Notre Dame men’s soccer collected their first win of the 2025 campaign on Thursday, defeating No. 14 Oregon State 1-0 at Alumni Stadium. After being shutout in Sunday’s home draw with IU Indy, the Irish broke through in the 39th-minute off a set piece goal from senior defender Mitch Ferguson. The Illinois native headed a 35-yard outswinger from the foot of senior midfielder KK Bafour off the near post and past Beaver goalkeeper John Nicolson.
Speaking postgame, Irish head coach Chad Riley cited the importance of cashing in on set pieces, saying, “Early on before things are really flowing well, set pieces are going to be very important in these tight games. Getting on the board first is huge.”
Despite netting the lone goal of the evening, the Irish were dominated in the shot column. Oregon State recorded 16 shots, seven of which were on frame, to Notre Dame’s three, two of which were on target. Riley wasn’t overly concerned, adding, “Anytime you score the first goal, you tend to get outshot in an evenly played game. We had a period in the second half where we had to weather the storm, which I think we did and just had to make a tactical adjustment.”
The star of the evening was the man who turned away all of those Oregon State attempts, Irish sophomore netminder Blake Kelly. The Michigan native, who started 12 games between the posts a year ago as a true freshman, came up one short of his career high in saves. The defining moment of the match came midway through the second half, when Kelly denied three Beaver opportunities in succession. “Right place at the right time, just letting it happen. I know I’m here for a reason, and I just let myself play the game,” Kelly said.
He was also complimentary of his back line, adding, “I know that my boys got me if one of those spills out. They busted their butts for 90 minutes. They defended so hard, so I’m proud of them. And there is no better place to do that than Alumni Stadium.”
Riley applauded the place of his budding young goalkeeper, stating, “He’s got a huge amount of potential. He had a good freshman year, and now we know he’s going to have our backs when we need him.”
Oregon State kept pushing until the final whistle, nearly heading home a set piece of their own at the death. It was actually Nicholson who had the ultimate chance around the six-yard area, before being stopped by Kelly. “Once again, the credit is due to the guys in front of me. They put themselves in the right spots, and then the ball on the feet is the easiest save of the night,” Kelly said.
Despite the setback, the Beavers displayed impressive form and should continue to compete in the West Coast Conference, one of the nation’s toughest leagues. “They’re a good team and they have some international guys that have played in some good academies,” Riley said. After opening the year with wins in Corvallis over UC Santa Barbara and Washington, the Beavers will continue their trip through the Crossroads of America with a visit to Bloomington to battle Indiana on Sunday afternoon.
Notre Dame, now sitting at 1-0-2, will have an extended absence to recover from a rapid start to the season, coupled with the start of classes. After nine days away, the Irish will return to Alumni Stadium on Sunday, Sep. 7 to host Indiana. The two Hoosier State programs have combined for nine national championships, and consistently compete in the postseason amongst the sport’s elite. First touch between the Hoosiers and the Irish is set for 7:30 p.m., and will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network.
