ND WOMEN'S SOCCER: Irish finish regular season 13-2-1
By JOE LICANDRO
Sports Writer
Fall break handed the Irish women's soccer teams some ups and downs as they finished their regular season play with a 13-2-1 record.
The week did not begin as the Irish would have hoped, as they lost 3-1 on the road against their primary Big East rival, No. 15 Connecticut Oct. 21.
However, the resilient Irish would rebound in their last two contests with a 2-0 road win over Yale and a 2-1 overtime home victory over No. 24 Michigan Sunday.
The Irish will now set their sights on winning the Big East Tournament, and in the process, garnering a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
With a full week of practice until their opening round match against St. John's, the Irish should be able to fully recuperate from the harsh rigors of the regular season and be poised to make another run at the Big East title. The Irish's 7-0 victory earlier this season against St. John's was their largest margin of victory over an opponent, but Coach Randy Waldrum and the Irish know full well that they cannot underestimate any opponents in the post-season.
"Even though we lost to Connecticut, I am extremely proud of the way this team has played over the last five games. Even in our loss, we clearly outplayed Connecticut. I think we have really turned things around in the last five games. We're all very upbeat about the post-season. I think we're ready."
While the loss against Connecticut continued a disturbing trend for the Irish where they have outshot their opponents but failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, the Irish can take comfort that a star emerged on offense.
Forward Amanda Guertin, a member of Notre Dame's rising sophomore class, has been on an impressive scoring streak notching a goal in each of her last five games. Over the last week, Guertin scored the lone goal for the Irish against Connecticut, both Irish goals against Yale, and the game winning overtime goal against Michigan.
Guertin's emergence could not have come at a better time for the Irish because the Irish struggled all season to find a consistent and reliable scoring presence up front. With the blazing speed of fellow sophomore forward Amy Warner and the physical play of the other starting sophomore forward Melissa Tancredi to accompany Guertin's adept touch in front of the net, the Irish have now established the potent offense that coach Randy Waldrum had been looking for all season.
These three sophomore forwards combined with the stellar play and leadership of sophomore midfielder Randi Scheller, who scored the Irish's first goal against Michigan Sunday, will undoubtedly determine the offensive success of the Irish in the post season.
"Amanda deserves a tremendous amount of credit for her play over the last five games," said Waldrum. "She is starting to score the way she did last year for us. Now that we have established Amy Warner and Melissa Tancredi as the starting forward tandem to work alongside Amanda, Amanda has been able to really flourish. Our offense is doing well now because our forwards have learned to play together."
The Irish 2-1 overtime victory against Michigan was an all-too familiar scene for the Irish, as they struggled on offense in the first half, only to score an early goal in the second half. Once again, the Irish would be unable to maintain their momentum and would relinquish their lead within the final twenty minutes of the game after giving up a goal to Michigan forward Abby Crumpton.
While winning in overtime is not always the ideal way to win a soccer game, the Irish once again rose to the occasion in the extended time and refused to buckle under the pressure. Thanks to Guertin's quick reaction to an attempted Michigan clear off a crossing pass from Melissa Tancredi, the Irish would defeat Michigan in the 11th minute of overtime when Guertin's shot from six feet inside the goalie box found the back of the net.
The Irish should be confident in their abilities and proud of their accomplishments during the regular season as they look to make another run towards the Big East Championship.
The Irish home victory against Michigan was a particularly special game for the Irish as senior defenders Lindsey Jones and Monica Gonzales, midfielder Mia Sarkesian, forward Kelly Tulisiak and goalie Liz Wagner suited up for the final regular season game of their careers.
This senior class has compiled a record of 77-10-4 over the last four years, while also being a part of 4 regular season Big East Titles, 3 Big East tournament titles, 2 NCAA Final Fours, and one NCAA runner-up finish.
"These five seniors have meant so much to me personally because they really made it easy for me to come in as the coach three years ago," said Waldrum. "They were receptive towards me and my family right from the start. It has been a joy to watch all of the five seniors improve each year. They have been consummate team players and have been great role models for our younger players. Their legacy on this program will not be forgotten."
Notes:
u The Irish will host the St. John's Red Storm on Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals to be played at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Rutgers' Yurcak Field.
u The Irish are currently ranked No. 8 in the country. But with a slew of upsets all over the country this past weekend, the Irish should move up in the polls and be in prime position to earn a top seed in the NCAA tournament if they win the Big East Tournament.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, October 30, 2001
