A pair of dominating 3-0 wins for the Irish over the weekend could be the momentum shift the team has been waiting for, Irish coach Randy Waldrum said.
Taking down Connecticut on Friday night and Providence on Sunday, Notre Dame (6-5-2, 3-2-1) did not suffer the lapses in play it showed the past couple of weeks, stringing together two complete games on both sides of the ball. The Irish have not recorded a shutout since the Aug. 19 season opener.
"It was the first time in a few weeks that we played like we're capable of playing for a full 90 minutes, so I'm really, really pleased with the results," Waldrum said. "It was great getting two shutouts and scoring three goals against two good teams, and I guess more importantly, just the fact that we played for a full 90 minutes for both games. It was a really positive weekend for us. Hopefully it was the turning point we've been looking for."
Freshman forward Lauren Bohaboy looked especially sharp this weekend with a break out performance featuring two goals and one assist against Connecticut and the game's first goal on Sunday. Waldrum said this performance was expected from the talented freshman.
"[Lauren] had a great weekend. When we were recruiting her … every time we saw her she was scoring goals," Waldrum said. "For whatever reason it just took her a little longer than we expected this year to get in and start doing that. I think she went maybe eight or nine games without scoring a goal, but now here she is with five goals in five games. We needed her, and other players, to start getting hot to help Melissa Henderson out up top, so she had a great weekend."
Senior tri-captain Jess Schuveiller contributed a goal in each game. Schuveiller has scored a goal in each contest since her move up to midfield.
"I think right now it looks like that's a move that's panned out for us well," he said. "I just thought she brought a whole different presence to our midfield. We've been very good attacking-wise in the midfield, but we just weren't defending well out of it. I think [Schuveiller] really brings that physical presence and that toughness, and yet she's so good with the ball that she can create so much offensively."
Waldrum credits freshman defender Sammy Scofield for holding down the defensive fort and allowing Schuveiller to make that move.
"As a freshman, [Scofield] stepped in these last few games. She played probably 70 minutes or so in the Marquette game and then played both games full time this weekend for us and was really good back there with [senior defender] Molly Campbell," Waldrum said. "I don't think we could make that move with Jess if Sammy weren't doing that, so hopefully those two moves will pan out for us, I think they have so far."
Junior goalkeeper Maddie Fox contributed big minutes between the posts. Fox registered four saves against Connecticut and two against Providence en route to the pair of shut outs.
"I though Maddie Fox was really good this weekend," Waldrum said. "She had three really good saves against Connecticut, one when it was still 0-0 but the other two when we were up 1-0."
Rounding out the scoring for the weekend was sophomore forward Adriana Leon, celebrating her birthday with a goal and an assist in the win on Sunday.
The Irish will look to continue winning during a trip to New Jersey next weekend, taking on Seton Hall on Friday and Rutgers on Sunday.
Contact Kelsey Manning at kmannin3@nd.edu
