Lauren Karas Class: Senior Hometown: Flower Mound, TX High School: Flower Mound Height: 5-9 Position: Goalkeeper Birthdate: 05/15/1986 Club Team: Dallas Texans

Fourth-year goalkeeper who earned starting role in 2006, when she ranked fourth nationally in goals-against average (0.41) and made a career-high nine saves in annual showdown with Santa Clara (both teams were ranked number one at the time, in different polls) ... looking to close career with her most consistent season while combining with sophomore Kelsey Lysander and freshman Nikki Weiss to give Irish potentially the best three-player depth at the goalkeeping position in the program's 20-year history ... has all the tools to be a dominant college 'keeper, combining good shot-stopping ability and reaction time with 5-foot-9 presence and vocal leadership ... adept at handling ball with her feet ... tough in the air due to agility and size ... had strong 2006 spring season, allowing only one goal in six games (as primary 'keeper) before combining with Lysander to allow only thee goals in five 2007 spring games ... joined Notre Dame program in fall of 2004 as one of nation's top prospects ... one of four products of Dallas Texans club team on current Irish roster, as are junior forward Kerri Hanks, sophomore defender Haley Ford and freshman forward Taylor Knaack... could face several former teammates in 2006, including Michigan's Megan Tuura (ODP Region III) and Cincinnati's Rachael Epps (Sting) ... joins Hanks (Allen HS), Ford (Midland HS), Knaack (Arlington/Martin HS), senior defender Jennie Bireley (Plano/Ursuline Acad.), junior midfielder Becca Mendoza (North Garland HS) and sophomore defender Ashley Galovic (Plano East HS) among 21 Texas natives to play for Notre Dame women's soccer, with others including 1990 captain Bernie Holland (Dallas/Ursuline), early-1990s forward Stephanie Porter (Spring/Klein), hard-nosed defender Tiffany Thompson (Houston/ Cypress Creek), big-game goalkeeper Liz Wagner (Spring/Klein), All-America defender Monica Gonzalez (Richardson/Plano East) and clutch scorer Amanda Guertin (Grapevine HS) ... inherited number-six jersey worn previously by Guertin and top defenders Julie Vogel ('96) and Jen Grubb ('00) ... posted a 3.30 grade-point average during the 2007 spring semester.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Her 13 solo shutouts in 2006 are tied for seventh-best in the NCAA record book and trail only LaKeysia Been's 18 in 1997 during Notre Dame women's soccer history ... posted top season win percentage in Notre Dame history (.942/24-1-1; besting three others who were 23-1-1) while matching Jen Renola's record win total from 1996 (24-2-0) ... her 0.41 goals-against average in 2006 trails only Beene (0.36, in '97) and Wagner (0.39, in 2000) in the Notre Dame record book while her 18 total shutouts in 2006 tied that ND record (alongside Beene's 1997 total and Renola's from '95) ... her 2,170 minutes played in 2006 rank third in Notre Dame history, behind Renola (2,285; in '96) and Beene (2,231, in '97) ... enters final season with 0.55 career GAA that would break Wagner's ND record (0.57; '98-'01) ... her career win pct. (.936; 36-2-1) also is on pace to break the Irish record (.903/87-8-3, by Renola from '93-'96) ... her career postseason stats (13 GP/9 GS) include a 0.51 GAA and 8-1-0 record (21 SV/5 GA, 892 min.), with a 0.62 GAA and 5-1-0 record in the NCAAs (12 SV/4 GA, 579 min., 8 GP/6 GS).

AS A JUNIOR: Finished fourth among the nation's leaders in goals-against average (0.41; 3rd-best in ND history) while helping Irish go 25-1-1 and reach 2006 NCAA championship game ... registered top season win percentage (.942; 24-1-1) in Notre Dame record book while tying Renola's record for goalkeeper wins in one season ... had a hand in 18 total shutouts (tying another ND 'keeper record) while her 13 solo shutouts ranked seventh in the NCAA record book and second all-time among Irish goalkeepers (Beene had 18 in '97) ... her 2,170 minutes played were third-most in Notre Dame history and represented nearly 90 percent of the total minutes in the 2006 season ... helped Irish finish third nationally in team GAA (0.40) while leading the nation with an ND-record 19 total shutouts (the Irish held 24 of 27 teams to 0-1 goals and none had more than two) ... appeared in 26 of the 27 games, with 25 starts, 46 saves and 11 goals allowed (.807 save pct.) ... allowed multiple goals in only two games ... bookended identical 483-minute personal shutout streaks around a goal allowed to 6th-ranked West Virginia on Sept. 29 ... challenging first two weeks of season saw her post win at 24th-ranked Mississippi (2-1; save) and at home versus 19th-ranked USC (2-0) before earning goalkeeper MVP honors at the ND Classic due to her career-best nine saves in the showdown with fellow top-ranked Santa Clara (3-1) ... also named to BIG EAST weekly honor roll following her strong efforts versus USC and SCU ... had thwarted several developing chances two days earlier versus USC before bouncing back from the early goal by SCU to make several key plays in that win ... maintained two-goal cushion versus the Broncos in the 88th minute, after diving left to push the ball around the post and deny Kiki Bosio's shot from the top of the box ... picked up pair of home-state wins at TCU (2-0; played second half) and SMU (3-0; 3 SV) ... preserved 1-0 lead at Michigan in 74th minute, racing out to meet Judy Coffman's breakaway with a save off her left knee (2-0 final) ... shook off early goal by WVU to pick up 3-1 win (save) ... posted 2-0 shutout of Rutgers and then made two saves while snuffing out several other chances in scoreless tie at Connecticut ... saved all four shots she faced in BIG EAST quarterfinal win over St. John's (3-0), adding pair of saves in semifinals versus #25 Marquette (2-0) before title-game win over 17th-ranked Rutgers (4-2; SV, GA, 76 min.) ... had pair of saves in NCAA second-round battle with Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-2) and again in quarterfinal versus 8th-ranked Penn State (4-0) ... her strong second half helped hold off 5th-ranked Florida State in NCAA semifinals (2-1; in Cary, N.C.).

AS A SOPHOMORE: Appeared in 18 games and made nine midseason starts while stepping in during Erika Bohn's injury ... her 0.60 GAA (6 GA in 908 minutes) matched the team's season GAA ... made 19 saves while recording 8-1-0 record, with four solo shutouts and nine shared ... named BIG EAST goalkeeper of the week after 4-0 win over Cincinnati and career-best seven saves in 3-0 win at Louisville ... her other top wins included games versus 20th-ranked Michigan (2 SV; 3-0) and #10 Connecticut (4-0; played first half) ... held the fort in tense overtime game at Rutgers (1-0; SV) ... played 30 minutes in early win over 25th-ranked Maryland (6-0) ... made first start the next week versus Gonzaga (4-1; 2 SV; at Santa Clara) ... closed lateseason shutout of Villanova (4-0; SV) ... made postseason appearances during BIG EAST quarterfinal versus Georgetown (6-0; SV, played 2nd half), BIG EAST title-game win over 15th-ranked Connecticut (5-0; SV, 13 min.), and NCAA wins over Valparaiso (6-0; 2 SV, 19 min.) and 22nd-ranked Michigan State (3-0; SV, 24 min.) ... had a strong 2006 spring season while serving as the primary goalkeeper, allowing just one goal as Irish went 6-0: 1-0 versus Dayton (in Ft. Wayne), 2-0 at Creighton, 2-0 over San Diego State and 2-1 against San Diego (both in Temecula, Calif.), a 2-0 home game with Western Michigan and the annual battle with the Mexican National Team (3-0; 2 SV).

AS A FRESHMAN: Made five starts and three appearances off the bench while posting a 1.24 GAA (5 GA) and making 11 saves in 365 minutes ... won all four of her decisions and shared two shutouts ... helped Irish rank fourth in nation with 0.51 team GAA ... played second half of opening win over Baylor (2 GA; 7-2) ... won first start in tough conditions at Arizona State, with pair of saves in 2-1 win ... picked up win two days later in her home state, after playing first half versus Texas Tech (3-0) ... played second half and saved all three shots as 'keeper of record in 3-1 win over Pittsburgh ... started two days later in 4-0 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay (4 SV) ... played first 62 minutes at West Virginia (1 GA; 3-1), coming off the bench two days later in 3-0 win over Providence ... also started in 3-1 win over Seton Hall ... played second half of 2005 spring exhibition versus Mexico, with pair of huge saves as Irish rallied for 2-2 tie.

ODP/CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: Member of U.S. Under-16 National Team player pool and part of Olympic Development Program Region III team from 2000-04 (played for North Texas state ODP from '99-'04)... received Golden Glove Award as top goalkeeper at 2003 ODP national tournament, making 15 saves for North Texas ODP team in semifinal win over New Jersey (2-0) before stopping 12 shots in title-game loss to future classmate Ashley Jones and Cal-South squad (1-0; in Las Vegas) ... also earned Golden Glove Award while playing with Region III team at 2004 Como Champions Cup in Italy ... played alongside classmate Amanda Cinalli on W-League's Fort Wayne Fever in summer of 2004, with other current, former and future Irish players on that team including Christie Shaner, Jill Krivacek, Kim Lorenzen, Kerry Inglis, Meotis Erikson, Amy Warner, Kim Carpenter and Mary Boland ... posted 8-3-1 record and 1.42 GAA (52 SV/18 GA) while helping Fever go 11-3-1 ... teamed with Cinalli in summer of 2005, as guest player for Cleveland F.C. club that advanced to USYS Region II tournament ... played two seasons with Dallas Texans (2002-04) after three with Dallas Sting ('99-'02) ... posted 1-0 shutout of U.S. U-17 National Team ('03, in Boca Raton, Fla.) ... attended elite Adidas ESP Camp ('02, '03) ... helped Texans beat defending national champs Sereno (Ariz.) Golden Eagles in final of 2003 WAGS tournament (2-1; in Washington, D.C.), adding title-game win over Sereno at 2004 WAGS ... made big save to help Sting win 2001 state title, adding two clutch saves in shootout at 2001 Region III semifinals (vs. GSA Fury, in Memphis) ... helped Sting win 2001 Dallas Cup Spring Classic ... earlier played for Magic ('97-'99) and Hamilton (N.J.) Highjinx ('94-'97) clubs.

PREP & PERSONAL: Her stellar career at Flower Mound High School included 0.82 GAA in 73 games and nearly 5,500 minutes played (440 saves, 56 GA, 34 shutouts) ... named all-state as a junior (1.03 GAA, 141 SV/17 GA) ... two-year captain and 2002 team MVP ... three-time district goalkeeper of the year ('02-'04), closing in 2004 with 0.63 GAA (123 SV, 10 GA, 8 shutouts) ... named academic all-state in 2004 ... lettered two years in track and field, as record-setting triple jumper (34-9.5; 4th in district) ... member of the National Honor Society ... her father Dan Karas was a baseball first baseman at Temple ... daughter of Dan and Denise Karas ... full name is Lauren Elizabeth Karas ... born May 15, 1986, in Summit, N.J. ... a marketing major, enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business.

Karas' Career Statistics