MEN'S SOCCER: Irish control their destiny
Observer staff report
In the heart of its schedule, the Irish men's soccer team has an opportunity to grab hold of its playoff destiny with several key Big East matchups looming in the distance. That road to the playoffs begins tonight with a road contest against West Virginia.
"We've got to claw our way into the Big East Tournament — that's our main objective," head coach Bobby Clark said. "With a little luck, we can get a run going here, and the playoffs are still a possibility."
If there is a time for a run to start, it is with these next two games. Notre Dame faces a West Virginia team that finds itself struggling in the conference standings. The Mountaineers are 1-4 in the Big East and 3-6 overall, although they have lost to some top-notch opponents such as nationally ranked powers Seton Hall, Rutgers and Connecticut.
On Sunday, the Irish take on Virginia Tech, playing in its first year of Big East soccer. The Hokies have worked to a 7-3 record, but have fallen on hard times in Big East competition, dropping two of three games so far.
"We've got two very important games coming up at Virginia Tech and West Virginia," Clark stated. "If we can do something there, we're suddenly back in business."
These two games against opponents near the bottom of the Big East standings should provide the Irish a chance to move towards eligibility in the conference tournament. At this point, Notre Dame holds eighth place in the Big East, with the top eight teams moving on to the tournament in November. Last year, the Irish just missed the tournament, finishing the season in ninth place.
It is especially important for the Irish to take advantage of these next two games, considering three of their final four conference matchups come against nationally-ranked teams.
"I think we've grown game by game," junior Erich Braun states. "Our first goal right now is to make the Big East Tournament, and then go from there. We want to make a run here."
The Irish will play tonight at 7 p.m. in West Virginia, and then they travel to Virginia Tech for a 1 p.m. showdown Sunday.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, October 11, 2001
