Top-seeded Irish anxious to start championship run
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
All season long Notre Dame women's soccer head coach Randy Waldrum has not minced words in articulating his squad's lofty goals. After reaching the NCAA championship game last year before losing to North Carolina, Waldrum's mission t his time around is clear — the Irish want to be national champions.
"We came so close last year," said Waldrum. "We were within 45 minutes of winning it all. This year, from the get go, our goal was not to just get back but to win it all."
In the sprint for this year's title, the Irish have the pole position, seeded first in the NCAA tournament bracket by virtue of their 20-0-1 regular season record. As the top seed, the Irish will play all games through the quarterfinals at home in the friendly confines of Alumni Field.
With the top 16 teams getting a free pass to round two, the Irish will begin their championship quest with a second round tilt against the Michigan Wolverines, Sunday at 1 p.m. Michigan advanced after nipping Miami of Ohio 4-3 in double overtime Wednesday night.
The Wolverines will enter play looking to exact revenge on an Irish team that beat them 3-0 in Ann Arbor just two weeks ago. Waldrum is happy to be playing a familiar opponent.
"Things aren't going to change much from the first time around," he said. "I think that's a good thing. We know what to expect."
Michigan boasts a strong offensive side led by sophomore forward Abby Crumpton, who missed the first game against Notre Dame due to injury.
Senior co-captain and player of the year candidate Anne Makinen will once again lead the Irish attack. Makinen's passes will be headed in the direction of sophomore Aly Lovelace as well as freshmen Amanda Guertin and Amy Warner.
Waldrum thinks his team's previous win over Michigan could affect the Wolverines in several ways.
"One on hand, they're thinking of how we hammered by them and now they have to go play in our place," he said. "On the other hand, they could come out more intense and try to knock us off. It's all going to lie in the way they decide to approach the game."
Waldrum is determined not to let complacency become a factor in the postseason.
"We have to have the attitude that every game is the championship game," he said. "Certainly we have to stay focused and remind ourselves that you don't advance unless you win."
All Sports Stories for Friday, November 10, 2000
