For the second consecutive season, the Notre Dame men’s soccer team is off to a 1-0 start in ACC play. The Irish traveled south to face No. 15 Louisville on Friday night, securing a 2-1 victory. As they prepare to play each of their next six matches at home, the Irish are 1-0-2 through their toughest three-game scheduling stretch of the season.
After spotting Louisville three goals in last year’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal matchup, the Irish made sure to score first on Friday. Only seven minutes passed before a brilliant move by Notre Dame resulted in the game’s opening goal. Sophomore midfielder Nolan Spicer ran onto a teammate’s flick near the right corner, charging to the edge of the 18-yard box to find a service angle. Spicer used that angle to send a grounded pass in the direction of sophomore forward Jack Flanagan, who ran over the ball with a dummy move to misdirect the defense. As a result, a lane opened up for senior midfielder Bryce Boneau, who ran in behind Flanagan and twisted a shot into the net’s far corner. Boneau’s first goal of the season marked his third in the last two meetings against Louisville.
Once again, seven minutes would tick by before the game’s second goal. This time, Louisville turned an unassuming possession into a quick-developing attack through the midfield, as JP Jordan slipped a through ball behind the Irish back line and to the left corner of the 6-yard area. There, Ethan Subachan ran onto the feed and hammered a left-footed strike into the top of the net. Subachan’s second goal in as many contests leveled the score at one apiece less than 15 minutes into the match.
After another quarter of an hour elapsed, Notre Dame reclaimed the lead for good. In the 29th minute, a blocked Irish shot from the left side fell to junior midfielder KK Baffour at the right edge of the penalty area. With time and space available, he sent a looping cross that skimmed the head of a Louisville defender and landed atop the 18-yard box. There, freshman midfielder Jacob Bartlett stepped up to the ball and smashed it underneath the bar for his first collegiate goal. Bartlett’s tally marked the first by a Notre Dame freshman this season.
The rest of the way, another freshman held down the lead for Notre Dame en route to his first career win in goal. Blake Kelly, whom head coach Chad Riley once again compared to a veteran, finished the night with two saves for the Irish, including a big one against Subachan in the 74th minute. Moments later, the high-flying Cardinals threatened again with a cross behind the Irish back line, but Sander Roed — the man who registered a hat trick against the Irish in 2023 — one-timed it off the underside of the bar.
Notre Dame also found several chances to create breathing room after building the 2-1 lead. In the 32nd minute, Spicer’s close shot from the right edge of the 6-yard caught the foot of stretching Louisville keeper Harvey Sellers. Less than 60 seconds later, the Irish nearly earned a penalty kick as senior forward Matthew Roou went down on a physical play in the box. The 62nd minute saw Roou partake in another major chance, barely missing left with a one-timed shot off of freshman midfielder Ian Shaul’s pass.
Despite the missed opportunities, the Irish still walked out of Louisville, the place where their magical 2023 run to the College Cup ended, with an important three points. Looking ahead, they’re in position to extend momentum earned from Friday’s win with six straight games at Alumni Stadium. In fact, Notre Dame will play only one match away from home between now and Oct. 26 — a stretch that covers more than a month and a half. During the upcoming homestand, the Irish will meet Duquesne, No. 5 Stanford, Chicago State, Detroit Mercy, No. 2 Clemson and Trine.
