April 30, 2002
Notre Dame, Ind. – Erich Braun (Frankfurt, Germany), Greg Martin (Plano, Texas) and Justin Ratcliffe (Miami, Fla.) have been named captains for the 2002 men’s soccer season. The trio was selected by a vote of their teammates that was approved by Notre Dame’s Faculty Board on Athletics.
Braun and Ratcliffe, both seniors-to-be in ’02, will be serving as captains for the first time in their careers, while Martin has been chosen as one of the Irish leaders for the second consecutive year. Last season, Martin was the first sophomore named a team captain. He becomes the 10th individual in the 25-year history of the program to serve as a two-time captain.
Braun, a first team BIG EAST selection in 2001, led the Irish in scoring as a junior for the second time in three seasons with a career-high 12 goals and three assists for a personal best 27 points. The Irish forward scored a goal in 11 of the 19 contests he played and at one point during the season scored in six straight games. A three-year starter, Braun heads into his final campaign with career totals of 25 goals and 12 assists for 62 points.
Ratcliffe, a midfielder, was one of three players who started all 19 games for the Irish in ’01 as he tallied two goals (the first two goals of his collegiate career). Ratcliffe has played in 55 career games and made 49 starts in three seasons.
Martin started nine of the 13 games he played last season and registered the first points of his career with a goal and an assist. As a freshman, he started 16 of the 17 games he played.
Notre Dame finished last season with a 12-7 record and tied for second in the final BIG EAST regular-season standing with a 7-3-0 mark. The Irish advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament and then earned the school’s first NCAA tournament berth since 1996 (and fifth in school history). Notre Dame lost to Maryland 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
“Erich, Greg and Justin have the respect and confidence of their teammates and our coaching staff,” Irish head coach Bobby Clark says. “Each of these players has his own unique and separate personality. While they are very different individuals, together they form a superb leadership team which will be important for our success on the field during the season.”