Notre Dame men’s soccer continued their seven-game homestand with a non-conference matchup against Wright State Tuesday night, defeating the Raiders 3-2 behind a first-half hat trick by senior defender Mitch Ferguson. The Raiders attempted to rally by scoring two goals late into the second, making for a high-intensity end to the game.
Tuesday’s match was the first time Notre Dame played Wright State in South Bend since 2019, when the Irish fell short 3-2. This hungry Notre Dame team had no intention of repeating the past, and came into the first period with high expectations.
After last week’s upset against Louisville, the Irish have shaken the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The 3-0 shutout over the Cardinals moved Notre Dame to No. 21 in the country, dropping Louisville to an unranked position. The goals scored by senior forward Wyatt Borso, junior midfielder Nolan Spicer and freshman forward Ren Sylvester went unanswered by the Cardinals, proving Notre Dame’s offense is one to keep an eye out for this season. The win was massive for the Irish, shaking off their early season nerves and gaining the confidence necessary for the rest of the season.
The Irish wasted no time scoring, with a free kick scored by Ferguson in the 8th-minute, his second goal of the season. The Irish captain beat Raiders freshman goalkeeper Nadav Youdkevich on the right side, finding the bottom right corner of the net.
Ferguson’s goal was so nice, he had to do it twice. At the 28th-minute mark, Ferguson scored following a phenomenal save from Youdkevich. The Raiders goalkeeper could not quite reset fast enough, and freshman defender Alex Rosin and freshman forward Luke Burton assisted Ferguson’s second goal of the night, again from a set piece on a corner kick.
On Notre Dame’s fourth corner kick of the half, graduate defender Diego Ochoa and Spicer generated a scoring opportunity for Ferguson, who capitalized on their efforts and scored his third goal of the night at the 32nd-minute. Three goals in the first half gave Ferguson his first ever hat trick, and the only hat trick for a Notre Dame defender so far this season.
Youdkevich had four saves in the first half and was making smart decisions in net, but he was less successful in deflecting at the touchline, which made up two of the three Irish goals. Youdkevich showed a great eye for blocking shots at distance and on the left side, but he needed his defenders to break up passes to disrupt the Irish playmaking.
The Raiders came out energetic into the second half, undeterred by the score. They stayed levelheaded on the pitch, reducing mistakes and unnecessary fouls on defense.
Both teams were quiet, regularly alternating possession with little action on offense for either side for the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Wright State’s momentum changed at the 70th-minute, when freshman forward Sammy Jadid entered the game as a substitute for senior midfielder Jack Jenkins. Jadid scored his first goal of the season in dramatic fashion, dribbling past the Notre Dame defense and beating sophomore goalkeeper Blake Kelly on the left side to put Wright State on the board.
The Jadid goal fired up this Wright State team looking for their first win of the season, and junior midfielder Edwin Espinal-Elvir scored in the 89th-minute after a missed header off the post. The Raiders were not giving up, and finally landed a shot deep into the right corner after working Kelly all around the net.
The Irish held on to their lead late into the second half, squeaking by with a win on the scoresheet. The Notre Dame defense was diligent and physical tonight, with defensive players working hard to produce offensive results and limiting Wright State to only 11 total shots. The Irish had 10 fouls, which is a number they want to reduce in the games going forward.
When asked about his team’s performance tonight, especially in the second half, Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley said, “We’ll look back on those things and grow, but I think winning soccer games is tough, and Division I soccer is tough, so we’ll always take the positive.” Although the Irish did not want to give up two goals to Wright State, the Raiders were hungry and displayed perseverance until the end and continued their pursuit of their first victory.
Despite the minor positives and negatives for their play tonight, it was a phenomenal game for Mitch Ferguson. After the game, Ferguson accepted congratulations but had nothing but praise for his teammates and coaching staff. “The coaches do a fantastic job setting us up to be successful in those areas,” he said. “And, I mean, just props to them and props for our team, just on staying focused in those times and executing.”
Notre Dame has game four of their seven-game homestand this Saturday against unranked SMU at 7 p.m. in Alumni Stadium. Although not the toughest opponent Notre Dame will face this season, they must continue prioritizing cohesive defense and communication on offense to maintain their dominance.
