NCAA women's tournament

Weissenhofer strikes early, No. 1 Notre Dame edges UWM 1-0.

Michelle Weissenhofer has celebrated 15 goals during her freshman season, including the one that gave Notre Dame a 1-0 NCAA tournament victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee. -- University of Notre Dame web site photo --

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Sunday, November 12, 2006) -- Freshman striker Michele Weissenhofer's early goal proved to be enough for No. 1 Notre Dame, which held on for a 1-0 triumph over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the second round of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship tournament before 906 at Alumni Field this afternoon.

With its 30th straight home victory, Notre Dame (22-0-1) advanced to a Round-of-16 home game Friday with No. 20 Colorado, which eliminated Denver 2-1 today.

Senior midfielder Jen Buczkowski, who has appeared in all 99 games of her career with the Irish, set up the goal by driving a ball down the center of the field. Sophomore midfielder Kerri Hanks received the pass and appeared ready to trigger a shot from the top of the penalty area before slipping a short through ball to her left. Weissenhofer, approaching at an angle from the left, hit the ball with the outside of her right foot into the right corner of the net from eight yards for her 15th goal of the season with 4:37 elapsed.

The young Irish defense, thinned by injury and illness, allowed UWM (16-4-2) only seven shots, two on goal. Standout sophomore center back Carrie Dew had her season end October 24 when she tore an anterior cruciate ligament in a 3-0 victory over Cincinnati, while senior left back Christie Shaner has missed both NCAA tournament games because of sickenss.

The absences have forced two freshmen -- Haley Ford and Amanda Clark -- into action in back, along with senior Kim Lorenzen and junior Ashley Jones in front of junior goalkeeper Lauren Karas.

The Panthers defense was also strong, limiting the Irish to nine shots, three on frame. Notre Dame has scored 75 goals, 3.3 per game, while conceding only eight tallies, 0.35 per contest.

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