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Women's Soccer Tops Michigan State

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September 1, 1998

EAST LANSING, Mich.– Senior Monica Gerardo scored two goals to inch her way closer to becoming Notre Dames all-time leading goal scorer as the Irish improved to 10-1-0 in season-opening womens soccer games with a 4-0 win at Michigan State on Tuesday. Gerardo netted a goal in each half and sophomores Anne Makinen and Meotis Erikson each added a goal for Notre Dame, which outshot Michigan State 30-3 in the contest. The second-ranked Irish return to the field to open the BIG EAST schedule and home season at Alumni Field on Fri., Sept. 4, with a 7:30 p.m. game against West Virginia.

The season-opening win was the 10th in 11 season for the Irish and the eighth in nine years under head coach Chris Petrucelli. A 5-4 loss at fifth-ranked North Carolina in 1992 accounts the only 0-1-0 start for Notre Dame.

Notre Dames backline of juniors Jen Grubb and Kara Brown and sophomore Kelly Lindsey was nearly impenetrable as the Spartans managed just three shots, none of which were serious scoring opportunities. Junior goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene recorded the shutout while making two saves.

Gerardo, who upped her career goal total to 55, just six goals behind Cindy Daws school record of 61 set from 1993-96, scored what would be the game-winning goal at 13:22 when a free kick from Makinen was saved off the crossbar where Gerardo pounced on the loose ball with a header at point-blank range. Erikson put the Irish up 2-0 at halftime when she chipped a pass from Jenny Streiffer into the upper right corner of the net from the left wing from 15 yards out at 41:43.

The Irish built a 3-0 lead at 58:49 when Erikson beat the Spartan goalkeeper to a pass from Streiffer and dished to Gerardo who converted on the open net. Makinen closed out the scoring at 81:32 when Grubb tapped a free kick from the left side of the box back to Makinen at the top of the box where Makinen blasted a shot over the goalkeepers head.

The game marked the 11th straight year the Irish and Spartans have met as Michigan State is the only team Notre Dame has faced every year. Since losing the first two meetings in 1998 and 1989, Notre Dame has reeled off nine consecutive wins. The win over the Spartans also marked the 32nd consecutive by the Irish over a Big 10 team, dating back to the 1989 loss to Michigan State. Notre Dame has recorded 22 shutouts in the 32 wins and has outscored their Big 10 opponents 153-14 in the streak.

SCORING BY HALF            1st  2nd   FinalNotre Dame  2    2     4MSU         0    0     0
Scoring SummaryND Gerardo (Makinen), 13:23ND Erikson (Streiffer), 41:43ND Gerardo (Erikson), 58:49 ND Makinen (Grubb), 81:32
Saves:Kloosterman (MS)-13Beene (ND)-2