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

Third-year midfielder who will be looking to strengthen the Irish midfield, after developing into a solid performer off the bench during her sophomore campaign ... sidelined as a freshman with preseason ACL knee injury ... skilled player on the ball with great field vision ... looking to improve her quickness and mobility in order to get more touches in the midfield ... from a long line of soccer players that includes a grandfather who played in Spain's Premier League and her father, who played at Rutgers and in the semipro 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).

AS A SOPHOMORE: Appeared in nine games for the Irish, collecting three assists ... notched her first career point against Cincinnati, with an assist on Michele Weisenhofer's first goal, as she slid a pass from the left flank into the box ... her other assists came in consecutive games versus Villanova (W, 5-0) and Providence (W, 4-0) ... made NCAA postseason debut versus Loyola-Chicago in first-round action (W, 3-0).

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, allarea 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 ... grandfather Marciano 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)... father Michael played soccer at Rutgers and in the Eastern League ... cousin Emily Lewis-Lamonica ran track at Brown while cousin Katie Lewis-Lamonica played 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 with a 3.595 cumulative GPA as a finance major ... earned dean's list honors for spring 2008 after posting 3.875 semester GPA.