Women's Soccer
Argos Ink Seven Signees for 2010
May 25 – Head Coach BJ Noble and the Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer program have announced the signing of nine players for the upcoming 2010 season.
Massiel Castellanos - Woodside Priory HS
Michelle Engeldinger – Redwood Christian HS
Andrea Huerta – Half Moon Bay HS
Courtney McCallion – Redwood Christian HS
Kelsea Rock - Santa Monica CC
Shannon Sanassarian – Foothill HS
Amrun Singh – Mission San Jose HS
Shaylja Singh – Castro Valley HS
Carrie Turgeon – Half Moon Bay HS
Three Argonauts Receive Pac-West Honors
November 13 – Freshman defender Kimberly Wilhite was one of three Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer players to earn All-Pacific West Conference honors for the 2009 season. In addition to Wilhite’s selection to the First Team, senior forward Sally Olsson and freshman forward Alexis Tershay garnered Honorable Mention accolades.
Wilhite (Castro Valley, CA / Castro Valley HS) earned First Team All-PacWest recognition after anchoring the Argonauts defense this season. Wilhite started 19 games on the year and finished fourth on the team with seven points. She scored two goals, both coming against Chaminade and added three assists.
Olsson (Hillsboro, OR/Century HS) and Tershay (Anaheim, CA/Canyon HS) garnered Honorable Mention status after terrific seasons up top for the Argonauts. Olsson led the team in goals with 6 and points with 13 while recording two game-winning goals. This was the third time Olsson garnered All-Conference recognition after receiving Honorable Mention status in each of the past two seasons.
Tershay (Sunnyvale, CA / Fremont HS) led the team in assists with four and finished second in goals (3) and points (11) during her debut season. All four of her scores came during conference play, including three game-winners. Tershay ranked fourth in the conference in game-winning goals with all three coming as the only score in a 1-0 contest.
The Argos placed fourth in the Pacific West with a 7-6-1 conference record while finishing 7-11-1 overall.
Argos Surrender Three Second Half Goals in Loss to Dominican
October 29 – For the first 45 minutes it appeared that Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team was well on their way to their seventh conference win of the season. However, Dominican scored three second half goals to complete a comeback and down the Argonauts 4-3.
Samantha Paetz put the Argonauts up early on with a goal in the seventh minute. Paetz beat the goalie to a ball and guided it home for a 1-0 lead. Less than five minutes later, Sally Olsson drilled a shot from the middle of the box past goalie Alicia Paulsen to give NDNU a two goal advantage.
Bridget Folan cut the lead in half in the 18th minute when she chipped a ball over goalie Kelsey Baxter. Later in the half, Linzey Harvey pushed the lead back up to two goals in the 39th minute when she took a pass from Sarah Biser and beat Paulson.
The second half was all Dominican as the Penguins scored three goals to push ahead of the Argonauts and take the game 4-3. Eleanna Mendez cut the deficit to one in the 52nd minute before Stephanie Malone tied the score at 3-3 in the 70th minute. The Penguins capped off their comeback six minutes later on a header from Shayna Elkins.
The Argos are back in action next week when they travel to Arizona and Utah to take on Grand Canyon and Dixie State. BOX SCORE
Argos Blank Hawaii Pacific 2-0
October 26 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team score two second half goals in a two minute span to topple Hawaii Pacific and move into third place in the PacWest. The Argos improved to 6-4-1 in conference play to leap over the Sea Warriors in the standings.
The first half was all HPU as the home team recorded a 5-1 shot advantage over the Argonauts. However, the match remained scoreless into halftime thanks to two key saves from Kelsey Baxter. The NDNU offense picked up in the second and finally broke through in the 69th minute.
Victoria Colon sent a long cross from the right flank that Margo Rasteiro was able to track down and head into the center of the net for a 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes later, Samantha Paetz sent a corner kick in front of the net that was headed home by K.C O’Shea for a very important insurance goal.
Baxter earned the shutout for NDNU with three saves while Carianne Makino made one stop for the Sea Warriors.
The Argonauts return to the mainland for a PacWest match against Dominican on Thursday. BOX SCORE
Argos, Vulcans Battle to 1-1 Tie
October 23 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team opened their road trip with a 1-1 tie against Hawaii Hilo. The Argos moved to 5-3-1 in PacWest play with the draw and remained in third place in the conference.
The Argos found themselves down early after the Vulcans went ahead 1-0 on a NDNU own goal in the 18th minutes. NDNU picked up the offense in the second half, holding a 13-5 shot advantage in the second after trailing 6-5 in shots for the first half.
Alexis Tershay evened the game at 1-1 in the 58th minute when she headed home a cross from Sarah Biser. Neither team would tally another goal as the goalies were excellent in the second half and overtime. Kiki DeMarquez made six saves in her 65 minutes of action for NDNU while Shanna Brown recorded nine stops for the Vulcans.
NDNU is back in action on Saturday when they head to Laie to take on BYU Hawaii. BOX SCORE
Argos Ride Three First Half Goals to Win
October 14 – Freshman defender Kimberly Wilhite scored her first two career goals in a 3-1 victory over Chaminade. The Argos outshot the Silverswords 31-3 and improved to 5-1 in conference play with the win.
NDNU got on the board early, scoring in the 2nd minute and never looking back. Margo Rasteiro netted the goal on a cross from K.C O’Shea. Wilhite then gave the Argos a cushion in the 33rd minute when she ripped a shot from just outside of the box into the lower left of the net for a 2-0 lead. Wilhite would add another goal less than two minutes later when she fielded a failed clear, drove to the net and beat goalie Marissa Minor.
The Argos held a 16-0 shot advantage in the first half while outshooting Chaminade 15-3 in the second. However, it was the Silverswords who scored the lone goal of the second on a breakaway by Haley Miller.
NDNU hit four posts in the game while Minor kept the Silverswords close with 11 saves. Kiki DeMarquez and Alexandra Cassandro handled the goalkeeping for NDNU.
The Argos close out their home schedule on Sunday afternoon when they host Chapman for Senior Day. BOX SCORE
Argos Score in Final Minute to Down UHH
October 12 – Alexis Tershay scored her second career goal on a penalty kick with 1:09 remaining to give the Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team a 1-0 victory over Hawaii Hilo. The Argos improved to 4-3 in the PacWest with the win.
NDNU limited the Vulcans offensively all game, holding the visitors to just two shots while racking up 11 of their own. Neither team managed to put much pressure on in the first half with just three shots from the Argos and zero from UHH.
In the second NDNU turned up their offense with eight shots, including several that missed just above the crossbar. With just under three minutes remaining, Tareena Oakley received a red card forcing the Argos to play with one less player. It would turn out not to matter as the Argos pushed the ball forward and were awarded a penalty kick a minute and a half later.
After Victoria Colon was taken down in the box, Tershay stepped up and drilled home the game winner. The goal was the second time this season Tershay won the game on a penalty kick in the final minutes of regulation.
Kiki DeMarquez picked up the shutout in net by making one save while Shanna Brown stopped two for the Vulcans.
The Argos are back in action Wednesday afternoon when they close out the home portion of their conference schedule with a match against Chaminade. BOX SCORE
Argos Fall to Hawaii Pacific 4-1
October 10 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team struggled to stop Hawaii Pacific as the Sea Warriors came away with a 4-1 victory. The Argos were outshot 14-6 for the game and moved to 3-3 in PacWest play.
The Sea Warriors got on the board early and never looked back. Meghan Fuller gave HPU a 1-0 lead in the 5th minute when she knocked home a rebound after a save by Kiki DeMarquez. Fuller struck again in the 31st and 48th minutes to earn a hat trick and give Hawaii Pacific a 3-0 advantage. On both goals, Fuller ran down a long ball and chipped it over the charging goalie.
HPU would add another goal in the 62nd minute when Katrina Torres headed home a corner kick from Lauren Avenue.
Sally Olsson put the Argos on the board in the 71st minute with her team leading fifth goal of the season. She took a corner from Samantha Paetz and headed it past goalie Carianne Makino.
DeMarquez made three saves in 68 minutes for NDNU while Alexandra Cassandro saw her first game action of the year and made four saves in the final 22 minutes.
The Argos get a day off before taking on Hawaii Hilo on Monday afternoon. BOX SCORE
Argos Drop Shootout to BYU Hawaii
October 8 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team fought back from deficits on two separate occasions before eventually falling to BYU Hawaii 5-3. The game featured eight goals, five of which came in the final 35 minutes. NDNU moved to 3-2 in PacWest play while the Seasiders improved to 4-2.
BYU Hawaii got on the board early, capitalizing on their first scoring chance in the fourth minute. Lauren McCullough found a streaking Emily Mearns who finished off the play with a goal. In the 35th minute, Ashley Hunter gave the Seasiders a 2-0 lead when she cleaned up a lose ball in front of the net.
The Argos responded just over two minutes later when Sarah Biser ran down a long ball from Kristen Orlando and put it inside the left post to cut the lead in half.
NDNU would even the score in the 57th minute when Sally Olsson’s header bounced off the crossbar and back to Victoria Colon. Colon then headed the ball over goalie Becky Ploeger for the goal.
Mearns would strike again for BYUH in the 67th minute when she beat a charging Kelsey Baxter but once again NDNU was able to respond. Colon tied the score again in the 71st minute when she fielded a ball 25 yards out and bent it over Ploeger’s head.
The Argos were unable to keep Mearns at bay as she added two more goals in the final ten minutes to finish the game with four. She recorded the hat trick in the 80th minute on a header off a corner and scored her fourth with 33 seconds left on a breakaway.
NDNU is back in action on Saturday when they take on Hawaii Pacific at 11:00 am. BOX SCORE
Late PK Lifts Argos over Dominican
October 2 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team improved to 3-1 in PacWest play with a 1-0 victory over Dominican. The Argonauts and Penguins battled evenly throughout the game until NDNU got on the board in the 82nd minute on a penalty kick by Alexis Tershay.
The Argos used excellent defense and outstanding play from goalie Kelsey Baxter to pick up their second shutout of the season. Baxter made six saves as the Penguins held a slight shot advantage at 12-11.
The first half favored Dominican with the visitors taking seven shots to four from NDNU. However, the best scoring chance came from the Argonauts as Sarah Biser’s shot from the top of the box was stopped by Alicia Paulsen on a diving save.
NDNU played more aggressively in the second, holding a 7-5 shot advantage and capitalizing on their scoring opportunity. Tershay blasted home the game winner on a penalty shot in the 82nd minute after being tripped in the box. The goal was Tershay’s first of her career.
The Argos are back in action next Thursday when BYU Hawaii comes to Koret Field for a PacWest Conference match. BOX SCORE
Argos Fall to Grand Canyon 1-0
September 29 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team could not their conference winning streak going, falling to Grand Canyon 1-0. The Argos moved to 2-1 in PacWest play while the Antelopes improved to 1-1-1.
The Lopes held an 18-8 shot advantage for the game but NDNU stayed close as Kelsey Baxter made a career high 12 saves. Baxter stopped six GCU shots in the each half while Mileena Buchei earned the shutout with four saves of her own.
The game was evenly played for much of the first with the Antelopes breaking through in the 33rd minute. Kayla Poe took a feed from Nichole Elias at the top of the box and blasted a shot towards the net. The ball deflected off an Argonaut defender, changed direction and rolled past Baxter for a goal.
The Argos had several opportunities to tie the game in the second half but could not get the ball past Buchei. She stopped all three shots on frame, including a late free kick by Samantha Paetz.
The Argos are back in action on Friday when Dominican comes to Koret Field for a PacWest match. BOX SCORE
Argos Blank Academy of Art
September 24 - The Notre Dame de Namur women's soccer team improved to 2-0 in PacWest play with a 3-0 victory over Academy of Art. The Argos recorded their first shutout of the season behind Kelsey Baxter's five saves.
The Argos jumped ahead early when Sally Olsson netted her fourth goal of the season. Olsson scored in the 8th minute when she tracked down a through ball from Kimberly Wilhite and beat the charging goalie.
NDNU held a 10-3 shot advantage in the first half and followed that up with a 10-5 advantage in the second. Linzey Flores tacked on the Argos second goal in the 60th minute on shot from the top of the box. Jeznia Flores added the final goal in the 75th minute on an assist from Kristen Orlando.
Olsson had a game high six shots while Alexis Tershay finished with five.
The Argos continue PacWest play on Monday when Grand Canyon comes to Koret Field at 1:30 pm. BOX SCORE
Argos Fall to San Jose State on Late Goal
September 22 – For 84 minutes the Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team stood toe-to-toe with San Jose State before the Spartans punched in the games only goal for a 1-0 victory. The Argos stayed close thanks to Kelsey Baxter’s career high ten saves.
SJSU controlled most of the first half with an 8-0 advantage on shots but the game went into the half scoreless. The Argonaut offense picked it up in the second, recording six shot while the Spartans continued to press with 11.
In the 85th minute, Hallsie Pacheco snapped the scoreless tie with a goal off a corner kick by Shanelle Furner. The goal would be enough as the Spartans defense clamped down and held NDNU without a shot for the final five minutes.
K.C O’Shea led the Argos with three shots while Samantha Paetz and Sally Olsson accounted for the NDNU shots on goal.
The Argos return to conference play on Thursday when they take on Academy of Art at Boxer Stadium in San Francisco. BOX SCORE
Argos Down Academy of Art in Double Overtime
September 19 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team started their 2009 PacWest season with a thrilling 3-2, double overtime victory over Academy of Art. The Argos held a 24-9 shot advantage including 5-0 in the overtimes.
The Urban Knights jumped on the Argos early with a goal 17 second into the game. Olivia Dupon came up with a free ball at the top of the box and beat goalie Kelsey Baxter to put AAU up in the opening minute.
NDNU knotted the game in the 36th minute when Alexis Tershay dribbled to end line and set a cross to Samantha Paetz. Paetz tapped the ball in to even the score going into the half. Sally Olsson would give NDNU the lead in the 56th minute on her second goal of the season.
The Urban Knight would force overtime 20 minutes later on a header from Carmela Doerr off a corner kick from Carolyn Cordeiro.
The game moved into overtime with the Argos offense taking over. NDNU controlled the ball for most of overtime before breaking though with just over one minute remaining. After AAU lost a player to a red card, Paetz sent the ensuing free kick into the box where Kimberly Wilhite headed it to Olsson for the game winning goal.
The Argos are back in action on Tuesday when they head south to face San Jose State at 7:00 pm. BOX SCORE
Argos Fall 2-0 to Dominican
September 13 – The Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer team racked up a 16-10 shot advantage over Dominican but could not find the net, ultimately falling 2-0 to the Penguins.
Dominican scored two first half goals to jump out to a lead and held off a strong Argonaut attack in the second. Bridget Folan netted the first goal of the game in the 30th minute when she headed home a corner kick. The Penguins would add another with just under one and a half minutes left in the first on a goal by Mary Wheeler.
The Argos came out strong in the second half, firing 10 shots and limiting the Penguins to just four. However, Alicia Paulsen made five saves to preserve the shutout and give Dominican the victory.
Alexis Tershay and Sally Olsson took six shots apiece for NDNU while Kiki DeMarquez and Kelsey Baxter made two saves each.
The Argos start conference play on Saturday when Academy of Art comes to Koret Field. BOX SCORE
Argos Blanked in Season Opener
August 29 - The Notre Dame de Namur women's soccer struggled to find the net in their 2009 season opener as they fell 4-0 to Cal Poly Pomona. The Argos managed 11 shots for the game, but put only three on frame.
The Broncos jumped out to an early lead with a goal in the 2nd minute. After a corner kick was sent into the box, a failed clear by NDNU left Alicia Gutierrez alone with the ball at the back post. Gutierrez put the ball in the back of the net to give Cal Poly Pomona a 1-0 lead. The Argos pressed hard for the rest of the half, nearly tying the game but went into the half down two after a late Bronco goal.
The second half was closely played for the first 20 minutes but CPP added another goal in the 77th minute when Justine Barclay capitalized on another failed NDNU clear. The Broncos would go on to add another one ten minutes later on a penalty kick by Carolyn Rubendall.
Kelsey Baxter and Kalia DeMarquez combined to make three saves for NDNU while Ashley Salerno recorded her second straight shutout with three saves of her own.
The Argos are back in action Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Sonoma State to take on the Seawolves. BOX SCORE
NDNU Names New Director of Soccer
BJ Noble hired to lead the men’s and women’s soccer programs
April 13 – The Notre Dame de Namur University athletic department has announced the hiring of BJ Noble as the new Director of Soccer.
Noble comes to NDNU after spending the last two seasons at the helm of the Millikin University men’s soccer team. Last season, Noble turned around a program that experienced six straight losing seasons, leading the Big Blue to a 10-8-2 record. In his two years, Noble amassed a 15-20-3 record at the Division III institution.
Prior to Millikin, Noble coached for ten years at the collegiate, high school and club levels. While earning his master’s degree at the University of Redlands, Noble served as the assistant men’s soccer coach from 2004-06. During his two years at Redlands, the teams went 32-6-5 with two SCIAC Championships and two NCAA Division III playoff appearances.
"I am excited to have been appointed to the Director of Soccer position. I would like to thank the university and Josh Doody for this great opportunity." Noble said. "I look forward to building relationships and educating the young men and women in the Notre Dame de Namur soccer program."
Noble replaces former Director of Soccer Lance Thompson who took the head coaching position at Cal Poly Pomona in February. Under Thompson last season, the Argonaut men went 14-4-3, won the Pacific West Conference Championship and made the school’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The women finished fourth in the PacWest with a 7-5 conference record while compiling a 10-10 overall record.
“We are very excited to have BJ emerge from a very qualified and talented pool of applicants.” Athletic Director Josh Doody said. “We feel that BJ is a great fit and look forward to see where he can take both programs in the future.”
Noble becomes only the fifth men’s head coach in the 21 year history of the program and the fourth women’s coach since the program started in 2000.
Four Argos Receive All-Conference Honors
Freshman Sarah Biser Named PacWest Newcomer of the Year
November 24 – Senior defender Traci Cicerchi and freshman forward Sarah Biser highlighted four Notre Dame de Namur women’s soccer players who received All-Pacific West Conference accolades. Biser was named PacWest Newcomer of the Year and was selected to the Second Team while Cicerchi garnered First Team honors.
Additionally, junior Sally Olsson and senior Heather Toohey were selected as Honorable Mention choices.
Cicerchi (Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) earned First Team All-PacWest recognition after being named Second Team All-West Region earlier this month. She started all 20 games as a sweeper and was consistently matched up with the opposing team best forward. Cicerchi led the team in minutes played while anchoring a defense that finished fourth in the conference with a 1.59 goals against average.
Biser (Newark, CA/Newark Memorial HS) became the first Argonaut to win the Pacific West Conference Newcomer of the Year Award after turning in one of the best rookie seasons in school history. She tied for the conference lead in goals with 14 and finished second in points with 32. Biser recorded three hat tricks this season, including a four goal game against Chaminade.
Olsson (Hillsboro, OR/Century HS) and Toohey (Anaheim, CA/Canyon HS) garnered Honorable Mention status after terrific seasons in the midfield for the Argonauts. Olsson finished second on the team in goals with five and ranked third in the conference in game-winning goals with four. Toohey led the team in assists with five and added two goals. She scored all nine of her points during conference play and ranked first in the PacWest in assists during conference games.
The Argos placed fourth in the Pacific West with a 7-5 conference record while finishing 10-10 overall for the season.
Cicerchi Earns All-Region Honors
November 11 – Senior defender Traci Cicerchi became the first women’s soccer player in school history to earn Daktronics Division II All-Region honors when she was selected to the West Region Second Team on Tuesday.
Cicerchi (Beaverton, OR) was the anchor on defense for the Argonauts this season. She started all 20 games as a sweeper and was consistently matched up with the opposing team best forward.
Cicerchi led the team in minutes, playing all but four minutes on the season and helped lead the NDNU defense that ranked fourth in the conference with a 1.59 goals against average.
The Argos finished the year at 10-10 overall but were 7-5 in conference play and placed fourth.