Gee, it's over half-way through February so starting up a 2013 thread for the Irish seems appropriate. Coach Randy has gotten an extension (with or without playing the UCLA card) and fans expect a brighter 2013 as last year's Baby Irish mature. Any news on the spring schedule?
The incoming class for ND, from und.com: Morgan Andrews, a 5-9 midfielder (Milford, N.H./Milford HS/FC Stars of Massachusetts), Kaela Little, a 5-9 goalkeeper (Tulsa, Okla./Bishop Kelley HS/TSC Hurricane), Rilka Noel, a 5-4 forward/midfielder (West Bloomfield, Mich./Marian HS/Michigan Hawks), Kaleigh Olmsted, a 5-4 forward (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS/Challenge SC), Cindy Pineda, a 5-7 midfielder (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield East HS/Sockers FC Chicago) and Sandra Yu, a 5-4 midfielder (Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS/Cleveland Internationals),
An interesting blog from Cari Roccaro on the U-20 national camp at: http://ndsoccer.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/cari-roccaros-week-with-the-u-s-under-20-national-team/ In a short piece she (1) reports that South Bend weather delayed her trip to camp (no surprise there), (2) mentions Irish teammate Katie Naughton several times, and (3) even talks about getting up early to study. Well done, Cari!
Most Irish activity currently has to do with La Manga, Spain. Coach Randy is heading over there with the U-23 national team Feb. 22 - March 5. Then the U-20 national team goes to La Manga with threee Domers. As und.com says: "Notre Dame freshman defender Katie Naughton (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) and freshman forward/midfielder/defender Cari Roccaro (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip), as well as incoming freshman midfielder Morgan Andrews (Milford, N.H./Milford), have been named to the 18-player roster for the United States Under-20 Women's National Soccer Team for its first international competition of 2013, the 12 Nations Tournament March 1-12 in La Manga, Spain."
Just squishy data - given verbally, not sure of "my source" and surprised others have not posted. March 23 - M State @ St Francis March 28 - Chicago Red Star- squishy April 6 2 games April 13 ?? April 18 Haiti
St. Patrick's Day is Sunday March 17th. Algarve Final is on March 13th. I am hoping that Shanon Boxx can make it back in time for the ND vs CRS game. It would be nice to see her come back and play (if it is at ND), at her college home where she won the 1995 NCAA Championship. It would be a great homecoming for Boxx and Lauren Fowlkes.
Very evocative shot of the ND pitch from Coordinator of Soccer Ops Jeannette Boudway: @Boudway Ready for the spring thaw pic.twitter.com/aSWAAhdCU4
So I got confirmation it moved from the 28, but surprise it was next week. I got no date confirmation St Paddy's Day would be right after Spring Break and before school starts. The players are all over the country right now.
OK, so the CRS website says April 3rd. which I see is a Wednesday. http://chicagoredstars.net/2013/03/11/2013-preseason-roster-announced/
I don't think this is much of a surprise, but ND to the ACC for fall 2013 is supposed to be announced today.
I'm sure enough I have airline tickets... Wed - Red Star 7 PM @ ND Friday - Mexico (U20 I think) @ ND
Irish finally announce the spring season - the following excerpted from the official release at http://www.und.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/031913aaa.html : "The Fighting Irish will open their spring schedule on Saturday (March 23), traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a 7 p.m. (ET) match against Michigan State as the featured contest in the eighth annual University of Saint Francis Spring Fling at USF's Bishop D'Arcy Stadium. . . . The Fighting Irish then return home April 3 to take on professional club Chicago Red Stars (a member of the newly-formed National Women's Soccer League) at 7 p.m. (ET) inside Alumni Stadium. That match will be the nightcap in a women's soccer doubleheader at Alumni Stadium, with Mexico and Haiti tangling in the opener at 4:30 p.m. (ET). . . . Two nights later on April 5, Notre Dame will get its chance to take on Mexico at Alumni Stadium, also scheduled for a 7 p.m. (ET) kickoff . . . . The next afternoon on April 6, Notre Dame will play host to a pair of "mini-matches" on its practice ground, located on Twyckenham Road on the eastern edge of the Notre Dame campus. The exact pairings have not yet been determined, but Iowa, IPFW, Grand Valley State will be the other participating schools in the four-team event, with matches taking place at 10 a.m. (ET) and 2:30 p.m. (ET). . . . The following weekend on April 13, Notre Dame returns home to take on Southeastern Conference member Kentucky, with the teams set for a 1 p.m. (ET) contest at the Fighting Irish practice field. . . . The final match of the 2013 Notre Dame spring schedule comes at 5 p.m. (ET) on April 26, when the Fighting Irish play host to the Haitian National Team at Alumni Stadium. . . . "
From Coach Randy's tweets: "Irish tie MSU 1-1 in Ft wayne..great second half 468 passes for Irish, to 168..goal conceded off a corner..Simonian hits crossbar final sec"
Red Stars beat ND 4-1 in spring exhibition: http://chicagoredstars.net/2013/04/03/red-stars-defeat-notre-dame-4-1-in-south-bend/ From the linked story: Chicago Lineup: GK Taylor Vancil, Rachel Quon, Michelle Wenino, Taryn Hemmings, Lydia Vandenbergh, Zakiya Bywaters, Lori Chalupny, Leslie Osborne, Alyssa Mautz (Julianne Sitch 71’), Ella Masar (Hanna Gilmore 81’), Lauren Fowlkes (Jessica McDonald 46’) Notre Dame Lineup: GK Naomi Willett, Katie Naughton, Brittany Von Rueden (Rebecca Twining 46’), Sammy Scofield (Anna Marie Gilbertson 46’), Taylor Schneider (Glory Williams 46’), Mandy Laddish, Lauren Bohaboy, Cari Roccaro, Karin Simonian, Elizabeth Tucker, Crystal Thomas
Why is Goal keeping always an issue at ND? Wasn't there but heard the back line got shredded as well.
I was there and I wouldn't say that was the case. The Red Stars possession and off-the-ball movement in the attacking half was just a whole other level. Their patterns and sequences were very effective against a young and still learning ND unit that actually did quite well upon seeing the match (i.e., could've been much worse...). CRS would play it wide - all the way to touch - very quickly as they transitioned and there were always at least 2 players running diagonally through seams every time. They would stretch ND north/south and create so much space to play into it was very hard for the Irish to defend against. Folkyers (sp?) scored two within 2 min (18' + 20')...one was a ball she received from end-line after CRS built-up just as I described above and finished in traffic from 7-8 yards...second-one was almost identical, except she had more space in area and chipped keeper from 10-12. Third and fourth goal also came from width off deep services back into play...as I said, ND did quite well adjusting as the match went on (after surviving early pressure and the two quick-ones)...the third goal was just a real beauty...4th goal CRS had word ND down and probably would've occurred regardless at some-point...
Fair enough. Like I said, I wasn't there. I only heard from 1 person that 2 nd goal was soft ( chip from 25). Big ND fan so didn't mean it as criticism. Who was in goal?
As folks here know, I'm a big ND fan as well. I've been going to ND games since Shanon Boxx played in the mid-1990's. I have to say TheAusMan may have apoint here. In all my many, games and years I've watched ND play, I can only say that I can count on one hand that IMO, ND had an outstanding goalkeeper. Lakesha Beene, Jen Renola were my favorites. I also thought Elizabeth Wagner was a solid goalkeeper. Notre Dame won National Championships with Erika Bohn and Nikki Weiss. Both fairly tall goalkeepers. And I was at both College Cups to watch the Irish celebrate in Cary, NC. I though Kelsey Lysander was a quick and and agile goalkeeper but IMO, inconsistent. I would see her make a save where she is on the ground on one side of the goal and leeping, make a cat-like save tipping the ball over the cross-bar on the other side of the goal. And then you would see her totally misjudging a cross into the box, and her punting barely reached midfield. Maddie Fox was IMO solid but wasn't the type that would save the game when the defense wasn't doing its part. We had a freshman start a couple years ago against North Carolina and Duke in Chapel Hill at the beginning of the season and I was there. ND lost both games. Second guessing, maybe a more experienced goalkeeper would have been better in these type of games. I don't know. However, having said all that, from what I've seen last season, I think the Irish have a solid goalkeeping squad that will only get better with experience. These are not criticisms, just observations as a fan with no ties to ND. Just someone who grew up in NW Indiana and went to a LOT of games at ND over the years.
No worries, mate...it's all good and I didn't take you're post as criticism at all...was just responding only because I was there...it's all good... ...he started Willett and I don't recall seeing him make a change. 2nd goal was collected and finished in 2 touches with a little chip over the keeper from 10-12 yards out after CRS pulled bulk of Irish out of balance towards corner and served a quality, heavy driven ball from about 25-30 yards wide that landed about knee height. GK was off her line a bit and caught in "no man's land" and Fowlkes chipped her before she could close or recover back. The first goal was a one-time bullet/volley from 7-8 yards away that she did get her fingers on. The third goal just shredded the whole defensive set and left her exposed and the 4th goal caught HD in transition and chasing which left GK in a 1v1 or 1v2 scenario...so, I don't think she did that bad and based upon that match, some good promise for the future. I'll see ND play tonight and tomorrow, as well...so should have a better gauge...