WHAT: 2009 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament Second Round match
WHO: Notre Dame (15-3-2) vs. Benedictine-Ks. (16-2-1)
WHERE: Ramirez Field - Fresno, Calif.
WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m. ET
SETTING THE MATCH
* Notre Dame and Bendictine advanced to the NAIA Sweet-16 with wins in the tournament’s opening round on Nov. 21. NDC defeated Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 2-1. Benedictine advanced by virtue of a 1-0 win over Ashford (Il.). The Falcons are the No. 7 seed in the tournament; the Ravens are seeded 10th. (
Bracket)
* NDC is playing at the NAIA National Championship Tournament final site for a second consecutive year. The 2008 Falcons also advanced to the NAIA Sweet-16 in Fresno, Calif., which repeats as the tournament’s final site again this year. In last year’s Second Round match, the Falcons were bested on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie with Maine-Fort Kent. … Both teams are playing in their third NAIA National Championship Tournament.
* Tuesday’s meeting pits a high-powered Notre Dame offense against the stout defense of Benedictine. Notre Dame has tallied an NAIA-best 91G this season; Benedictine has yielded only 11 (10th, NAIA).
COVERAGE
*
NAIA Tournament page featuring live video, in-game stats and tournament recaps and box scores.
* On-campus Watch Party (PAC, 5 p.m.)
* In-game Twitter updates (Twitter.com/NDC_Falcons)
* Post-match coverage on NotreDameFalcons.com
RAVENS AT A GLANCE
Benedictine comes into Tuesday’s match at Ramirez Field with an 11-1-1 mark over its last 13 matches and with one of the finest defenses in the nation. In 19 matches this season, the Ravens have allowed just 11 goals and have shut out opponents 10 times. … For the season, BC as outshot their opponents, 326 (17.2 per game) to 182 (9.6). The Ravens have held their opponents under four shots on goal (3.8) per contest. Benedictine has scored 46G (2.4 per game) and given up 11 (0.6). … The Ravens’ top scoring threat is senior forward Sean Lewis, who has tallied 38P (16G, 6A) in 2009. (
BC Stats) … Benedictine College is located in Atchison, Kansas, and has an enrollment of 2,033 students. The College was founded in 1868, and its 11 athletic teams compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
HIGH-FLYING FALCONS
Notre Dame is the highest-scoring team in the NAIA this season. The Falcons have tallied 91 netfinders in 2009, which is a program record. … 2009 AMC Player of the Year
Luke Holmes comes into Tuesday’s match ranked second in the nation in goals scored, with 28. (
NDC Stats)
THE COACHES
Rob Herringer is in his fifth season at the helm of Benedictine Men’s Soccer. The Benedictine grad owns a 59-21-10 (.711) career record. … Michael “Mac” McBride took charge of Notre Dame Men’s Soccer in 2001 when the program was instituted. The England native has been honored by the league five times - as AMC-North Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and as AMC Coach of the Year in 2008. Under McBride, NDC Men's Soccer has a 117-51-14 (.681) record. McBride’s Associate Head Coach is Carl Nolan.
RANK AND FILE
Tuesday’s match will be a meeting of the 10th- and 11th-ranked teams in the nation: Notre Dame is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation (11/10 NAIA Coaches’ Poll), while Benedictine is ranked No. 10. … This season the Falcons were ranked in the Top-10 in 10 straight polls and reached as high as No. 3 in the poll. Going back to the September of last season, NDC has been ranked in the Top-25 in 19 straight polls. … Benedictine is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation. … The Ravens went 2-1 in three matches against Top-25 teams this season. NDC went 2-2.
NOTABLE
Falcon forward Luke Holmes has 28G in 2009. The sophomore from Oldham, England, has piled up 45G and 13A over just 39 matches at NDC. The 5-foot-7 speedster was named the AMC’s Freshman of the Year in 2008 and the league’s Player of the Year in 2009. He was an AMC First Teamer in both seasons.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mac McBride: "The lads have a nervous expectation about them. For us, it doesn't get any bigger than this, and we know it. Benedictine is a great opponent; we need to perform our very best to compete with them."
BEST OF THE BUNCH
Falcon Men’s Soccer is the most successful athletic program in Notre Dame history, both in terms of all-time winning percentage (.681) and national tournament appearances (three). NDC has won two American Mideast Conference titles (2008, 2009), five AMC division titles and has produced 11 NAIA All-Americans.
LAST TIME OUT
The Ravens got a goal from Sean Lewis in the 95th minute, as BC topped Ashford in Rock Island, Ill. … Freshman midfielder
Erik Beattie scored two goals in NDC’s 2-1 victory over Olivet Nazarene at Korb Field. … Both Opening Round matches were played on Nov. 21.
QUICK STRIKES
Notre Dame has scored the first goal in 17 of their 20 matches this season. The Falcons went 14-1-2 in those games. Luke Holmes leads the squad with six first goals this season.
SHOT SHOW
Notre Dame is averaging 4.6 goals per game on 24.3 shots (second, NAIA) and 12.6 (second) shots on goal per match. With 5.6 shots per game individually, Homes ranks third in the nation.
BUCKEYE BATTLE CRY
The only Ohio team to win an NAIA National Championship was Rio Grande in 2003. … Benedictine’s roster includes one player from the Buckeye State - freshman forward Ben George (Dayton).
TOURNAMENT FACTS
The 2009 tournament is the 51st annual renewal of the event. … The National Championship has been won by seven different teams in the last seven years. … No. 12 seed Bethel (Tenn.) is the defending National Champion. … The 16 teams remaining in the tournament represent the top seven percent of the NAIA’s 218 men’s soccer programs.