The Irish's reign of terror on NCAA women's soccer comes in the wake of their 2-0 championship loss to North Carolina last year.

In Waldrum's eyes, Notre Dame's domination this year is attributed to their strong team play.

"We're an attractive team when we possess the ball and make the other teams work," Waldrum said.

Notre Dame will look to control the game, as they boast a young but incredibly skilled team that can maintain possession and dictate the pace of the match.

Superstar Irish co-captain and likely national player of the year Anne Makinen leads Notre Dame's explosive offense with abilities seen no where else in college soccer. A native of Finland, Makinen's capacity to create chances, serve corners, dominate the penalty area, and score goals has astounded competition.

Makinen leads a young offense that has seen 40% of its scoring done by a trio of freshmen. Midfielder Randi Scheller and forwards Amanda Guertin and Amy Warner have provided strong play to support the efforts of more experienced players.

"That's certainly our biggest strength," Waldrum said. "We don't have to rely on one player because we have a great group of girls that can play well and play well together."