Coming off a perfect three-match homestand, No. 11 Notre Dame women’s soccer now has a big-time showdown against No. 1 Florida State on their horizons for Thursday, Oct. 12. With unfinished business from last year and a sibling rivalry between graduate student midfielder Kiki Van Zanten and her sister, Seminoles freshman Mimi Van Zanten, the game will be a contentious matchup under the lights.
The Irish’s most recent match ended in their dominant 7-2 win against Miami, a record-setting offensive outburst. The team is now 9-1-3 on the season with the win. Despite this momentum, the Florida State game should prove a challenging matchup for the Irish. The Seminoles post an almost perfect record of 10-0-1 on the season. Their most recent victory came in a decisive home win against Boston College, where they blew the Eagles out 6-0. However, both the Irish and the Seminoles enter the matchup at an equivalent 5-0-1 in ACC play.
Last year, the Irish saw a 4-0 victory against the Seminoles in the regular season, the largest win against FSU in the series history. However, the Irish lost to the Seminoles 2-0 in the ACC Tournament semifinals after a 3-3 tie ended in a penalty kill defeat, so Notre Dame will be looking to play spoiler and steal the inside track to the conference’s top seed.
The last time the Irish knocked off a No. 1 team was back in 2015 with a 2-1 double overtime victory against Virginia. Currently, six players boast four goals or more, with 11 different players scoring for the Irish this year. Van Zanten and graduate student forward Maddie Mercado lead the way with six goals. Vital playmaking from assist leaders sophomore midfielder Leah Klenke and (eight) senior midfielder Ellie Ospeck (seven) are also vital to the team’s offensive strength. On top of this, position shifts made by head coach Nate Norman have paid dividends in terms of in-game performance. With the depth and balanced attack at Norman’s disposal, the Irish have the potential to make waves against the Seminoles.
An Irish win would be crucial in the step toward the ACC regular season championship. It would also be a confidence booster heading into the rest of the season. This top matchup will be quickly followed by the Irish’s game against No. 2 North Carolina just one week later. Catch the Irish in action Thursday, Oct 12 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.
