Oct. 14, 2001
MIAMI, Fla. – Sophomore forward Amy Warner scored twice and the Notre Dame offense continued its impressive play, as the fifth-ranked Irish women’s soccer team improved to 11-1-1 with a 4-0 victory at Cobb Stadium over the 24th-ranked University of Miami.
Notre Dame completed an impressive weekend that also included Friday’s 7-0 home win over St. John’s. The Irish totaled 11 goals on 37 shots in those two games (3.4 shots per goal), after managing just three goals on 49 shots (16.3 shots/goal) in last week’s action at Rutgers and Seton Hall.
The Irish own an impressive record of 17-4-2 versus top-25 teams during the three-year tenure of head coach Randy Waldrum, including 5-0-0 this season (ND is 55-6-3 overall in the Waldrum era).
Miami (8-5-0) failed to connect on nine shots, with both teams attempting five corner kicks.
Warner scored her third goal of the weekend and sixth of the season in the 21st minute, after senior defender Lindsey Jones and sophomore forward Melissa Tancredi forced pressure on the Miami defense. Tancredi won the ball on the left side and served the ball to Warner, who knocked the ball into the right side of the net for the 1-0 lead (20:02).
Junior forward Ali Lovelace set up the second Irish goal, after winning an air ball near the top of the box. Lovelace flicked the ball to senior midfielder Mia Sarkesian, who then converted her fifth goal of the season in skilled fashion-sending an 18-yard volley shot over the head of the Miami goalkeeper (38:10).
Sarkesian-who also scored on Friday and has totaled all five of her goals in the last seven games-has matched her career-best total for goals ion a season (she also scored five times in 25 games during the 2001 season).
Sophomore forward Amanda Guertin gave the Irish a 3-0 halftime lead, with her fifth goal of the season and second of the weekend. Guertin won the ball at the top of the box and eluded a pair of Miami players before sending the unassisted goal into the net for her 16th career goal at Notre Dame (41:06).
Warner scored again early in the second half, on a play set up by an Irish corner kick. Miami tried to clear the zone but Jones retrieved the ball and served it back into the box. The defense again tried to gain a clearance but Warner gained possession and scored from the top of the box for the 17th goal of her young Irish career.
Notre Dame improved to 61-3-2 in regular-season games vs. BIG EAST teams (since 1995) and is 31-1-2 in its last 34 regular-season games (since a 1999 loss at then-No. 1 Santa Clara).
#5 NOTRE DAME (11-1-1) 3 1 – 4
#24 MIAMI (8-5-0) 0 0 – 0
ND 1. Amy Warner 6 (Melissa Tancredi) 20:02, ND 2. Mia Sarkesian 5 (Ali Lovelace) 38:10, ND 3. Amanda Guertin 5 (-) 41:06, ND 4. Amy Warner (-) 49:00.
Shots: ND 12, MIA 9
Saves: ND 4 (Liz Wagner 4, Lauren Kent 0), Miami 5
Corner Kicks: ND 5, MIA 5
Fouls: ND 19, MIA 6
Offsides: ND 5, MIA 3