CANTON, Ohio-- One goal in each half was all Notre Dame needed to defeat Malone in American Mideast Conference (AMC) play on Saturday in the 2-0 victory over the Pioneers. With the win, the Falcons improve to 7-2-1 (6-0-1, AMC) while Malone falls to 2-7 (2-5) on the season.

The win marks the fifth win in conference play over the last six matches. The 2-0 blanking of the Pioneers also denotes the seventh shutout of the 2008 season.

Katie Christensen (Fr/Sandy, Utah) got NDC on the board first on a goal in the 26th minute on a pass from Anic McKay (Fr/Orleans, Ont.). Ashley Rucker (So/Rocky River, Ohio) notched the insurance goal for the Falcons at the 72 minute with the assist from Natalie Bernot (Sr/Mentor, Ohio).

In the goal for the Falcons, Emilie LaMarche played all 90 minutes making four saves on six Pioneer shots.

"We were rather disjointed on the offensive end of play today, "said head coach Mike Shiels. "Defense was able to step it up and keep us in the game and we able to score the goals we needed to secure the win."

NDC takes a ten-day hiatus from competition and will return to the field on Tuesday, Oct. 14, when they host Cedarville in AMC play. The game is slated for a 4:00pm start at Korb Field.

NOTES FROM THE NEST…

SHARP-SHOOTERS: In the last six outings, the Falcons have outscored the opponent, 18-1. The lone goal against the Falcons came on Sept. 30, in a 1-1 tie with Ohio Dominican. Opponents have scored against the stifling Falcon defense only two other times in 2008. All three games where NDC couldn't manage the shutout, resulted in either a loss or tie.

MOVIN' ON UP: Notre Dame moved up in the NAIA Weekly Rating for the Sept. 30 polls. The Falcons are currently ranked No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, moving up two spots from the previous week's poll. NDC received 199 total points in the rankings. The No. 21 spot is the highest-ever ranking for Notre Dame Women's Soccer.