#6 Lauren Karas Women's Soccer Roster

Two-year starter who earned the role in 2006,when she ranked fourth nationally in goals-againstaverage (0.41) and made a career-high nine saves inannual showdown with Santa Clara (both teams wereranked number one at the time, in different polls) …combined with sophomore Kelsey Lysander andfreshman Nikki Weiss to give Irish potentially thebest three-player depth at the goalkeeping position inthe program[apos]s 20-year history in 2006 … combinedgood shot-stopping ability and reaction time with 5-foot-9 presence and vocal leadership … adept athandling ball with her feet … tough in the air due toagility and size … ranks third all-time in GAA atNotre Dame with a 0.65 mark … her 53 career winsis the third highest total among Irish goalkeepers …she also ranks second in career winning percentagewith a .892 mark … her 13 solo shutouts in 2006 aretied for seventh-best in the NCAA record book andtrail only LaKeysia Been[apos]s 18 in 1997 during NotreDame women[apos]s soccer history … in 2006, posted topseason win percentage in Notre Dame history(.942/24-1-1; besting three others who were 23-1-1)while matching Jen Renola[apos]s record win total from1996 (24-2-0) … her 0.41 goals-against average in2006 trails only Beene (0.36, in [apos]97) and Wagner(0.39, in 2000) in the Notre Dame record book whileher 18 total shutouts in 2006 tied that ND record(alongside Beene[apos]s 1997 total and Renola[apos]s from [apos]95)… her 2,170 minutes played in 2006 rank third inNotre Dame history, behind Renola (2,285; in [apos]96)and Beene (2,231, in [apos]97) … her career postseasonstats (19 GP/15 GS) include a 0.72 GAA and 14-2-1- record in just over 1,616 minutes of play …member of U.S. Under-16 National Team player pooland part of Olympic Development Program RegionIII team from 2000-04 (played for North Texas stateODP from [apos]99-[apos]04)… received Golden Glove Awardas top goalkeeper at 2003 ODP national tournament,making 15 saves for North Texas ODP team insemifinal win over New Jersey (2-0) before stopping12 shots in title-game loss to future classmate AshleyJones and Cal-South squad (1-0; in Las Vegas) … alsoearned Golden Glove Award whileplaying with Region III team at2004 Como Champions Cup in Italy… posted 1-0 shutout of U.S. U-17National Team ([apos]03, in Boca Raton,Fla.) … attended elite Adidas ESPCamp ([apos]02, [apos]03) … made big save tohelp Sting win 2001 state title,adding two clutch saves in shootoutat 2001 Region III semifinals (vs. GSA Fury, inMemphis) … helped Sting win 2001 Dallas CupSpring Classic … graduated from Notre Dame inMay 2008 with a degree in marketing.

AS A SENIOR: Led the BIG EAST with a 0.31GAA during 2007 league play (3 GA) … posted a17-3-1 record while helping the Irish to the NCAAsemifinals … had 35 saves on the season … madeseveral key plays in hard-fought win at #7 Florida(2-0, 1 SV) … logged final 27 minutes of 4-2 winover Princeton (1 GA) and then picked up her 19thcareer solo shutout in 4-0 win over DePaul … hadseason-high five saves in 3-1 win at Seton Hall …had best all-around game of Notre Dame career inNCAA round-of-16 win at UNC (3-2), allowingone goal in live-ball situation while making five savesand coming off her line to make sliding save at thetop of the box in the 90th minute … played in a totalof 23 games, starting 22.

AS A JUNIOR: Finished fourth among thenation[apos]s leaders in goals-against average (0.41; 3rdbestin ND history) while helping Irish go 25-1-1and reach 2006 NCAA championship game …registered top season win percentage (.942; 24-1-1)in Notre Dame record book, while tying Renola[apos]srecord for goalkeeper wins in one season … had ahand in 18 total shutouts (tying another ND [apos]keeperrecord) while her 13 solo shutouts ranked seventh inthe NCAA record book and second all-time amongIrish goalkeepers (Beene had 18 in [apos]97) … her 2,170minutes played were third-most in Notre Damehistory and represented nearly 90 percent of the totalminutes in the 2006 season … helped Irish finishthird nationally in team GAA (0.40) while leadingthe nation with an ND-record 19 total shutouts (theIrish held 24 of 27 teams to 0-1 goals and none hadmore than two) … appeared in 26 of the 27 games,with 25 starts, 46 saves and 11 goals allowed (.807save pct.) … bookended identical 483-minutepersonal shutout streaks around a goal allowed to6th-ranked West Virginia on Sept. 29 … challengingfirst two weeks of season saw her post win at 24thrankedMississippi (2-1; save) and at home versus19th-ranked USC (2-0) before earning goalkeeperMVP honors at the ND Classic due to her careerbestnine saves in the showdown with fellow toprankedSanta Clara (3-1) … also named to BIGEAST weekly honor roll following her strong effortsversus USC and SCU … maintained two-goalcushion versus the Broncos in the 88th minute, afterdiving left to push the ball around the post and denyKiki Bosio[apos]s shot from the top of the box …preserved 1-0 lead at Michigan in 74th minute,racing out to meet Judy Coffman[apos]s breakaway with asave off her left knee (2-0 final) … posted 2-0shutout of Rutgers and then made two saves whilesnuffing out several other chances in scoreless tie atConnecticut … saved all four shots she faced in BIGEAST quarterfinal win over St. John[apos]s (3-0), addingpair of saves in semifinals versus #25 Marquette (2-0) before title-game win over 17th-ranked Rutgers(4-2; SV, GA, 76 min.) … had pair of saves in NCAAsecond-round battle with Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-2) and again in quarterfinal versus 8th-ranked PennState (4-0) … her strong second half helped hold off5th-ranked Florida State in NCAA semifinals (2-1; inCary, N.C.).

AS A SOPHOMORE: Appeared in 18 gamesand made nine midseason starts while stepping induring Erika Bohn[apos]s injury … her 0.60 GAA (6 GAin 908 minutes) matched the team[apos]s season GAA …made 19 saves while recording 8-1-0 record, withfour solo shutouts and nine shared … named BIGEAST goalkeeper of the week after 4-0 win overCincinnati and career-best seven saves in 3-0 win atLouisville … her other top wins included gamesversus 20th-ranked Michigan (2 SV; 3-0) and #10Connecticut (4-0; played first half) … held the fort intense overtime game at Rutgers (1-0; SV) … madepostseason appearances during BIG EASTquarterfinal versus Georgetown (6-0; SV, played 2ndhalf), BIG EAST title-game win over 15th-rankedConnecticut (5-0; SV, 13 min.), and NCAA wins overValparaiso (6-0; 2 SV, 19 min.) and 22nd-rankedMichigan State (3-0; SV, 24 min.) …

AS A FRESHMAN: Made five starts and threeappearances off the bench while posting a 1.24 GAA(5 GA) and making 11 saves in 365 minutes … wonall four of her decisions and shared two shutouts …helped Irish rank fourth in nation with 0.51 teamGAA … played second half of opening win overBaylor (2 GA; 7-2) … won first start in toughconditions at Arizona State, with pair of saves in 2-1win … picked up win two days later in her homestate, after playing first half versus Texas Tech (3-0) …played second half and saved all three shots as[apos]keeper of record in 3-1 win over Pittsburgh …started two days later in 4-0 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay (4 SV) … played first 62 minutes at WestVirginia (1 GA; 3-1), coming off the bench two dayslater in 3-0 win over Providence … also started in 3-1 win over Seton Hall … played second half of 2005spring exhibition versus Mexico, with pair of hugesaves as Irish rallied for 2-2 tie.

PREP & PERSONAL: Her stellar career atFlower Mound High School included 0.82 GAA in73 games and nearly 5,500 minutes played (440saves, 56 GA, 34 shutouts) … named all-state as ajunior (1.03 GAA, 141 SV/17 GA) … two-yearcaptain and 2002 team MVP … three-time districtgoalkeeper of the year ([apos]02-[apos]04), closing in 2004 with0.63 GAA (123 SV, 10 GA, 8 shutouts) … namedacademic all-state in 2004 … lettered two years intrack and field, as record-setting triple jumper (34-9.5; 4th in district) … member of the National HonorSociety … her father, Dan Karas, was a baseball firstbaseman at Temple … daughter of Dan and DeniseKaras … full name is Lauren Elizabeth Karas … bornMay 15, 1986, in Summit, N.J.

Karas[apos] Career Statistics