ND Men’s Soccer
Men’s soccer continues road trip at No. 12 Virginia Tech after beating rival Michigan
Jamison Cook | Friday, September 24, 2021
The Notre Dame men’s soccer team brought their record back to .500 with a 3-1 win over rival Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Senior forward Jack Lynn led the way for the Irish (3-3-1) with two first-half goals.
The match started fast, with both Notre Dame and Michigan scoring in the first four minutes of game time. Sophomore forward Daniel Russo set up Lynn to open the scoring before a Michigan header off a free kick tied the score just moments later. The teams were quiet until just before halftime, when Lynn’s second goal found the back of the net off a beautiful ball from junior midfielder Ethan O’Brien. It is the first multi-goal game of the season for Lynn and the third of his career. The two goals bring his career total up to 24, the most of any active player on the Notre Dame roster.
Head coach Chad Riley had nothing but good things to say about Lynn’s performance.
“He’s been playing really well,” Riley told UND. “Against NC State he had a really good game and now getting the goals is something we knew was coming and it’s good to see them. I think he will build on this performance.”
The Irish protected their 2-1 halftime lead throughout the second half and added an insurance goal in the 71st minute. Russo was able to beat his defender on the sideline and play a ball across the box to waiting senior midfielder Mohamed Omar, who tapped it in. The assist was Russo’s second of the night, the first multiple-assist game of his young career.
Coach Riley also told UND that he was happy with his team’s performance as a whole, saying that it was a “great win in the tough conditions against a very good team. The game had a fast start with us scoring a goal and then giving up a goal, which can be a real challenge. The guys responded to every challenge of the match really well. We got a well-deserved victory.”
Notre Dame now leads the all-time series against Michigan 14-3-4.
The Irish will now turn their attention to No. 12 Virginia Tech, who they will visit in Blacksburg, Virginia on Friday, Sept. 24. The Hokies have won two in a row and are 4-1-2 on the season, having most recently beat William & Mary by a score of 3-2 on Sept. 21.
Virginia Tech is led by a strong senior class that includes nine players. Senior forward Jacob Labovitz has paced the Hokies in terms of scoring with four goals on just seven shots. Senior midfielder Kyle McDowell leads the team with three assists.
Notre Dame will have to play a sound defensive game if they hope to leave Blacksburg with a win, as Virginia Tech has scored at least two goals in all but one of their games. Senior captain Philip Quinton and freshman Josh Ramsey have been a solid combination for Notre Dame at the center back position, but they will need to turn in another quality performance on Friday.
Lynn and the Irish will look to continue to stay hot on the offensive end as they have scored three goals in two of their last three matches. The game will kickoff at 7 p.m. EST and can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
