Feb. 3, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — High school seniors Amanda Guertin, Randi Scheller and Melissa Tancredi have signed national letters of intent to attend Notre Dame, women’s soccer head coach Randy Waldrum announced Thursday. Guertin and Scheller have been part of the United States under-18 national team pool, while Tancredi has been a member of the Canadian under-18 national team.

Guertin, a native of Grapevine, Texas, played with the U.S. under-16 national team in 1997 and has been in pools for the under-17 and 18 national team pools. The forward was named the female student-athlete of the year at Grapevine High School in 1998. She will joins fellow Texans Monica Gonzalez and Elizabeth Wagner on the Irish women’s soccer team.

“Amanda has tremendous technical ability who should impact our team immediately with the loss of forwards Jenny Heft and Jenny Streiffer,” said Waldrum, the 1999 BIG EAST coach of the year.

Scheller, a native of Kutztown, Pa., has been named to the Parade Magazine and National Soccer Coaches Association of America high school All-America lists. The midfielder at Kutztown High School has been in pools for the under-16 and 18 national teams.

“Randi has great tactical awareness and vision,” said Waldrum. “She will add tremendous play-making qualities that will complement Anne Makinen in our midfield.”

Tancredi, a native of Ancaster, Ontario, brings an overall athleticism to Notre Dame. In addition to her experience with the Canadian under-18 national team, Tancredi’s club team won the under-19 Canadian national championship. The forward at Cathedral High School was named both the track and field and volleyball MVP as she won the school’s student-athlete-of-the-year award in 1998.

“Melissa is a very gifted athlete whose athletic dominance allows her to score numerous goals for her club and national teams,” said Waldrum. “With her athletic and soccer abilities, she should have an impact on our program.”

Guertin, Scheller and Tancredi will help to replace Notre Dame’s class of 2000 that included goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene, forward Iris Lancaster and defenders Kara Brown and Jen Grubb, in addition to Heft and Streiffer. The Irish are coming off a 21-4-1 season in which they advanced to the NCAA championship game for the fourth time in the last six years and won their fifth consecutive BIG EAST championship.