Season Outlook her best production came at the club level for the Colorado Rush, tallying 47 goals and 57 assists in four years of Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) competition from 2008-11. “Mary is probably going to be one of those utility kids for us who may play all over this year,” Waldrum said. “She can play out wide or in the central attacking areas, and she is the kind of player who can benefit from some of the others that we will have around her in the forward and midfield spots.”
MIDFIELDERS One of the constants in the Notre Dame lineup the past two seasons has been Mandy Laddish. The junior from Lee’s Summit, Mo., has started all 46 matches in her college career to date, filling various roles in the midfield, as well as making the occasional foray up to the forward line. As a freshman in 2010, Laddish seamlessly stepped in for the injured Courtney Barg at the critical holding midfield spot for the Fighting Irish and helped set the stage for Notre Dame’s run to its third national championship. Laddish also scored a pair of goals during her rookie season, including the lone tally in the 83rd minute of the NCAA national semifinal win over Ohio State. That led her to be selected as a Freshman All-American and a member of the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. Last year, Laddish took on more of a playmaking role for the Fighting Irish, dishing out a careerhigh seven assists. She ended up earning secondteam all-conference honors and subsequently locked up a spot on the United States Under-20 National Team, joining Roccaro in representing their country at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in August and September. With excellent vision and creativity, as well as strong possession skills and a powerful shot, Laddish has all of the tools to be a major contributor in the Notre Dame arsenal. She also will take on a larger leadership role in 2012, having been selected as one of the three captains through a preseason vote of her teammates. “Mandy is clearly one of our best players on the field,” Waldrum said. “Chances are you’ll see her in the attacking midfield spot this year, but a lot will also depend on how our team looks three weeks into the season when she and Cari (Roccaro) get back from the World Cup. Mandy has the versatility in her game that we can move her to the holding (midfield) spot if that’s what we need.” Forming a metaphorical bookend for the Fighting Irish in the midfield is another junior tricaptain in Elizabeth Tucker. Like Laddish, the Jacksonville, Fla., product has appeared in all 46 matches to date, starting 43 times, and she has ranked among the team leaders in minutes played during both of her college seasons. She also was a third-team all-conference and BIG EAST All-Rookie Team choice following her freshman campaign, when she finished third on the team in scoring
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with nine goals and 21 points, most notably potting both goals in Notre Dame’s NCAA Championship quarterfinal win at Oklahoma State. An energetic player with a tremendous work rate, Tucker is rarely out of a play and constantly causes problems for the opposition. She also plays with pace and has the ability to do all the little things defensively, both of which made her an appealing addition to the United States Under-23 National Team camp this past spring. What’s more, Tucker is one of the brightest young student-athletes in college soccer, maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while keeping her skills at a high level. It’s this sort of exceptional balance of athletics and academics that has earned her the respect of teammates and coaches alike, and it’s a big reason behind her selection as a captain for 2012. “Elizabeth is definitely going to be in the mix for us in the midfield again this year,” Waldrum said. “She has an engine that won’t quit, she’s always among the fittest players on our team and she sets a strong example for our younger players with her dedication and focus on the field and in the classroom.” Notre Dame has a variety of options for its third midfield position, starting with a pair of sophomores who could be poised for big things this season after rookie years that were interrupted by injury. Taylor Schneider split time between the holding midfield and outside back positions during her freshman season, playing in 16 matches, and got the starting call on five occasions. The Southlake, Texas, resident showed flashes of promise throughout last season, displaying toughness, an ability to understand defensive positioning and a strong leg that allows her to generate both crosses from the wing and shots from distance. “We took a long look at Taylor in the holding midfield role during the spring and she played well there,” Waldrum said. “She has a great deal of versatility and I expect she will contribute for us in a number of different spots this season.” Karin Simonian had a delayed start to her first college campaign due to leg surgery. Although the Westbury, N.Y., native wasn’t able to play a full match during the year due to her ongoing rehabilitation, she was able to offer a glimpse into her playmaking abilities and clever possession skills, appearing in 13 contests and starting three times, registering one assist along the way. “Karin is someone we think can play in that attacking midfield role,”Waldrum said. “She is one of the more skillful players on our team and now that she’s healthy, she really committed herself to improve her fitness level and the results have been noticeable ever since the spring season. She’s on a real upward trend and I’m feeling more and more comfortable about having her out there, and we’re going to have some really strong competition at
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that position, which is a nice problem for us.” Freshman Glory Williams brings a strong club and high school pedigree to Notre Dame and has a great deal of championship-level success to her credit. The Dallas native is a physical presence with strong technical skills, patience on the ball, tremendous field vision and a deft touch with her distribution, Williams caught Waldrum’s eye early in the recruiting process and may end up being among several freshmen working their way into the Fighting Irish lineup at some point this season. “Glory is probably most suited to play that defensive midfielder spot, that playmaking role,” Waldrum said. “She’s really good with the ball, athletic and a taller, bigger player in the mold of (2007 graduate) Jill Krivacek. She also serves the long ball well and that kind of range makes her a better fit in the holding role.”
DEFENDERS Perhaps no position on the field holds as much promise for Notre Dame, along with a hint of the unknown, as the back line. The Fighting Irish could have new faces in least two of the four defender positions, including one or both center back spots. To say preseason training and evaluation for the Notre Dame defense will be intriguing would be putting it mildly. Senior Jazmin Hall is likely to start the season at one of the outside back positions, a role she filled capably as an everyday starter last season after she was a part-time member of the lineup during her first two years. The Highlands Village, Texas, native has had to battle a myriad of injuries throughout her career, but when healthy, she is a dangerous option in Notre Dame’s 4-3-3 formation with her ability to drive up the wings and serve pinpoint crosses into the attacking third.
Elizabeth Tucker