Notre Dame 2018, new year, new coach, new start

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by Angry Leprechaun, Jan 25, 2018.

  1. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    What if ND rolls into Pitt in late October struggling. Then Randy Waldrum beats Notre Dame to knock ND out of the ACC tournament and makes them miss the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. Also picking up Pitts only win in the ACC this year. . .That would be epic
     
  2. 6peternorth9

    6peternorth9 Member

    Nov 15, 2012
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    I see that they are 4-5. Have they been under .500 at any point in recent years?!?!
     
  3. Glove Stinks

    Glove Stinks Member+

    Jan 20, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    And those 5 loses have come in their last six games...Rough road ahead into ACC play
     
  4. DC Cab

    DC Cab New Member

    Sep 5, 2018
    Skokie, Illinois
    Currently a 4 game losing streak for Notre Dame. Louisville absolutely controlled the first half of play. The Notre Dame defense and goalie were under constant pressure and handed it well considering the high-pressure Louisville attack. Was unimpressed with the effort in the ND midfield. ND's best chance to score in the first half, basically a certain goal that went past the Louisville goalie on the ground, was kicked away by a savvy Louisville defender.

    Norman made some adjustments in the second half-- and actually created some legit chances in the first 15 minutes and had Louisville reeling in that time. After that, all Louisville. The second goal against ND was a garbage goal as Norman was playing everyone forward to try and tie the match.

    Have been hard on Norman, and there is talent on this Note Dame team including several freshmen who are impressive, and veteran Westendorf coming off the bench played with fire, but will refrain from saying more until the Wake Forest game.
     
  5. DC Cab

    DC Cab New Member

    Sep 5, 2018
    Skokie, Illinois
    FINALLY.

    Impressive victory for Norman and the Fighting Irish this Sunday. His team came to play against a Wake Forest squad with some quality wins under its belt. Physical game and a gritty, determined performance by his attackers, his mid, his defense and goalie who all showed up to play. As outsiderview pointed out in another thread, Norman started four Freshman against Tony Da Luz's Demon Deacons, but for the first time this season you saw the talent, the passing, the consistency, and the big saves firing on all cylinders for two halves of play. Bigger test later this week. Will see if his team shows up ready to play against a Florida State team smarting from a loss and hungry for a win.
     
  6. Enzo the Prince

    Sep 9, 2007
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    lol.
     
  7. Crazyhorse

    Crazyhorse Member

    Dec 29, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    FSU always struggles in South Bend, it should be a fun game.
     
  8. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    So Notre Dame will have a losing season for the first time that I can remember.

    I started avidly following the Notre Dame Womens soccer team in 1995 and have continued till today. I have been to see Irish games every year for 23 years and have never see such a disappointment, ever.
    The powerhouse program that Chris Petrucelli started and Randy Waldrum continued to build until his departures has gone down big-time. What Happened?

    Did the former Coach TR leave the new ND Coach with a mess? Is the ACC too competitive to maintain a winning season? Is it recruiting? Is it the Coach? What is it?

    This is Notre Dame Women's Soccer for Pete's sake. For a good part 20 years they were considered a top 5 program and often a top 2.

    What's going on in South Bend?
     
  9. DC Cab

    DC Cab New Member

    Sep 5, 2018
    Skokie, Illinois
    Nate Norman did a terrible job. He has to own this historically bad result.

    His assistant coaches also did a terrible job, and need to own that as well.

    They managed a talented, albeit younger, roster horribly. They identified players that could make a difference too late, they played a couple of older players who were clearly distracted and inconsistent, and they had freshmen players on offense that showed real flashes but failed to develop them or get them into games. They rotated two players whose talent level wasn't close in my view, and it definitely cost them one game, but probably more to be honest.

    There was a talented freshman Norman did play and start a lot, but she was clearly shot or gassed late in the season, and it cost them. I'm biting my tongue because I don't want to call out specific players good or bad. Again, poor management of the roster.

    Watch the first half of the Duke game. Watch the North Carolina Game, and you see the talent they have can hang with top teams. Not dominate, not win the ACC tournament, but this should not be an 8-10 team.

    The Virginia Tech game was a debacle and cost them the season, but the larger point is, it should never have come down to the Virginia Tech game.

    Other basic issues-- yes, like every team, they need to finish. But they had 8 shots, 8 good opportunities, several within the box, to score on Duke. And they either panicked or didn't want it-- that's coaching. There's critical defensive lapses-- even against Pitt, which on the scoreboard 2-0 looks like a solid win but it took two point blank saves to get that result because of critical defensive lapses. That's coaching and having your defensive players realizing the situation they're in.

    He consistently fails to recognize the top scoring threats on other teams and defensively even try to force the opposing team to play left-handed.

    Norman and his staff need to do a much better job with a roster that's only getting younger. He needs to improve as a coach. They have some key pieces to build on, and from what I can see 3 key contributors on the way in the coming freshmen class. This is Notre Dame and this 8-10 shit doesn't cut it.
     
  10. DC Cab

    DC Cab New Member

    Sep 5, 2018
    Skokie, Illinois
    To your question about recruiting, its Notre Dame so no excuses there... Like many teams, they need a blue chip scoring threat for next year. They had to manufacture goals for much of this year-- and while I've blasted Norman hard here and he deserves it-- coaching-wise he and his players did find ways to create viable chances, they just couldn't finish.

    They have two potential studs that can score coming in the 2019 class, and will hopefully do so at the next level. And they may have a couple soon-to-be sophomores-- that could possibly develop into threats.
     
  11. outsiderview

    outsiderview Member

    Oct 1, 2013
    Charlotte
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I watched a couple of games and thought they just lacked physicality and willingness in the box. Tons of services in the box and no one willing to attack the ball. Even saw a couple corners where players didn't make runs in the box. They have a lot of talent, they just need that striker who has a nose for the goal and they will be very dangerous.
     
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  12. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    I've been to all the College Cups that ND participated in in the Petrucelli era and Waldrum era. Saw all three Championships live as well as countless Sunday drives from Chicago to South Bend to watch the Irish at old Alumni and the new one and have never seen a debacle such as this year.

    I don't see a Shannon Boxx on this team, a Kate Sobrero, a Kerri Hanks, a Jenn Grubb or an Erika Bohn in goal. I don't see any potential "stars" on this team or player that can take a game over like Melissa Henderson did or leaders like Brittany Bock. I don't see a midfield that is loaded with All-American players like Waldrum had year in and year out in the 2000's. I just don't see a bright future right now. Hope I'm wrong.
     
  13. Crazyhorse

    Crazyhorse Member

    Dec 29, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Has the recruiting dropped off? I know Westendorff was a big time recruit.
     
  14. outsiderview

    outsiderview Member

    Oct 1, 2013
    Charlotte
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Have to remember how far college soccer has come in the last 20 years. Carolina hasn't been to a final four in what 4 or 5 years? Things are different and as much as people want to live in the past, things are not the same. I think it is actually good for the game to see more teams who can compete at the top 25 level.
     
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  15. kickithard

    kickithard Member

    Jan 14, 2004

    Carolina went in 2016 and lost to UWV by a goal in semi final when it was moved out west from North Carolina!
     
  16. Carolina92

    Carolina92 Member

    Sep 26, 2008
    Moving to the ACC was always going to be rough for the Notre Dame program. You can still be a great team and have multiple losses in the ACC, but I think for a program so conditioned to consistently rolling over opponents its a tough blow to the psyche and confidence. The ACC can be absolutely grueling physically as well.

    Since joining the ACC, Notre Dame hasn't made it beyond the third round in NCAA competition and doesn't have any Conference titles under its belt. I think their travel is also a lot tougher being the farthest team West too.
     
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