July 28, 2001
The Notre Dame women’s soccer team is a unanimous choice to repeat as Mid-Atlantic Division champions in the BIG EAST Conference based on annual preseason polling conducted by the BIG EAST coaches.
Notre Dame-which owns a 48-2-1 all-time record in BIG EAST regular-season games, in addition to winning all six BIG EAST tournament titles since joining the league in 1995-received the maximum 13 first-place votes for winning the Mid-Atlantic Division, followed by West Virginia, Rutgers, Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh.
Connecticut received eight 1st-place votes as the pick to repeat as Northeast Division champ, followed by Boston College (five 1st-place votes), Syracuse, Miami, St. John’s, newcomer Virginia Tech and Providence.
Notre Dame is set to return 13 of its top 18 players from the 2000 team that spent most of the season ranked No. 1 while compiling a 23-1-1 overall record and advancing to the NCAA semifinals. Nine of the returners saw significant time as starters in 2000 while eight of the top 10 scorers are set to return, with the biggest losses being the 2000 team’s top two leading scorers, Anne Makinen (14 goals-15 assists) and Meotis Erikson (13G-13A).
Senior goalkeeper Liz Wagner (Spring, Texas) is back in the nets for the Irish, after leading the nation in 2000 with an 0.39 goals-against average. Several key defensive regulars also return from a unit that allowed just 10 total goals and 6.4 shots per game last season. Academic All-American Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbull, Conn.)-tabbed the BIG EAST preseason co-defensive player of the year, along with UConn’s Casey Zimmy-returns for her junior season at central defender, where she will play alongside a new teammate following the graduation of Kelly Lindsey and Kerri Bakker.
The Irish have plenty of experience at the outside marking back positions, with senior Lindsey Jones (South Bend, Ind.) returning on the right side while fifth-year player Monica Gonzalez (Richardson, Texas) is back to patrol the left side.
Senior Mia Sarkesian (Canton, Mich., 5G-3A) and junior Ashley Dryer (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2G-5A) provide veteran experience for the Irish midfield while promising sophomore Randi Scheller (Kutztown, Pa., 6G-7A) likely will step into the attacking midfielder role, a spot vacated by the graduation of Makinen (the 2000 national player of the year).
Notre Dame has a surplus of forward options in 2001, led by its top returning scorers-sophomores Amanda Guertin (Grapevine, Texas, 11G-4A) and Amy Warner (Albuquerque, N.M., 10G-4A, 18 GP due to knee injury), who joined Pruzinsky as ND’s pair of players on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team. Junior Ali Lovelace (Dallas, Ga., 4G-5A in 2000) and senior Kelly Tulisiak (Medina, Ohio, 4G-1A) add to an experienced forward unit that also could see contributions from three newcomers: sophomore Melissa Tancredi (Ancaster, Ontario)-who missed all of 2000 due to an ACL knee injury-and the freshman duo of Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio) and Candace Chapman (Ajax, Ontario).
BIG EAST won-loss records are determined by divisional games only. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the BIG EAST Championship. Quarterfinal games will be held Nov. 3-4 on campus sites while the semifinals and final will be Nov. 9 and 11 at Rutgers Soccer Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
2001 PRESEASON BIG EAST WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL AND AWARDS
Northeast Division
Team (1st-place votes) … 2000 BIG EAST, Overall) … Voting Points
Connecticut (8) … 5-0-0 (1st), 17-7-2 … 86
Boston College (5) … 4-1-0 (2nd), 14-7-0 … 83
Syracuse … 3-2-0 (3rd), 14-7-0 … 63
Miami (1) … 2-3-0 (4th), 9-10-1 … 56
St. John’s … 1-4-0 (5th), 12-9-0 … 36
Virginia Tech … N/A, 9-10-0 … 34
Providence … 0-5-0 (6th), 7-11-1 … 27
Mid-Atlantic Division
Team (1st-place votes) … 2000 BIG EAST, Overall) … Voting Points
Notre Dame (13, unanimous) … 6-0-0 (1st), 23-1-1 … 91
West Virginia (1) … 3-3-0 (t3rd), 15-6-0 … 77
Rutgers … 3-2-1 (2nd), 9-9-2 … 63
Villanova … 2-4-0 (6th), 11-8-0 … 48
Georgetown … 2-3-1 (5th), 8-9-2 … 45
Seton Hall … 3-3-0 (t3rd), 8-10-1 … 41
Pittsburgh … 1-5-0 (7th), 6-12-1 … 20
Offensive Player of the Year
Katie Barnes, Sr., F, West Virginia
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Vanessa Pruzinsky, Jr., D, ND
Casey Zimny, Sr., D, Connecticut
Goalkeeper of the Year
Rachel Brown, Sr., GK, Pittsburgh
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Katie Barnes, Sr., F, WVU
Vonda Matthews, So., F, Miami
Amy Warner, So., F, ND
Meghan Moore, Sr., F/M, BC
Mary-Beth Bowie Sr., F, UConn
Sarah Rahko, So., M/F, BC
Lisa Stoia, So., M, WVU
Frauke Dittel, Sr., M/D, SHU
Casey Zimny, Sr., D, UConn
Tracy Stalker, Sr., D, Syracuse
Vanessa Pruzinsky, Jr., D, ND
Rachel Brown, Sr., G, Pitt.