The No. 2 Notre Dame women’s soccer team beat No. 22 North Carolina in an instant classic Wednesday night at Alumni Stadium. The win marked the Irish’s eighth win ever over the Tar Heels, who have won an astonishing 23 of the 43 NCAA women’s soccer championships.
Underneath an overcast sky, the Irish caught fire early thanks to a quick goal from sophomore Izzy Engle. The attack-minded Engle picked the ball up at around the halfway line after a short pass from junior midfielder Charlie Codd. Engle glided up the pitch before striking a hard-hit shot from just outside the box. The ball rocketed into the upper left corner, sending the supporters at Alumni Stadium into a frenzy.
Not long after, sophomore midfielder Grace Restovich’s corner kick floated high in the air, giving the Irish attack time to hunt the ball down. Sophomore defender Ally Pinto rose above the crowd and buried a header to double the Irish lead. After having not appeared as a freshman, Pinto has excelled in a starting role in her second year. The goal is the first of her career.
The Irish continued to dominate much of the remainder of the first half. Their midfield outclassed North Carolina’s, constantly winning second ball opportunities. Restovich effectively controlled the tempo of the game, and classmate midfielder and forward Lily Joseph connected several nice passes.
However, Notre Dame’s momentum stalled when the Tar Heels found an answer on a corner kick of their own. Tar Heels midfielder Linda Ullmark delivered an inch-perfect corner to freshman Lauren Maslom. From just shy of the penalty spot, Maslom redirected the ball to the back post, splitting the Irish’s lead in half just before the first 45 minutes of action drew to a close.
The second half saw much of the same craziness. 9 minutes into the half, freshman forward Tessa Knapp dispossessed a North Carolina defender right in front of the 18. Tar Heel goalkeeper Abby Gundry, who was positioned at the edge of the box, dove for the ball. Knapp dribbled right around her and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Knapp has been a key piece in head coach Nate Norman’s rotation of attackers. In her role coming off the bench, Knapp has consistently provided a high level of energy. She is a pest for opposing backlines.
After Knapp’s goal, North Carolina found their footing. 7 minutes later, Maslom struck again for the Tar Heels. This time, she drilled a volley into the upper right corner. The shot sent shockwaves around Alumni Stadium and put the Tar Heels back in business.
Both sides exchanged clever passages of play. The linkup between the Irish’s midfield remained strong, but the Tar Heels did well in creating chances of their own. Through the next 15 minutes, however, neither side was able to truly break through.
Then Joseph, minutes after receiving a yellow card, stole the ball near the corner flag and dinked in a beautiful cross to classmate forward Ellie Hodsden. The gutsy forward dove for the ball and headed it into the back of the net.
“Lily is fantastic, creating space for herself in the side of the field. And a great finish by Ellie. Ellie always comes in and just gives us great productivity off the bench, she gives us a lift. Really happy for her, and really proud of her for what she’s gone through,” Norman said after the game.
Notre Dame dropped into a low block, packing players behind the ball on defense to hold their lead. This gave North Carolina struggles in and around the box, so it naturally took a 35-yard thunderbolt from superstar junior Olivia Thomas to give the Tar Heels a lifeline.
Thomas’ shot, taken from way downtown, barely lifted off the ground. Yet, in the fraction of a second, the ball was in the back of the net.
Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, time was not on their side. The goal came with 4 minutes left, enough for the Irish to hold on.
The victory is a pivotal one for Notre Dame. Not only is it a win against the reigning national champions and arguably the best program in the collegiate sport’s history, but it also gives them another crucial ACC win.
“UNC is a great team and a great program, so anytime you can beat them it’s a great win. Really proud of the players' performance today,” Norman said.
Although excited with the win, Norman remains intent on the goal at hand.
“We have to stay focused. We have to keep growing. We need to be happy with what we did today but need to have humility and get ready for another really good team in Clemson,” Norman said.
The statement win moves Notre Dame to 8-0-1 on the season. Their only blemish is an impressive 2-2 road draw against No. 7 Arkansas. The Irish will next take the pitch at Clemson on Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. The match will stream on the ACC Network.
