Nov. 17, 2002
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 19th-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team’s wild ride through the 2002 season hit another high note on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field, as the Irish parlayed the calm finishing skills of Amanda Guertin and devastating defensive play led by Melissa Tancredi and Candace Chapman into a 3-1 win over No. 14 Purdue, in NCAA second-round action at Alumni Field.
Notre Dame (13-7-0) – victorious in six of its last seven games – now advances to the NCAA third round (final 16) for the eighth time in the last nine seasons, with the next challenge to come at top-ranked Stanford on Sat., Nov. 23 (7:00 p.m.). The Irish improved to 28-2-0 in all-time postseason games at Alumni Field, including 20-2-0 in the NCAAs – with Notre Dame also now 22-9-2 in games versus NSCAA top-25 teams during the four-year Randy Waldrum era.
Purdue (14-6-2) already had played a part in Notre Dame’s strange season, as the Boilermakers capitalized on a depleted lineup to hand the slumping Irish a 3-1 loss on Oct. 8 (also at Alumni Field). That low point represented Notre Dame’s fourth loss in five games but the fortunes quickly changed five days later in a 3-1 win over then-#8 Connecticut. The return of Tancredi and senior midfielder Ashley Dryer (along with several other lineup shifts) sparked that momentum-shifting victory – with the Irish owning a 19-6 scoring edge during the current 6-1 surge.
Guertin (Grapevine, Texas) crept closer to claiming status as one of the top big-game scorers in Notre Dame women’s soccer history, with the junior forward now owning 50 points (20 goals, 10 assists) in 32 career games versus ranked and/or postseason opponents (the Irish are 24-7-1 in those “big games,” dating back to 2000). Her nine-point weekend included a pair of two-goal games and her eighth corner-kick assist of the season, with Guertin’s career postseason numbers now including 12 goals (five gamewinners) and two assists in 14 games (8G-2A in eight career NCAA games).
Tancredi – who headed in Guertin’s corner to seal the win – played a key role in neutralizing Purdue leading scorer Annette Kent. “(Tancredi) closed down Annette Kent, who has been a force for us,” said Purdue head coach Rob Klatte. “In all of the individual confrontations, I don’t remember one where she lost out on it.”
Junior Kim Carpenter – who had a strong all-around game while patrolling her right back spot – set up the first goal by sending a pass to freshman forward Katie Thorlakson, who then sent a thru-ball into the top of the box. Guertin broke free and nudged the ball to her right, past charging ‘keeper Jocelyn Cavalier, but the angle was too sharp to attempt a shot. Guertin continued to the endline and slanted back for the post before deflecting her own point-blank shot into the net for her 10th goal of the season (21:11).
The strong individual effort marked the seventh consecutive postseason game in which Guertin has scored a goal while she also has points in each of the last eight games overall (7G-6A).
“I got past the goalkeeper but I could not have made that angle it if I didn’t dribble it more,” said Guertin. “You just try to keep calm around the box and put it away.”
A right-flank free kick from freshman defender Cat Sigler led to the second goal, with Guertin collecting the deflection and pausing before sliding an eight-foot shot into the right side of the net for the 37th goal of her career (57:42). The goal ended up being Guertin’s fifth gamewinner of the season and 15th of her career, tying Jenny Streiffer (’96-’99) for sixth in ND history.
Purdue jumped back in the game with 15 minutes to play, as rightside passes from Kelli Merritt and Jennie Moppert fed the ball into the top of the box. Courtney Coppedge poked the ball free and caught ‘keeper Erika Bohn charging off her line, sending a 14-yard crossing shot into the left side of the net for her second goal of the season (75:06).
Tancredi iced the game at the 83:46 mark, elevating near the left post and cashing in Guertin’s rightside corner with a strong header (all four of her 2002 goals have come on headers, each via Guertin CKs).
“They scored the first goal on a great individual effort and that was difficult for us and once they got the second we had a long road ahead of us,” said Klatte. “I was proud of our effort to get back in it and then they crushed a great set play for the third goal. That really was the nail in the coffin.”
GUERTIN NOTES: Her nine-point weekend puts her career total at 95 (37G-21A) … her 15 career GWGs trail only three players with 16 – Rosella Guerrero (’92-’95), Monica Gerardo (’95-’98) and Anne Makinen (’97-’00) – plus Michelle McCarthy (18; ’92-’95) and Jenny Heft (19; ’96-’99) in the ND record book … already ranks 9th at ND in career postseason points (26, 12G-2A; one behind ’99 grad. Shannon Boxx) and 5th in postseason goals, behind Makinen and Gerardo (15) and Streiffer and Heft (14) … her four postseason GWGs are one shy of Gerardo’s ND record … tied Streiffer’s record by scoring first goal in postseason game for 5th time in her career … her 18 career points in the NCAAs (8G-2A) are 4th in ND history, behind Gerardo (24), Makinen (20) and Holly Manthei (19, ’94-’97) while her eight NCAA goals trail only Gerardo (10) and Heft (9) … tied ND record held by Amy VanLaecke (’93-’96) for most career “first goals” in NCAA games (3).
(additional coaches’ quotes below)
#14 PURDUE (14-6-2) 0 1 – 1
#19 NOTRE DAME (13-7-0) 1 2 – 3
ND 1. Amanda Guertin 10 (-) 21:11; ND 2. Guertin 11 (-) 57:42; PUR 1. Courtney Coppedge 2 (Jennie Moppert, Kelli Merritt) 75:06; ND 3. Melissa Tancredi 4 (Guertin) 83:46.
Shots: PUR 2-5-7, ND 7-7-14.
Corner Kicks: PUR 1-3-4, ND 4-2-6.
Offsides: PUR 1-1-2, ND 7-1-8.
Saves: PUR 6 (Jocelyn Cavalier 5, team 1), ND 3 (Erika Bohn).
Fouls: PUR 8-11-19, ND 6-9-15.
YC: Elise Berry (PUR) 54:04.
ADDITIONAL POSTGAME QUOTES (NOTRE DAME-PURDUE, NCAA WOMEN’S SOCCER; 11/17/02)
NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH RANDY WALDRUM:
“It was a typical Sunday game (second of weekend) for us. It wasn’t the attractive soccer that we played Friday night. We just didn’t quite have the energy and intensity that I would have liked to see for a playoff game. With a thin bench, we knew going in that mentally we’d have to get over the hump. A lot of credit to the kids for putting 90 minutes together today.”
“Last time we played them, we started three freshmen in the back, plus a freshman ‘keeper who obviously is getting better every game. They caught us on two counterattacks in that game. Having Tancredi gives you more speed and more strength, somebody who physically can match up with most anybody in the country. And Ashley runs the show for us in the midfield. You could see how important she is with all of her experience. She keeps the mix together. Getting those two back allowed us to get other players into positions where they should be playing.”
“On those corner kicks with Guertin and Tancredi, it’s really difficult to defense unless you have an outstanding goalkeeper who is very good at clearing out the space and dealing with crosses. If they hit it right, it’s difficult to stop.”
“We were a little bit undermanned last time we played them and still were searching for answers and trying to find a defense that was organized. I felt that we had been the best team in the region this year and strength of schedule has played dividends at the end.”
“Kim Carpenter is one of those you don’t hear a lot about but she has been pretty solid and can play anywhere and doesn’t worry about getting the credit. She’s one of those kids who really makes your team a team.”
PURDUE HEAD COACH ROB KLATTE:
“We weren’t able to punch in an early chance … the last time that made a huge difference.”
“You’ve got to give kudos to Notre Dame. They stayed organized and their individual technical talent allows them to slow the pace down and take the pace out of things when they want to.”
“We are a hard-working team and we fight to the end.”
“They have a great soccer team. We were trying to figure out ways to win the game. A month ago we were able to get in behind them and had three shots and three goals. We weren’t able to accomplish that today.”
“Things really opened up when their backs stepped up and picked up loose balls and started counters. Their backs have such athleticism and speed to slice through the midfield. And then you’ve got three forwards and the midfielders to deal with. We knew their backs would be aggressive going forward and that was the best time to catch a counter.”
“This is an opportunity for our returning players to want to get back and now they have dealt with the nerves and understand the pressures that go with the single-game-and-out competition. Hopefully they will be able to build on that and have that drive and desire.”