DePaul University

DePaul vs. #1/2 Notre Dame
Friday, Sept. 15 - 4 p.m.
Wish Field - Chicago, Ill.

DePaul vs. Loyola-Chicago
Sunday, Sept. 17 - 4 p.m.
Wish Field - Chicago, Ill.

Weekly Notes  | Demons Live

CHICAGO - The DePaul women’s soccer team starts the 2006 portion of the BIG EAST schedule with a Friday afternoon match against Notre Dame.  The Blue Demons conclude the weekend with a non-conference game against Loyola-Chicago.  Wish Field is the site for both games which are the conclusion of a pair of DePaul soccer doubleheaders.  The DePaul men’s team hosts Pittsburgh and West Virginia at 12:30 p.m. each day.

Noting the Blue Demons: The six goals scored in the last two games are the most in back-to-back games since seven goals in Oct. 2004… the Blue Demons posted a 3-0 win over TCU on Oct. 17 and a 4-0 victory against Cleveland State on Oct. 22… Lauren Spacht’s goal at Northern Illinois on Sept. 10 moved her into sole possession of second all-time with 15 career goals… at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 1, she moved into second all-time with her 38th career point... Spacht has totaled 38 points on 14 goals and 10 assists in her career... Julianne Sitch (2002-05) leads all career categories with 90 points on 32 goals and 26 assists... Alissa VonderHaar’s two-goal game against Southeast Missouri State was the second of her career... it was also the first by a DePaul player this season... Cara LaRocca’s 50 saves this season (6 matches) are just 11 shy of her career total entering this season (18 matches)… Cara LaRocca’s 12 saves at Drake on Sept. 3 were a career best passing her previous high of 11 stops against Northwestern at the start of this season... she has totaled at least eight stops in four of six matches this season... Drake was the first opponent to blank the Blue Demons this season... Dyer scored goals in each of DePaul’s first two matches... with the two scores, she is tied for eighth all-time in DePaul with eight career goals... Lea Hill, VonderHaar and Dyer lead the club with three assists each... Hill is now tied for fourth in school history with nine career helpers... the 2006 season is the 11th year of women’s soccer as a varsity sport at DePaul University... starting his seventh season, head coach John Wilson returns 14 players and eight starters from a year ago... DePaul is scheduled to play 18 regular-season matches with 10 games at Wish Field in 2006... the Blue Demons are 19-8-1 in the last three-plus seasons in matches at Wish Field.

Scouting Notre Dame: The Irish stand at 6-0-0 entering the BIG EAST opener at DePaul... Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 in this week adidas/NSCAA Top 25 and second in the Soccer America rankings... they were picked to win the National Division in the league preseason poll... Michelle Weissenhofer leads the team with 12 points on two goals and eight assists... as a team, Notre Dame has outscored their opponents, 21-2... head coach Randy Waldrum is in his eighth season in South Bend.  The Series: Friday is the second meeting between the two schools... Notre Dame claimed a 6-0 victory in South Bend last season.

Checking on Loyola-Chicago: The Ramblers open the weekend with a Friday evening match against IPFW... they enter the weekend at 3-3-1 after falling at No. 18 Missouri, 3-2, on Sunday... Loyola was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll... Cynthia Morot-Ariza leads the club with 11 points on five goals and two assists... goalkeeper Emily Peick has played all 680 minutes in goal with 41 saves... head coach Frank Mateus is in his second season leading the Ramblers.  The Series: Loyola-Chicago leads the series, 4-1-1... the Ramblers posted a 1-0 win in the last meeting during the 2001 season.

Previously: Northern Illinois (Sept. 10) - The action started early with the matches five goals scored in the first half.  Following a Northern Illinois goal in the sixth minute, Lauren Spacht tallied her second score of the season at 22:29 followed by Stefanie Foley’s first career goal at 33:42.  Just before halftime, NIU tied the match at 43:52 before Kelly DeBaene knocked in the game-winner on a 30-yarder at 44:10.  Cara LaRocca finished the afternoon with eight saves as DePaul was outshot, 16-15.  Southeast Missouri State (Sept. 8) - Two goals by Alissa VonderHaar and another by Lea Hill gave the Blue Demons a 3-0 lead 60 minutes into the match.  The Redhawks answered with two scores, but couldn’t find a equalizer.  Cara LaRocca finished the game with 10 saves, including nine in the second half.  Drake (Sept. 3) - Drake broke a scoreless tie with the game-winner in the 88th minute.  The Bulldogs outshot the Blue Demons, 15-9, while DePaul goalkeeper Cara LaRocca finished with a dozen saves.  Eastern Illinois (Sept. 1) - Lauren Spacht scored her first goal of the season to give the Blue Demons a lead 88 seconds into the match.  The Panthers tied the match in the 62nd minute and neither team could find the net over the remainder of the match.  DePaul outshot Eastern Illinois, 16-12, in the match.  Eastern Washington (Aug. 27) - Jennifer Dyer and Shannon Williams scored first-half goals for DePaul while Cara LaRocca notched her first shutout of the season.  Dyer tallied the eventual game-winner in the 32nd minute followed by Williams in the 43rd minute.  The Blue Demons outshot the Eagles, 25-7, while LaRocca made five save.  Northwestern (Aug. 25) - DePaul opened the season with a 2-1 loss at Wish Field.  Jennifer Dyer scored in the 83rd minute while Cara LaRocca finished with a career-high 11 saves.  The Blue Demons were outshot, 20-5, and Northwestern attempted 16 corner kicks.

Looking Forward: DePaul jumps into BIG EAST action with a road match at Louisville on Sept. 22 followed by a home game against Cincinnati on Sept. 24.  The Cincinnati match begins a run of five consecutive home matches ending with Senior Day on Oct. 8 against Seton Hall.  The Blue Demons conclude the schedule with four straight road matches starting Oct. 13 at Providence.

2006 BIG EAST Championship:  The semifinals and championship of the 2006 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship will take place in Storrs, Conn., on the campus of the University of Connecticut.  The first round and quarterfinals matches will be hosted by the higher-seeded team beginning on Oct. 25.  The champion receives the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.