INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women’s soccer team will take on No. 4/7 Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in South Bend, Ind.. Notre Dame (17-3-1) recently claimed the 2009 BIG EAST title and was awarded the No. 2 seed in the Florida State Region.

Friday’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

The Jaguars claimed their first-ever NCAA College Cup berth this past weekend by defeating top seeded South Dakota State in The Summit League Tournament championship game. IUPUI (17-4) won its second straight Summit League Regular Season Co-Championship this past season and has already posted a school record 17 wins in 2009. 

"Anytime you can put your name up against a national power like Notre Dame, you’ve elevated your program," Head Coach Chris Johnson said. "We’re going to be ready to play.

"I’m really proud of our girls and what they’ve accomplished."

IUPUI student-athletes stockpiled The Summit League’s major awards this season as sophomore forward Alicia Brock was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and senior back Stephanie Hoffman was voted Defensive Player of the Year. Seniors Jamie Farrell and Katrina McCrory were also picked First Team All-Summit and Johnson was selected the Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. 

Brock had eight goals and four assists this past season and fellow sophomore Megan Hock led the squad with 12 goals and six assists. Along the way, Hock set a new school record with seven game-winning goals this season, eclipsing the previous mark of five. 

Defensively, Farrell had a 0.82 goals against average and 89 saves in her 21 starts in goal for a defense that allowed just 18 goals in 2009. She was named Summit League Tournament MVP after allowing just one goal in 180 minutes in net and recording 12 saves. Hoffman helped anchor the Jaguars’ defensive backfield and emerged as an offensive threat late in the season. The 5-foot-10 back scored the game-winner in a late win over Oakland and netted the game-tying goal in the Jags’ 4-1 Summit League Championship victory against South Dakota State.

The Fighting Irish are led by Melissa Henderson (11 goals, four assists) and Lauren Fowlkes (10 goals, three assists). The stingy Notre Dame defense has allowed just 16 goals this season.