The No. 11 Notre Dame women’s soccer team has another ranked opponent coming to town to play on Thursday. After handing No. 3 North Carolina their seventh draw of the season last week, the Irish will look to add one last impressive win to their regular season resume.
In their most recent game, Clemson outlasted No. 18 Pitt 1-0 to extend their winning streak to four. Makenna Morris scored the game’s only goal for the Tigers, bringing her up to four game-winning goals on the season. Halle Mackiewicz saved five shots and had her twelfth shutout of the season in goal.
Overall, the Tigers have had an impressive year. They’ve given up only eight goals, four of which came in their only loss on the season to No. 1 Florida State. They have also averaged 2.58 goals per game. Morris leads the team with eight goals and six assists. The Irish should also keep an eye on Jenna Tobia (four goals, eight assists) and Sami Meredith (six goals, two assists).
With all the ranked ACC opponents these teams have played this season, it’s clear that this conference has a lot of impressive, talented teams this year. With Florida State taking the top seed in the ACC Tournament, the next best spot will go to the winner of this game, the final regular season contest for both teams.
An Irish tie or loss likely moves Notre Dame down to fourth in the ACC where they would host Pitt. An Irish win, though, gives Notre Dame a bye and a spot in the semifinals. The Irish are 1-8-1 in the ACC Tournament since joining the conference in 2013, their only win coming in a 2016 quarterfinal game.
A win in this game would be huge for the team and the program. But it will not come easy against a tough opponent in Clemson. To control the game, pressuring Mackiewicz and forcing her to make a mistake will be critical. She has been solid all season, but the Florida State match shows she can be beaten.
It’s the Notre Dame’s third top opponent in four games and it could determine their postseason fate. The game starts at 8 p.m. at Alumni Stadium and is available to watch on the ACC Network.
Irish battle Clemson for second seed in ACC Tournament
The Notre Dame women's soccer team celebrates a goal during a 3-1 defeat of Wake Forest at Alumni Stadium on Sep. 15, 2023.
