Notre Dame men’s soccer maintained their momentum from last week and beat the Omaha Mavericks 3-1 in a fast-paced matchup at Alumni Stadium Tuesday evening. The Irish led 1-0 at halftime before doubling the advantage quickly out of the intermission. Omaha fought back by scoring in the 67th-minute, forcing the Irish to establish a greater lead.
The Irish entered hot, coming off an away victory against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent Pitt last Friday. The 2-0 win was a major necessity for this Notre Dame team looking to establish dominance early in the season.
The Irish wasted absolutely no time getting started, with a goal by senior forward Wyatt Borso 12 minutes into the first half. The goal, with assists by freshman defender Alex Rosin and senior midfielder KK Baffour, allowed the Irish offense to set the pace early against the Mavericks.
Freshman forward Luke Burton was a powerhouse for Notre Dame’s offense in the first half, contributing to three of the seven Irish shots. His driving attacks on goal made Omaha’s junior goalkeeper Kamy Ndione work even harder in the net. Ndione only allowed one goal in the first half, but made a couple notable saves, especially on Notre Dame’s corner kicks.
Creating shots off corners has been a weakness for the Irish this season, but they produced a valiant shot on their fourth and final corner of the half. Notre Dame maintained possession for the majority of the half, with freshman forward Luke Burton working alongside Rosin and Baffour to generate opportunities on the left side.
Coming straight into the second half, Notre Dame aimed to continue the pace they were able to set and control the momentum of the game. The second goal for the Irish came from Burton at the 58th-minute mark with an assist once again by Rosin on the left side. Not only did the goal give the Irish some breathing room on offense, but it was the second game in a row where Burton and Borso both scored. Their efforts to replicate the success from the win over Pitt were successful, prompting Omaha to adjust their course of action for the remainder of the second half.
The second goal by the Irish gave the Mavericks the motivation they needed to change the pace of the game and force matters in their favor. The Mavericks began to secure more offensive possession, and only nine minutes later they scored their first goal of the game. Italo Jenkins, the junior transfer from Oregon State, kept the Mavericks in the game with a beautiful one-on-one battle against senior defender Mitch Ferguson before beating Notre Dame’s sophomore goalkeeper Blake Kelly between the posts.
Although the Mavericks were still down one, they grew more confident by the minute, making plays and using smarter strategies to try to tie the Irish late in the second half.
Notre Dame fired back with a goal by graduate defender Martin von Thun. The Holy Cross College transfer padded Notre Dame’s lead with its third goal at the 85th-minute mark, assisted with a stylish pass by junior midfielder Nolan Spicer. The battle on offense was fierce, and defensive play proved cunning and explosive.
Notre Dame’s freshman class is a collection of talent from across the nation, and they certainly proved themselves tonight. Freshmen Rosin and Burton both contributed to the Irish score sheet against Omaha, Rosin with an assist on each of the first two goals and Burton now with goals in consecutive games. They work well alongside upperclassmen like Baffour and Borso, and have undoubtedly been cementing their spot in the lineup.
Speaking after the game, Rosin touched on the team’s next steps. “I think just our confidence and what we do going forward, we know what we need to do, and we have a plan when we are attacking,” he said. “I think if we just stick to the plan, we should be good.” His confidence in the abilities of this Notre Dame team as a whole was certainly visible tonight and he recognized its extreme potential for greatness as the season progresses.
Similarly, head coach Chad Riley was proud of his team’s communication and the connection they have on and off the pitch. “We try to be a really tight team, I think we are, but I think the guys are really committed to growing from game to game,” he said.
Tonight’s victory over Omaha gives Notre Dame a boost in confidence before facing No. 6 Louisville at home Friday, Sept. 19. Their ability to experiment with offensive playmaking and display a smart sense of urgency on defense will be necessary in the battle against the Cardinals in this tough upcoming ACC match.
