Last season ended up as a strange one for Notre Dame women’s soccer. The word “in-between” emerges as the best way to describe it. Characteristics from the 2022 team, which marched to the Elite Eight, lingered as the Irish hung tight with top ACC squads. And yet, Notre Dame never quite had the pieces to go over the top, quietly exiting in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.
What does that mean for 2024? Not much, actually. Why? Because this year’s 14th-ranked Irish group looks very different — historically different.
Only four women who appeared in the 2022 Elite Eight match against North Carolina remain in South Bend. And, for the first time in program history, Notre Dame carries 13 freshmen on its roster. They’re contributing at a striking rate, too. Through three matches, 22 of Notre Dame’s 32 points — and 9 of its 11 goals — belong to freshmen. The result: a 2-1-0 start headlined by a 4-0 drubbing of No. 13 TCU this past Sunday.
After the TCU match, seventh-year head coach Nate Norman described the instant impact of his freshmen.
“They’re talented, they believe in themselves, and we want to give them platforms so they can shine,” Norman said. “Even though they might be 17 [or] 18 years old, we’re giving them opportunities, and they’re taking them.”
Though it’s a small sample size, no newcomer has bolstered the Irish to the extent of forward Izzy Engle. Notre Dame’s forward group possesses hefty potential, beginning with graduate student Ellie Ospeck and sophomore Charlie Codd, an All-ACC Freshman Team selection in 2023. Engle has only added on, scoring a preposterous five goals in three games. Her hat trick at Samford on Aug. 18 marked the first by an Irish freshman in 16 years. Her brace against TCU led Notre Dame to an early-season statement.
“Izzy’s been great — super dynamic. She’s stretching it in behind, she’s getting faced up and taking players on, she’s holding balls up for us, she’s running the box,” Norman said. “She’s been phenomenal. She has five goals in the last two games, and she just looks dangerous every time she touches the ball — like something could happen.”
Notre Dame’s freshman success goes beyond Engle, though. In the centralized midfield, where senior Sophia Fisher and junior Laney Matriano have returned with significant experience, freshmen Lily Joseph and Grace Restovich have appeared highly comfortable. Joseph scored her first goal against TCU, while Restovich ranks second on the team with four points.
After her Sunday brace, Engle expressed her appreciation for the freshman class in totality.
“I’m having the time of my life out here. I love my big class,” Engle said. “I remember after I committed, there would just be like — another girl would commit and then another girl. And I was like, ‘I didn’t know a class could be 13 people.’ But they are truly some of my best friends, and I’m so grateful for some of the relationships that I’ve been able to build with them off the field. And I would say they’ve certainly translated to the field with our chemistry.”
On the back line, Notre Dame has its biggest shoes to fill. Eva Gaetino, a two-time ACC Defender of the Year, signed overseas with PSG in February. Other experienced defenders, namely Waniya Hudson and Caroline Gray, moved on from the program last year.
That leaves sophomore Clare Logan as the top option, but another fork in the road appears with her name. Logan, freshman forward Annabelle Chukwu and junior winger Leah Klenke — arguably the team’s top weapon — will spend the next three to four weeks at the U20 World Cup in Colombia. Replacing the trio of regulars won’t come easy, but Sunday — the first game without them — served as an excellent start.
“When we lose three of our top 13 or 14 contributors that are very influential on our team, you’re not really sure how people are gonna respond,” Norman said. “But people stepped up in different roles and different moments, and I was thrilled with it.”
The U20 World Cup departures may also provide an opportunity for the Irish goalkeeping room to step up. So far, Norman has deployed two netminders — sophomore Atlee Olofson and freshman Sonoma Kasica. The latter made the opening night start against top-15 foe Michigan State on Aug. 15, a 2-1 loss for the Irish. Olofson has made the most recent two starts, pitching a pair of shutouts in Notre Dame victories. Of the team’s four options at keeper, Olofson possesses the most mileage in a Notre Dame uniform, dating back to her 12 freshman starts a year ago.
The Irish, who garnered a third-place projection in the ACC preseason poll, face a schedule that features four more opponents who entered the season nationally ranked. The heart of the challenge lies in October’s final dozen days. During that stretch, Notre Dame will host preseason No. 2 Stanford (Oct. 20), No. 21 Virginia Tech (Oct. 27) and No. 7 Pittsburgh (Oct. 31).
For now, their non-conference slate continues with a two-game, regional road trip to Michigan and Butler. Notre Dame will meet the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
