The No. 7 Notre Dame women’s soccer team will square off against Michigan in the first leg of the soccer programs’ double-header this Thursday at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the men’s team following right after at 8:30 p.m. against Oregon State.
The Irish’s star-studded attack, headlined by All-American sophomore Izzy Engle, will be sure to open the night with fireworks. Following a gutsy draw on the road to No. 13 Arkansas, Engle netted a first-half brace against Cincinnati on Thursday night. Her unique blend of speed, technical ability and sheer clinical nature within the final third has sculpted her into becoming one of the country’s premier forwards.
However, Engle is not alone in the forward line. Classmate Ellie Hodsen scored a remarkable goal against Arkansas, taking the ball coast to coast before scoring off of a thunderous shot from outside the box. Hodsen followed it up with yet another strong finish against the Bearcats.
Fellow sophomore Anabelle Chukwu has also begun to heat up early in the year. Chukwu’s header against Cincinnati marked her first goal of the year. With her loaded international resume, there will surely be plenty more to come from the Canadian senior international.
The Irish are expected to stick with their preferred 3–5–2 formation as they take on the Wolverines. The three star attackers, who typically rotate between those two forward positions, are complemented by the creative midfield of Grace Restovich, Laney Matriano and Chayse Ying. All-ACC defender Leah Klenke has thrived in the wingback position.
Michigan is going to have to take advantage of Notre Dame’s numbers up if they want to rain on the Irish parade. Through the first four games of the season, Michigan are 2–2. They started their season off strong with wins against Villanova and Detroit Mercy by a combined score of 6–1 before falling to both Alabama and Georgia in a southern road trip.
Similarly to the Irish, Michigan are led by a sophomore forward. Elle Ervin has excelled in her starting role for Michigan. Ervin scored in Michigan’s first three games of the year. Those goals are paired with an assist picked up in their opener against Villanova. Ervin will have to step up once again for Michigan against a Notre Dame side that plays just as strong defensively as they do on the attack.
A win against the Wolverines will put Notre Dame in good position to gradually move towards the No. 2 ranking that they opened the season with, especially if goals galore come as they did against Cincinnati.
Even with their lofty pre-season ranking, head coach Nate Norman has emphasized an underdog mentality. That mindset has certainly translated to fierce play on the pitch through the first three games of the season. Engle, Hodsen and Chukwu’s work rate pressing the bar has become increasingly rare for forwards of such high quality. It’s that identity that should carry the Irish far, and makes this rivalry game a must-watch all the more.
Admission for the game is free. The match will be broadcast live on ACCNX.
