[SOCCER AMERICA AWARDS] Notre Dame's Cari Roccaro, who helped lead young Notre Dame to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Tournament, is the 2012 Soccer America Women's Freshman of the Year. Like Soccer America Player of the Year Crystal Dunn, Roccaro grew up on Long Island, played for Albertson Fury and won the 2012 U-20 world title with the USA.

Roccaro's arrival in South Bend following the Under-20 Women's World Cup coincided with a Notre Dame surge that resulted in the Irish sharing a Big East division title and advancing to the NCAA Division I quarterfinals for the 15th time in their history.

Roccaro, a product of East Islip, N.Y., was a defender on the U.S. U-20 World Cup championship team but played in attack for Notre Dame. She started all 16 matches she played in and ranked third on the team in goals (6), points (13), total shots (41) and shots on goal (21).

She is the fourth Irish player to win Freshman of the Year honors after Cindy Daws (1995), Anne Makinen (1997) and Kerri Hanks (2005),

SOCCER AMERICA WOMEN'S FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
2012 -- Cari Roccaro (Notre Dame)
2011 -- Morgan Brian (Virginia)
2010 -- Crystal Dunn (North Carolina)
2009 -- Victoria DiMartino (Boston College)
2008 -- Lindsay Taylor (Stanford)
2007 -- Sanna Talonen (Florida State)
2006 -- Michele Weissenhofer (Notre Dame)
2005 -- Kerri Hanks (Notre Dame)
2004 -- Lara Dickenmann (Ohio State)
2003 -- Heather O'Reilly (North Carolina)
2002 -- Lindsay Tarpley (North Carolina)
2001 -- Christine Sinclair (Portland)
2000 -- Lindsay Browne (Clemson)
1999 -- Christie Welsh (Penn State)
1998 -- Mary-Frances Monroe (Connecticut)
1997 -- Anne Makinen (Notre Dame)
1996 -- Laurie Schwoy (North Carolina)
1995 -- Cindy Parlow (North Carolina)
1994 -- Staci Wilson (North Carolina)
1993 -- Cindy Daws (Notre Dame)
1992 -- Thori Staples (N.C. State)
1991 -- Tisha Venturini (North Carolina)
1990 -- Tiffeny Milbrett (Portland)
1989 -- Kristine Lilly (North Carolina)
1988 -- Heather Taggart (Wisconsin)
1986 -- Brandi Chastain (California)