Although Notre Dame is synonymous with the age-old saying “the luck of the Irish,” it felt as if their 2024 men’s soccer team was often unlucky. Following an incredible run to the national championship in 2023 that ended with a 2-1 loss to Clemson, the Irish finished their 2024 campaign with a 7-5-5 record. The highs of those seven wins included a satisfying victory over the Tigers, a gutsy road win at Louisville and a seven-goal rout of Trine. The lows didn’t necessarily feel like lows. Instead, they were more reminiscent of tiny gut punches – small blows that over time took the wind from Notre Dame’s sails.
The season kicked off with high expectations. Ranked No. 2 in the country to open up the year, Notre Dame settled for 1-1 and 2-2 draws against Akron and Indiana, respectively. It wasn’t until Sept. 6 that Notre Dame notched their first win in a road affair against Louisville. Freshman midfielder Jacob Bartlett scored the game-winning goal with a beautifully-timed volley from just inside the box.
However, by their Sept. 20 fixture against Chicago State, the Irish were 1-1-3 and placed outside the top 25. Despite dominating in possession against both Duquesne and No. 13 Stanford, the Irish simply couldn’t find the back of the net. That issue was resolved against the Titans, as Notre Dame netted six goals, including a hat-trick from senior forward Matthew Roou.
Roou went on to score another hat-trick in the Irish’s following game against Detroit Mercy, and extended his scoring streak over the next three matches. But his most inspiring goal came shortly after that run in a home clash against North Carolina.
Standing 5-5-1, the Irish were desperate for a point against the Tar Heels after yet another heartbreaking loss to Michigan – a game in which they put eight shots on frame to the Wolverines’ four. It was then that Roou delivered his most inspiring goal of the year, dinking a bouncing ball near the six-yard box over the head of North Carolina’s goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Though Notre Dame conceded shortly after, it was Roou’s goal that provided Notre Dame with the important point.
Roou ended the season with an ACC-leading 14 goals, a feat that becomes even more impressive considering he played fewer games than the four players just shy of his mark. Roou also dished out four assists, enough to total an ACC-leading 32 points.
Head coach Chad Riley could not have been prouder of how Roou conducted himself in his senior year.
“It was wonderful to be a part of the 14 goals he scored,” Riley said. “He scored some big ones. We’re really proud of him. He had a great four years, and to have your best statistical year your senior year is always a good testament to his commitment to continually improving yourself. We’re very proud of Matthew and how he handled his senior year.”
Roou wasn’t the only Irish player to feature high up the charts in a major statistical category within the conference. Senior captain Bryce Boneau, who was drafted by Nashville SC in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in the offseason before the season, but opted to play out his final year in South Bend, dished out six assists, placing him tied for fifth in the ACC and two shy of the three conference leaders.
Together, Roou and Boneau rallied Notre Dame to a No. 10 seed in the ACC Tournament, where they squared off against Stanford in what will forever be entrenched in the memories of both programs.
Down 2-1 with 15 seconds left to play, junior Mitch Ferguson scored off a free kick to bring the Irish level. In the eyes of most, the game was destined for extra time. Then, the unthinkable happened: Off the kickoff, Stanford’s redshirt sophomore Dylan Hooper launched a half-field prayer, hoping to find the head of a teammate. The ball instead inadvertently soared into the upper 90. The improbable goal reached millions of views online and effectively ended Notre Dame’s season.
“It’s one of those things that I’ll never see again,” Riley said. “I think what was so cool to see the team rally around [graduate goalkeeper Collin Travasos]. I think goalies, a lot of times, get far more blame than credit, so it was nice to see our team rally around him.”
Riley continued on the character of his team, even in the midst of the heartbreaking moment.
“That was a wild thirty seconds, and the shock will probably never go away,” he said. “But in those moments, you saw the character of our team and the support and love they had for one another.”
With a few different bounces of the ball and gusts of the wind, perhaps the outlook of the 2024 season would look drastically different for Notre Dame. Regardless, one thing remains certain: Riley’s team possesses a unit that isn’t quantified by any metric. The team will return much of its starting eleven next fall and seek to climb back up the ever-changing ladder of college soccer supremacy.
