This week: Notre Dame College plays two road games this week at Concord and Fairmont State. The Falcons head to Concord on Thursday, October 12, for a 1 p.m. game then go to Fairmont State on Sunday, October 15, for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
Records: The Falcons are 9-2-1 after a 2-1 week with wins against Charleston and Wheeling Jesuit and a loss at West Virginia Wesleyan. Concord is 6-6 following a loss at Fairmont State while the win for FSU moved their record to 4-4-4.
Coaches Corner: Mike Shiels is in his 14th season as the head coach for the Falcons. During his time at NDC, Shiels has gone 150-93-17 with a 58-7-6 MEC record. Luke Duffy is entering his second season with the Mountain Lions. In his first season at Concord his team went 3-10-5. Brandon Heembrock is in his first season at Fairmont State and his first season as a head coach.
Rankings: None of the teams playing this week received votes in the October 10 United State Soccer Coaches Poll.
Series History: NDC has yet to lose to either of its opponents this week since entering the Division II ranks in 2011. The Falcons are 5-0 against Fairmont State, which includes a 3-0 victory earlier this season. Notre Dame is 8-0-1 against Concord after a 3-1 win this year.
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame earned its fourth MEC Offensive Player of the Week honor after
Alexis Manoa scored a hat trick in a 3-2 victory against Wheeling Jesuit. Manoa also assisted on the game-winning goal against Charleston during the week. This marks the second time Manoa has won MEC weekly honors. Manoa now leads the MEC in points per game (1.64) and is joined by three others in the top 10.
Jackie Corrigan (1.09),
Janelle Bernal (1.00) and
Katarina Doncevic (0.82) rank third, fourth and seventh in that category, respectively.
Noting the Mountain Lions: Concord currently sits in sixth place in the Mountain East standings, but their offensive showing has been strong this season. The Mountain Lions rank third in goals (20), assistst (13) and points (53) in the conference. They also rank second in both shots attempted (14.67 per game) and shots on goal (8.92 per game) with the best shot on goal percentage in the MEC (60.8). Much of their offensive success may be due to their ability to put teams in tough situations as Concord has forced the most corner kicks as well (54).
Noting the Fighting Falcons: Fairmont State goalkeeper, Shawna Graham, has been one of the most active goalies in the Mountain East this season. Graham has a total of 74 saves, which is good enough for second-most in the conference. In 12 games this season Graham has also allowed 17 goals. With a defense that has allowed the third most shots on goal from opponents this year (7.58 per game), Graham has done well challenging other teams.
Coaching Milestone: Head coach
Mike Shiels earned his 150th win last week at Wheeling Jesuit. Shiels is currently in his 14th season and has averaged over 10 wins in his first 13 years. He also recorded his 50th MEC win earlier this season.
Manoa Records: Alexis Manoa is one goal away from tying the Notre Dame career goals record of 19 set by Megan O'Conner last season. Manoa already holds the career records at NDC for career points (65), assists (29) and game-winning goals (10).
