
WALDRUM WORKING WONDERS – Third-year ND head coach Randy Waldrum-who repeated as BIG EAST coach of the year in 2000-has seen his Irish teams post an impressive 46-5-2 combined record (.887), including a 15-4-2 mark vs. NSCAA top-25 teams and a ’99 season that ended in the NCAA title game (the 2000 squad then was ranked No. 1 for most of the season and advanced to the NCAA semifinals) … Waldrum in ’99 became the only coach in the 18-year history of the NCAA women’s soccer championship to lead a team to the title game in his first season as that team’s head coach … he was the fourth first-year coach to take his team to the NCAA semi’s, with the Irish beating top-ranked and previously unbeaten Santa Clara in their backyard of San Jose, Calif.
Waldrum’s 20-year record as a college head coach (with both men’s and women’s teams) is 229-110-21 (.665) … he owns a 153-54-14 (.724) record in 11-plus seasons as a Division I women’s coach, including 61-36-9 in six years at Tulsa (.580) and 46-14-3 in three seasons at Baylor … Waldrum entered the 2001 season ranked 14th among active women’s coaches for career winning percentage (he ranks 25th on the total wins list).
MIDWEST MACHINE – Notre Dame’s dominance within the Midwest part of the country includes a current 42-game winning streak versus Big Ten Conference teams-dating back to a 3-0 loss to Michigan State on Sept. 22, 1989 … since that 1989 loss to MSU, the Irish are 111-3-5 overall (.954) vs. Midwest teams … the winning streak vs. Big Ten opponents includes 10 wins vs. both Indiana and Wisconsin, nine vs. MSU, seven vs. Michigan, four vs. Ohio State and one each vs. Northwestern and Penn State … last week’s visit by 8th-ranked Penn State marked the biggest threat to that streak (in terms of opponent ranking) since then-No. 8 Wisconsin dropped a 2-0 game to the Irish in the 1994 season.
WHO’S BACK, WHO’S GONE? – Notre Dame is set to return 13 of its top 18 players from the 2000 team that spent most of the season ranked No. 1 while compiling a 23-1-1 overall record and advancing to the NCAA semifinals … nine of the returners saw significant time as starters in 2000 while eight of the top 10 scorers are set to return, with the biggest losses being the 2000 team’s top two leading scorers, Anne Makinen (14 goals-15 assists) and Meotis Erikson (13G-13A), plus Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker )who both saw extensive time at the central marking back position).
A QUICK LOOK AT THE IRISH
* Senior goalkeeper Liz Wagner (Spring, Texas) is back in the nets for the Irish, after leading the nation in 2000 with an 0.39 goals-against average … several key defensive regulars also return from a unit that allowed just 10 total goals and 6.4 shots per game last season … Academic All-American Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-tabbed the BIG EAST preseason co-defensive player of the year, along with UConn’s Casey Zimmy-returns for her junior season at central defender, where she will play alongside a new teammate following the graduation of Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker … the Irish have plenty of experience at the outside marking back positions, with senior co-captain Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.) returning on the right side while fifth-year player Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) is back to patrol the left side … Jones also has been tried at the open center back position, as has promising freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (a member of Iceland’s national team).
* Senior co-captain Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich., 5G-3A) and junior Ashley Dryer (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2G-5A) provide veteran experience for the Irish midfield while promising sophomore Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa., 6G-7A) likely will step into the attacking midfielder role, a spot vacated by the graduation of Anne Makinen (the 2000 national player of the year) … freshman Reagan Jones (Tampa, Fla.) or sophomore Kim Carpenter (Webster, N.Y.) could fill a role similar to Scheller’s in 2000, when she was the first midfielder off the bench.
* Notre Dame has a surplus of forward options in 2001, led by its top returning scorers-sophomores Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas, 11G-4A) and Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M., 10G-4A, 18 GP due to knee injury), who joined Pruzinsky as ND’s pair of players on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team … junior Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga., 4G-5A in 2000) and senior Kelly Tulisiak (Medina, Ohio, 4G-1A) add to an experienced forward unit that also could see contributions from three newcomers: sophomore Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario)-who missed all of 2000 due to an ACL knee injury-and the freshman duo of Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio) and Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario) … the versatile Boland also is a strong midfield option while Chapman got some early looks in the defense at outside back.
THE FORTRESS – Notre Dame’s strength lies in its defense, after leading the nation with an 0.39 goals-against average in 2000 … three of the team’s five seniors-goalkeeper Liz Wagner, rightside back Lindsey Jones and fifth-year Monica Gonzalez at left back-play in the defensive third while junior marking back Vanessa Pruzinsky is considered the heart and soul of the stingy Irish defense.
PYRAMID POWER – Notre Dame’s unique 4-3-3 “inverted pyramid” formation returns two of its three central-based midfielders in senior Mia Sarkesian and junior Ashley Dryer while promising sophomore Randi Scheller has filled Makinen’s attacking role at the third midfield spot … Dryer missed the Key Bank Classic while recovering from a bout with mononucleosis but is slated to return to the lineup this week.
FORWARD THINKING – Notre Dame’s roster is overflowing with quality players at the forward position, including three-junior Ali Lovelace and the sophomore duo of Amy Warner and Amanda Guertin-who combined with 2001 graduated Meotis Erikson for most of the time in 2000 … senior Kelly Tulisiak has been a proven goalscorer off the bench in 42 career games while three “newcomers” also factor heavily in the forward mix: sophomore Melissa Tancredi, who missed all of the 2000 season due to an ACL knee injury, and the exciting freshman tandem of Candace Chapman and Mary Boland … Chapman (who also has been tried in the defense at outside back) is a former teammate of Tancredi’s on club and national-team squads in their native Canada while the versatile Boland could be used at a number of positions.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR – Speedy junior F Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga.), who has the most college game experience among the returners, is one of the more intriguing members of the forward unit … a regular threat to slash towards the goal, Lovelace could be due for a breakthrough season after being hampered by nagging injuries her first two years (with 4G-1A in 1999, 4G-5A in 2000) … many of her points have came in big games, including the pinpoint cross that set up Mary Boland’s diving header for the early 1-0 lead last week vs. Penn State … Lovelace’s eight career goals also include scores vs. Santa Clara in the 1999 NCAA semifinals (1-0) and the 2000 quarterfinals (opening goal in 2-1 overtime win).
FIRE & ICE – That old clich? aptly applies to the equally-effective styles of sophomore forwards Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) … Warner-who assisted on the gamewinner and capped the scoring in last week’s 2-0 win over Hartford-burst onto the scene early in 2000, buzzing around the offensive zone and ranking as the team’s second-leading scorer through 10 games (7G-4A) before a knee injury caused her to miss seven games (she returned in reserve duty beginning with the final regular-season game and scored as a starter in the 2-1 NCAA semifinal loss to UNC) … a first team all-BIG EAST and third team all-region selection, Warner finished her truncated first season with 9G-4A, including the earliest hat trick ever posted by an ND freshman … the poised and multi-talented Guertin quietly turned in a rookie season that included 11G-4A (her 26 points trailed only seniors Anne Makinen and Meotis Erikson on the Irish scoring charts) while starting 22 games and tying for second on the team with four game-winning goals, including an OT score to end West Virginia’s upset bid.
NEW FORWARD FACES – Three “newcomers” could factor heavily into the forward mix for Notre Dame in 2001 … sophomore Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario) missed all of the 2000 fall season but had a solid outing in Notre Dame’s 2-1 win over the Mexican National Team last spring … the 5-9 Tancredi could add a certain edge to the forward unit with her combination of size, speed and toughness making her an ideal target player and central striker … freshman Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario)-who has experience at forward and flank midfielder-could combine with sophomore Amy Warner as one of the nation’ fastest pair of forwards (she also was being tried in the defense as an outside back) … freshman Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio)-who is out indefinitely with a leg injury suffered in the opener-originally was slated to play in the Irish midfield or defense but she also has been thrown into the forward mix, thanks to an eye-popping performance during the summer of 2001 while playing as a forward with the U.S. under-19 team … Boland impressed observers last summer with attacking mentality-a go-for-the-goal type of attitude-that she backs up with excellent technical ability and the poise of a veteran.
KEYS TO THE CITY – ND’s Randy Waldrum doesn’t mince words when evaluating one of the key aspects of his 2001 squad: the play of the team’s pair of returning midfield starters, senior co-captain Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich.) and junior Ashley Dryer (Salt Lake City, Utah) … “As they go, so will the team go,” says Waldrum. “Mia and Ashley are such key elements but they are more than capable of handling that pressure. Winning the midfield battle is critical in our system and they’ve come into their own as strong all-around players who consistently get the job done.” … Sarkesian and Dryer have yet to gain significant national recognition-due, in large part, to playing in the shadow of 2000 national player of the year Anne Makinen … some attention did come their way late in 2000, with Sarkesian being named the BIG EAST Championship’s most outstanding player while Dryer’s value ironically was magnified in her absence, missing most of the NCAA quarterfinals and all of the NCAA semifinals due to injury … without Dryer, the Irish went an unthinkable 77 minutes vs. Santa Clara without a shot and were forced to switch to an unorthodox 4-2-4 system (four forwards, two midfielders) vs. North Carolina in the semifinals.
MORE ON THE MID’S – Senior Mia Sarkesian owes a large part of her apparent anonymity to a seemingly effortless ability to patrol the midfield and distribute the ball with accuracy and consistency while excelling in the subtle aspects of midfield play … even her meager career stats (9G-10A) are deceiving, with many of those points coming in pressure situations (she was a proven scorer as a prep, with 72G-36A) … junior Ashley Dryer has similar attributes to Sarkesian and always has been one of the team’s top players in the air, despite being one of its shortest at 5-4 … likewise an accomplished scorer in high (76G-47A), Dryer could match her Irish career stats (2G-5A) early in the upcoming season as she begins to develop her own offensive chances.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK – Sophomore Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa.)-Notre Dame’s new starter in the midfield-could open some eyes in her second season, as she packs plenty of talent into her deceptive 5-3 frame … the sophomore fireplug boasts an assortment of twisting moves to go along with a strong shot and an improving field sense … add in a rookie season in which she learned from one of the best players in collegiate women’s soccer history (2001 graduate Anne Makinen) and it’s no surprise that Scheller has the confidence of the Irish coaches.
GAMES IN THE BANK – The Irish return four of five starters in the defensive third (including Liz Wagner in the goal), with a wealth of experience contained in the threesome of Monica Gonzalez, Lindsey Jones and Vanessa Pruzinsky … those three-who each trained previously at forward or midfield-have combined to play in 206 career games at Notre Dame, with 134 starts.
THE VETERAN – Left outside back Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) is the battle-tested veteran of the Irish squad, embarking on her fifth year of eligibility due to a sophomore season that was lost due to injury … in addition to logging 76 career games (30 starts), Gonzalez-a converted forward and the team’s tallest player at 5-11-is a founding member of the three-year-old Mexican National Team … she has returned to the left back position where she made most of her 18 starts in 2000, when she chipped in one goal and four assists while ranking as one of the best players on the field in the regular-season showdown at UConn and the NCAA semifinal matchup with North Carolina.
LOCAL GIRL MAKES GOOD – Senior co-captain Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.)-who switched from the midfield when Notre Dame went to its 4-3-3 system in 1999-returns at right back, where she made 23 starts a year ago (she has started in 51 of 77 career games played) … a tireless runner with a lanky 5-9 frame, Jones has developed into a hard-nosed defender and is possibly the most well-conditioned member of the squad … during the past few weeks, Jones also has been tried at yet another position, center back, as the Irish look to fill the biggest gap in their 2001 lineup.
STRAIGHT-A SHOOTER – Junior defender Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-who has started all 53 games of her Irish career-earned preseason billing as the BIG EAST’s co-defensive player of the year, a fitting tribute to the central intimidator of the Irish defense whose skills make her a strong All-America candidate … she already has earned first team Academic All-America honors, as a 4.0 chemical engineering major … Pruzinsky-who scored 79 goals as a prep forward-has the power to win most “50-50” balls and the recovery speed to close quickly on forwards who venture into her vicinity.
THE GREAT UNKNOWN – While the Irish have a known commodity at one central defender spot, Vanessa Pruzinsky’s partner at the marking back position is unknown heading into the 2001 preseason … candidates include senior Lindsey Jones-who has slid in from her outside back spot at times during the first few weeks-in addition to promising freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir … another freshman, Candace Chapman, has played some at outside back, allowing Jones to move inside during the earlygoing (while Gunnarsdottir was recovering from a summer injury).
“GUNNA” GET YOU – Freshman Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (Seltjarnames, Iceland) is one of the more likely solutions to fill the central marking back spot held by Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker for most of 2000 … a member of Iceland’s up-and-coming national team, the 5-9 “Gunna”-as she is known by teammates-follows Finland native Anne Makinen (’01) as the second European player to join the Notre Dame program … the composed and steady Gunnarsdottir could give the Irish a new look in the back due to her combination of speed, height, ability to read the game well and experience playing internationally against some of the world’s top forwards.
PRIME-TIME PLAYER – The strong play of Liz Wagner (Spring, Texas) often was lost on observers from the 2000 season, particularly if they witnessed a game where she hardly touched the ball (she faced just 19 shots in 13 regular-season games vs. unranked teams) as compared to seeing one of her many stellar efforts vs. ranked teams and in the postseason-when she made 42 saves and allowed just six goals in 12 such “big games” (she added nine saves and one goal allowed in last week’s action vs. Penn State and Hartford) … Wagner’s nation-leading 0.39 goals-against average included a 700-minute shutout streak (12th-longest in NCAA history) and a pair of prime-time, eight-save efforts at Connecticut (0-0) and vs. Santa Clara in the NCAA quarterfinals (2-1, OT) … she did not give up multiple goals until the 2-1 NCAA semifinal loss to North Carolina-just the second time that Wagner and the Irish trailed during the entire 2000 season, spanning just 35 minutes … sophomore Lauren Kent (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) again will contend for time in the nets, after playing sparingly as a freshman and recovering fully from offseason knee surgery … Kent has proven effective at reading the game , has excellent command of the penalty box and is very confident in her abilities while making strides in her distribution skills.
WAGNER IN THE NCAA RECORD BOOK – Liz Wagner’s 0.38 career GAA would rank third in NCAA histroy, behind UNC’s Siri Mullinix (0.28, ’95-’98 ) and Anne Sherow (0.14, ’85-’88) … Wagner has logged roughly 2,618 minutes in her career (the NCAA minimum for the career GAA list is 2,500 minutes, with Sherow playing just 2,525 while Mullinix logged 5,536).
NATIONAL TEAMS x 4 – Notre Dame’s 2001 roster includes four players who were active with different national teams during the summer of 2001, with those players including senior defender Monica Gonzalez (Mexican national team) and three freshmen: forward Candace Chapman (Canadian under-19 team), midfielder Mary Boland (U.S. under-19s) and defender Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (Icelandic national team) … former Irish D Kate Sobrero is one of the top young players currently on the U.S. National Team.
CONFERENCE COMMAND – Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over UConn in the 2000 BIG EAST title game marked the eighth consecutive year the Irish have won their conference tournament … ND owns an 89-3-3 (.953) all-time record in 10 years of regular-season conference games (’91-’94 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, ’95-present in the BIG EAST), plus a 19-0-0 record in conference tournament action … the Irish own a 54-2-2 (.948) all-time record in BIG EAST regular-season play, including cross-divisional games and the 2000 tie at UConn (0-0), which was not part of the official BIG EAST schedule … prior to that tie, the Irish had won 25 straight games vs. BIG EAST teams (19 regular season, six BIG EAST Tournament). Notre Dame’s only other blemishes in BIG EAST regular-season play are a 5-4 overtime loss to UConn during ND’s ’95 NCAA Championship season, a 1-1 tie at UConn in ’98 and a 3-2 loss two days later at Seton Hall. Since joining the BIG EAST in ’95, the Irish are 70-3-2 (.947) in all games vs. BIG EAST opponents (with a 2-0 win over UConn in the ’95 NCAA quarterfinals ad 2-1 loss to UConn in the ’97 NCAA semi’s). Notre Dame’s 75 games vs. BIG EAST teams since ’95 have included a 370-33 scoring edge (60-7 in 15 BIG EAST Tournament games).
GOALS-A-PLENTY – Notre Dame scored in 55 consecutive games from Aug. 29, 1997 to Sept. 17, 1999 (all of the ’97 and ’98 seasons and the first five games of ’99) … the streak came to an end in a 1-0 loss to SMU, with All-America midfielder Anne Makinen not playing for the Irish due to commitments with Finland’s national team … ND scored in 98 of the 101 games in Makinen’s career and injuries limited her play in the other two games where the Irish were shut out (she played just the first 30 minutes of the 2-0 loss to UNC in the ’99 NCAA title game and came off the bench late in the first half of an 0-0 tie at UConn in 2000) … ND’s previous record for scoring streak was a 36-game run from Oct. 19, 1995 to Dec. 6, 1996 (ending with the 1-0 OT loss to UNC in the title game) … stretching from 1992-2001, ND has scored in 96.0 percent of its games (213 of 222) … since 1994, the Irish have scored in 172 of 178 (.966, three shutouts in NCAA title games)-with goals in 128 of 131 regular-season games (.977) during that eight-year stretch.
ROAD WARRIORS – Since dropping a 4-2 game at Santa Clara on Oct. 17, 1999, ND heads into 2001 with a record of 13-2-2 in its last 17 games away from Alumni Field … the Irish put up solid numbers on the road in 2000 (10 games), including a 30-3 scoring edge.
SISTER ACT – Senior Kelly Tulisiak and freshman defender Kate Tulisiak (from Medina, Ohio) are the first set of sisters to play for the Notre Dame women’s soccer program and could become the 18th set of sisters to earn a varsity monogram in the same sport at Notre Dame … the 17 previous sister combinations have come from eight sports … current Notre Dame assistant athletic director Brian Boulac coached his daughters Dawn (’89) and Debbie (’90-’93) on the Irish softball team (their sister Dyan played volleyball at ND) while former Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdiserri saw his daughters Kathy (’73-’78) and Susan (’80-’83) become some of the early leaders of the Irish women’s fencing program … other noteworthy sisters who have lettered in the same sport at Notre Dame include: women’s tennis players Terri (’91-’92, ’94) and Sherri (’93-’96) Vitale of Brandenton, Fla., and women’s golfers Julie (’93-’96) and Tracy (’95-’98) Melby of Alexandria, Minn. Pitchers Jen (’98-’01) and Jessica (’00-’01) Sharron of Agoura Hills, Calif., played together on the 2000 and 2001 Irish softball teams (Jessica, currently a junior, has yet to letter) … Kate Tulisiak is not the only freshman at Notre Dame who is joining her sister’s team this season, as lacrosse player Carol Dixon (Pennsauken, N.J.) is slated to play alongside her sister Angela (a junior) with the Irish squad next spring … the Tulisiaks could follow be the eighth ND sister combination to letter in the same sport during the same season.
Winningest Teams Since 1990 (min. 8 seasons)
1. North Carolina … .959 (265-10-3)
2. Notre Dame ….873 (221-27-12)
3. Nebraska ….823 (126-26-3)
4. Portland ….803 (176-39-11)
5. Santa Clara ….798 (186-43-11)
6. Connecticut ….773 (202-56-9)
Texas A&M ….773 (134-38-4)
8. Penn State ….767 (124-35-8)
9. Stanford ….758 (164-49-10)
10. UCLA ….742 (116-37-10)
11. Clemson ….732 (107-38-4)
Note: A&M and UCLA started in ’93, Nebraska, PSU and Clemson in ’94.
NATIONAL TEAM CAMP – Three former Notre Dame women’s soccer players-defenders Kate Sobrero (’98) and Kelly Lindsey (’01) and goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (’00)-have been selected for the 24-player roster that will gather in Chicago on Sept. 4, in preparation for the 2001 Nike U.S. Women’s Cup-a four-team tournament that promises to bring six world class matches to three Midwest venues … The 24 players will train four days before 18 will be selected to represent the U.S. versus Germany on Sept. 9 (Soldier Field, Chicago, noon CT), Japan on Sept. 11 (Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, 9:00 p.m. ET) and China on Sept. 16 (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, noon CT) … Notre Dame is one of five schools with multiple players (former or current) on the training camp roster while ND and North Carolina are the only programs with three-plus on the elite roster. … Sobrero has appeared in 66 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team and was a starter on the 1999 World Cup championship team … Beene and Lindsey spent time in the U.S. under-21 program, with Beene also playing on several u-21 Nordic Cup teams … both also played on a young U.S. team that won the Australia Cup tournament in January of 2000 … Beene and Lindsey are two of 19 current WUSA players that were named to the training roster. … Some of the more noteworthy veterans of the women’s national team that will participate in the camp include forwards Tiffeny Milbrett, Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow, midfielders Shannon MacMillan, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Lorrie Fair, and defenders Sobrero, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett and Tiffany Roberts (see www.und.com for complete roster).
WUSA SUCCESS – Ten former Notre Dame players were participants in the inaugrual season of the Women’s United Soccer Association during the summer of 2001, with the 10 former Irish players representing the third-most from any Division I program. Two of those former Irish players-goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (’97-’00) and defender Kelly Lindsey (’98-’01)-led the Bay Area CyberRays to the championship of the WUSA … the CyberRays and Atlanta Beat played to a 3-3 tie at Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium, with Bay Area then claiming the title in the penalty-kick shootout (decided 4-2 after four kicks).
Beene-who was named the WUSA’s goalkeeper of the year-made three saves in regulation and through 15 minutes of overtime .. she then dove to her left to stop Atlanta’s first penalty kick, a low shot by one of the world’s top players, Sun Wen … Atlanta’s Charmaine Hooper later sent her attempt wide of the right post … Lindsey-who was named to the second team all-WUSA squad-had the primary assist on the game’s first goal, after taking a rare shot from the left side of the box … Lindsey’s shot was bound for the right side of the goal, with Brandi Chastain then flicking the ball with her head for the early 1-0 lead.
Another former Notre Dame player was honored at the WUSA awards banquet on Friday night, as Boston Breakers defender Kate Sobrero (’94-’97) was presented with the WUSA’s Humanitarian Award, in recognition of her charitable work in the Boston area.
Four of the eight WUSA teams featured mutliple Notre Dame alums … Beene ranked second in the WUSA with an 0.97 goals-against average while former Irish defender Jen Grubb (’97-’01) played all 1,890 minuntes for the Washington Freedom . Former Irish M Anne Makinen (’97-’00) and former ND forward Monica Gerardo (’95-’98) also played for the Freedom. Former Irish M Shannon Boxx (’95-’98) logged a team-best 1,870 minutes as the fourth-leading scorer on the San Diego Spirit (former Irish M/F Jenny Streiffer-Mascaro (’96-’99) also played for the Spirit). Sobrero was joined on the Boston Breakers by former Irish F Meotis Erikson (’97-’01) while former ND midfielder Holly Manthei (’94-’97) signed with the Breakers in midseason.
OUT IN FRONT – During the past two seasons, Notre Dame has trailed in just two of 27 games for a total of 35 minutes (28 minutes, vs. Boston College and seven vs. North Carolina) … the Irish have scored in the first half in 21 of those 27 games, going scoreless past the 55:00 mark just four times (including last week’s Hartford game).
PUNCH THE CLOCK – Junior D Vanessa Pruzinsky and senior G Liz Wagner have started all 27 of Notre Dame’s games during the past two seasons … four others have appeared in each of those 27 games: sophomore F Amanda Guertin (24 GS), sophomore M Randi Scheller (7 GS), senior M Mia Sarkesian (26 GS) and senior D Lindsey Jones (25 GS) … Pruzinsky has started every game of her ND career (53).
QUICK STRIKES – Notre Dame has jumped ahead in the first 12:00 of eight games during the past two seasons, including the 2000 NCAA win over Michigan (3-1) and the 2001 opener vs. Penn State (Mary Boland’s goal at 6:54 in that game ranks as the second-earliest Irish goal in the past two seasons) … the Irish opened the 2000 season by scoring in the 12th minute vs. Detroit and scored in the 8th minute the next week vs. Providence … the most important quick-strike goal in 2000 came Sept. 17 at Portland, as Meotis Erikson’s score in the 8th minute quieted the raucous 3,500-plus crowd and held up as the game’s only goal (the Irish ascended to the top of the national rankings one day later) … Erikson also volleyed in a leftside free kick from Anne Makinen to open the scoring in the 12th minute of the 2000 NCAA win over Michigan.
ND’s Quickest First Goals (2000-01)
1:32 – at Syracuse (Mia Sarkesian)
6:54 – vs. Penn State (Mary Boland)
7:20 – at Portland (Meotis Erikson)
8:38 – vs. Providence (Amy Warner)
9:24 – vs. Seton Hall (Anne Makinen)
9:49 – at G’town (Amanda Guertin)
11:36 – vs. Detroit (Makinen)
11:35 – vs. Michigan, NCAAs (Erikson)
FAR & WIDE – Much like the composition of the Notre Dame student body, players come from far and wide to be a part of the Irish women’s soccer program. The 2001 Irish roster includes players from 16 different states, plus Canada and Iceland. Since the beginning of Notre Dame women’s soccer in 1988, the program’s players have come from 28 different states and three foreign countries (also Finland). The home states on the current Irish roster include: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.