Micaela Alvarez Class: Junior Hometown: Cranbury, NJ High School: Peddie Height: 5-3 Position: Midfielder Birthdate: 01/13/1988 Club: Parsippany Mischief

Second-year midfielder who will be looking forward to first healthy season with the Irish, after being sidelined as a freshman with preseason ACL knee injury ... skilled player on the ball with great field vision ... could log quality minutes in 2007, pending her rehabilitation progress and fitness level ... looking to improve her quickness and mobility in order to get more touches in the midfield ... from a long line of serious soccer players that includes a grandfather who played in Spain's Premier League and her father, who played at Rutgers and in the semi-pro Eastern League ... fifth New Jersey native to play for Notre Dame, with others including 2007 graduate Lizzie Reed (Franklin Lakes/Ramapo Regional HS), midfielder Jodi Hartwig ('95; Ridgewood HS) and defender Kerri Bakker ('01; Washington/Warren Hills HS) ... several of her former teammates play for teams on Notre Dame's 2007 schedule, including two from both club and ODP (UConn's Lauren Ebert and Villanova's Jessica Carnevale), plus fellow state ODP players Tobin Heath (UNC), Carolyn Blank (West Virginia) and Gina deMayi (Rutgers), and Parsippany Mischief club players Tara Riccardi (Providence) and Samantha Hirsh (Syracuse).

AS A FRESHMAN: Missed all of 2006 fall season due to ACL knee injury before easing back into form during 2007 spring season ... was able to travel with her teammates to the 2006 College Cup final weekend in Cary, N.C. ... saw time in all five games during spring season, as an attacking midfielder ... logged her most minutes of the spring during the trip to Dallas, versus Missouri (4-1) and Baylor (3-0).

CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: Helped New Jersey state team win the 2004 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Region I title ... member of Parsippany Mischief club team that annually was ranked among the nation's top-10 club programs and is arch-rival of the PDA Wildcats.

PREP & PERSONAL: Earned all-state honors as senior midfielder at the Peddie School ... three-year letterwinner at Peddie, after spending freshman year at Stuart Country Day (which does not sponsor soccer) ... team captain, assist leader and MVP as a senior ... Peddie's top scorer as a junior, helping team win Mid-Atlantic Prep League and reach 2004 state finals (lost to Pennington) en route to 16-2 record ... scored twice in state semifinal win over Blair Academy (5-2) ... named all-conference, all-area and all-prep in 2004 and '05 (first team) ... scored on header in final second to beat Princeton Day School (2-1, in '04) ... named an all-star at the 2004 and '05 Notre Dame Soccer Camps ... received Janet Stuart Scholarship in ninth grade and Margaret Sugden Scholarship ... participated in Youth Leadership Institute Program trip to Costa Rica ... her grandfather Marciano Alvarez played in Spanish Premier League during late 1920s and '30s, as a goalkeeper for Donostua F.C. de san Sebastian and El Madrid (where he backed up legendary Ricardo Zamora) in addition to playing on Spain's 1930 Olympic team (he later immigrated to New York City and played in the semi-pro Eastern League)... her father Michael Alvarez played soccer at Rutgers and in the Eastern League ... her cousin Emily Lewis-Lamonica is a member of the track team at Brown while cousin Katie Lewis-Lamonica plays lacrosse at Princeton ... daughter of Michael and Betsy Alvarez ... full name is Micaela L. Alvarez ... born Jan. 13, 1988 in New Brunswick, N.J. ... enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business.