2008 Woodie Awards
ND Women's Soccer: Up for grabs
Waldrum opens up keeper job to three contenders as defense struggles in early games
Bill Brink
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Sports
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Four games into the season, Notre Dame still doesn't have a bona fide starting goalkeeper.
Irish coach Randy Waldrum has rotated three candidates, senior Lauren Karas, sophomore Kelsey Lysander and freshman Nikki Weiss, but has not found an answer. Waldrum said the void at keeper has cast a shadow of doubt over the entire defense.
"We're at a point right now where defensively, everybody's worried," Waldrum said Sunday.
Waldrum gave Weiss the tentative starting nod for Friday's Inn at Saint Mary's Classic, but said the battle is "still wide open."
None of the keepers have consistently shown what Waldrum said he is looking for: someone who can step up and make plays in the penalty box.
"Right now they're afraid to come up to the line and make mistakes," he said. "We've got to have someone that she's going to step up and take charge."
The level of play in goal fell significantly in relation to last season. Karas started 25 games last season as a junior, a year in which the Irish went 25-1-1 and lost to No. 1 North Carolina in the NCAA Championship.
During the season, she allowed an average of 0.41 goals per game, made 41 saves and had a .804 save percentage. Lysander saw backup duty in eight games, allowing one goal and making four saves.
This season, Karas has allowed two goals per game and has just a .500 save percentage. Lysander has allowed four goals per game, and Weiss has let in 1.11 per game.
As a team last season, Notre Dame allowed seven percent of shots to result in a goal. This season, 19 percent of shots reached the back of the net. Last season, the team goals-against average was 0.4 goals per game. This season, they've allowed 2.09.
Waldrum was happy with the keeper's play early in the season but said their performance has fallen off since then.
"Lauren was great for us against Florida. We got that, and we were excited about it," Waldrum said. "She came out Friday, and she really struggled in the first half. Kelsey had a great preseason, and she really struggled."
Irish coach Randy Waldrum has rotated three candidates, senior Lauren Karas, sophomore Kelsey Lysander and freshman Nikki Weiss, but has not found an answer. Waldrum said the void at keeper has cast a shadow of doubt over the entire defense.
"We're at a point right now where defensively, everybody's worried," Waldrum said Sunday.
Waldrum gave Weiss the tentative starting nod for Friday's Inn at Saint Mary's Classic, but said the battle is "still wide open."
None of the keepers have consistently shown what Waldrum said he is looking for: someone who can step up and make plays in the penalty box.
"Right now they're afraid to come up to the line and make mistakes," he said. "We've got to have someone that she's going to step up and take charge."
The level of play in goal fell significantly in relation to last season. Karas started 25 games last season as a junior, a year in which the Irish went 25-1-1 and lost to No. 1 North Carolina in the NCAA Championship.
During the season, she allowed an average of 0.41 goals per game, made 41 saves and had a .804 save percentage. Lysander saw backup duty in eight games, allowing one goal and making four saves.
This season, Karas has allowed two goals per game and has just a .500 save percentage. Lysander has allowed four goals per game, and Weiss has let in 1.11 per game.
As a team last season, Notre Dame allowed seven percent of shots to result in a goal. This season, 19 percent of shots reached the back of the net. Last season, the team goals-against average was 0.4 goals per game. This season, they've allowed 2.09.
Waldrum was happy with the keeper's play early in the season but said their performance has fallen off since then.
"Lauren was great for us against Florida. We got that, and we were excited about it," Waldrum said. "She came out Friday, and she really struggled in the first half. Kelsey had a great preseason, and she really struggled."