In a rivalry matchup on Thursday evening at Alumni Stadium, the sixth-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team showed their fangs. With three header goals, the Irish defeated Michigan by a 3-0 count, improving to 3-0-1 on the campaign and dropping the Maize and Blue to 2-3. The Wolverines have now lost three consecutive matches against Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame, while the Irish have won all three of their home fixtures in 2025, taking down Western Michigan, Cincinnati and Michigan.
The difference-making goal occurred in the 11th minute, as Notre Dame set up a free kick in the middle of the park. The Irish played short and to the left for graduate defender Carolyn Calzada, who stepped into a well-delivered long ball that landed just inside the penalty spot. With the ball dying in the wind, sophomore forward and top Irish scorer Izzy Engle timed her leap perfectly. Her header cleared the reach of nearby Michigan goalkeeper Sophie Homan, skipping over the goal line. Engle now has five goals on the season, keeping her on an early pace to top her remarkable 19-goal mark set as a freshman in 2024.
Michigan came close to an impressive answer in the 19th minute, working a quick passing play in tight quarters near the right touch line. Forward Ella Jablinskey ran in ahead of Calzada on the receiving end of a one-two with midfielder Sierra Sargent. Near the right corner of the 18-yard box, Jablinskey let loose a low, right-footed shot that curled in toward the middle of the right post. Facing her toughest test of the first half, sophomore Irish goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica appeared quite comfortable, entering a slight dive to her left and snagging the shot.
Notre Dame mostly controlled play during the second half of the opening 45 minutes, further challenging Homan in between the sticks. Homan held her ground, though, making a career-high four saves to push Notre Dame’s 1-0 advantage into halftime. One of her best stops came with less than five minutes to play in the first half, as junior forward Meg Mrowicki broke free for a header at the top of the 6-yard box. She didn’t get much on the header, but it bounced in on Homan, forcing the Michigan keeper to prove her surehandedness.
Both sides had close calls about midway through the second half, Notre Dame first on a long service to the top of the goal area. Sophomore forward Annabelle Chukwu rose up in search of a header, but the wind gusting at Notre Dame’s back carried the ball beyond her and into the dive of Allison Karpovich, Michigan’s second-half goalkeeper.
The Wolverines responded moments later with consecutive headers that put Kasica’s back against the wall in goal. Jablinsky delivered the second header, a backwards look from only a few yards out. However, Kasica stood on the goal line and caught the deflected ball above her head, protecting Notre Dame’s one-goal lead.
After dangerous distance chances from senior midfielders Leah Klenke and Laney Matriano went wide and a Matriano corner redirected barely past the far post, Notre Dame finally found a second goal, and then a third. Another Matriano corner set up the lead-doubling strike, as sophomore defender Abby Mills connected on a header for her first goal of the year. Only 126 seconds later, sophomore forward Ellie Hodsden buried another header, burying Michigan in the process with her third goal of the season and Notre Dame’s third of the night.
Michigan never threatened to get back in the game, bringing the match to its final score of 3-0. Kasica finished with three saves in her second clean sheet of the season, the ninth of her career.
Ahead of their Sept. 4 trip to No. 17 Michigan State, Notre Dame will next host Oakland on Sunday at 6 p.m. inside Alumni Stadium. The Grizzlies, who were 3-14-2 last year, have not yet faced a power conference opponent yet this season and will not face another one after visiting Notre Dame.
